Castro says he’ll continue to lead Cuban government until April

Cuban President Raúl Castro announced Thursday that he will remain in power until April, two months longer than expected.

The Associated Press reported that Castro made the announcement Thursday afternoon, hours after the country’s parliament voted to extend the current legislating calendar from February to April over damage caused by Hurricane Irma.

BREAKING: Cuban President Raul Castro says he will continue to head the government until April, two months longer than expected.

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 22, 2017

Castro, who is now 86, had previously promised to step down in February, when his second term as president ends.

{mosads}

Hurricane Irma ripped through the Caribbean in September before making landfall in Florida. The storm was blamed for 10 deaths in Cuba, which previously delayed municipal elections by a month over the damage.

President Trump has walked back some of the openings to Cuba that occurred during the Obama administration, announcing new travel restrictions between the former Cold War rivals.

Early this year, Castro told state media that Trump should not expect Cuba to “make concessions inherent to its independence and sovereignty.”