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Cuba's Fidel Castro retires after 49 years in power, leaving his brother Raul as Cuba's leader. Cubans in Havana react with a mix of sadness, resignation and acceptance while some Miami analysts don't think that much will change under Raul. As sun broke over Havana on Tuesday (February 19), Cubans awoke to news that leader Fidel Castro would not return to lead the communist country, retiring as president 49 years after he seized power in a revolution and became a central figure of the Cold War. Eighty-one-year-old Castro, who has not appeared in public since undergoing stomach surgery almost 19 months ago, said he would not seek a new term as president or leader of Cuba's armed forces when the National Assembly meets on Sunday. "To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honor in recent days of electing me a member of parliament ... I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept -- I repeat not aspire to or accept -- the positions of president of the Council of State and commander-in-chief," Castro said in a statement published in the Communist Party's Granma newspaper. Cubans responded to the news with a mix of sadness, acceptance and resignation. "El Comandante (referring to Fidel Castro) has given us everything. He has done everything for this revolution, for us, for Cuba. Unfortunately the hour has arrived for him to retire after from so much fighting and concern himself with the entire world," said Maria Eva Ramirez. Meanwhile, local resident Alexan...