A young Cuba looks to leadership change

On the anniversary of the birth of Cuban national hero Jose Marti, schoolchildren in Havana hold images of Marti and Fidel Castro. Absent from public view is Miguel Diaz-Canel, likely successor to President Raul Castro. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Feb. 6, 2015 3:31 PM PT

Miguel Diaz-Canel is the most concrete signal that a generational change of leadership may hover on the horizon in Cuba, matching a demographic shift that makes the island’s population one of the youngest in the hemisphere.

At age 83, Jose Hernandez is the same age as Raul Castro. Hernandez worked as a farm laborer for his whole life and now lives in the town of Mariel. Hernandez was in his mid-twenties when the Cuban revolution took place. With Fidel Castro and Raul Castro getting older, Miguel Diaz-Canel will most likely be next in line as leader. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

A portrait of Fidel Castro seen in a Havana shop in February 2015. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

Four-year-old Namir Rodrigo Ruiz Gomez holds a cardboard machete at a ceremony in honor of national hero Jose Marti. Cuba’s population is among the youngest in the hemisphere. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

A Cuban soldier walks past a sign in the town of Mariel that says “...and I will be on the frontline, to die fighting in defense of my nation,” along with a picture of Fidel Castro. Three years of service to the country is mandatory for young people. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

On the anniversary of the birth of Cuban national hero Jose Marti, thousands of Cubans march through Havana in what is called the March of the Torches. Jose Marti fought for Cuban independence from Spain. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

On the anniversary of the birth of Cuban national hero Jose Marti, thousands of Cubans march through Havana in what is called the March of the Torches. Key leaders of the army, of which Raul Castro is still the supreme commander, control several segments of the economy. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Cuba’s President Raul Castro, left, shakes hands with First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Though Castro has indicated Diaz-Canel is his likely successor, many Cubans are still unsure who he is. (Ramon Espinosa / Associated Press)