Cuba crisis explained: Who holds power, and could Diaz-Canel be replaced?

Cuba is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis that has prompted scrutiny of President Miguel Díaz-Canel's grip on power and whether he could be removed from office. The island nation faces shortages of food, medicine, and electricity—among the worst conditions since the 1990s—straining both the government's legitimacy and its ability to maintain control. Díaz-Canel, who took over the presidency in 2018 after Raúl Castro stepped down, relies on Cuba's military and state apparatus to maintain his position, but the deepening crisis has intensified questions about his political durability. The outcome of any potential leadership transition would likely reshape Cuba's approach to economic policy and its international relations at a critical moment. The succession question reflects broader instability within Cuba's one-party system as the government struggles to address the country's economic collapse.