Adiós Perra

Castro quits...

HAVANA -- Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Mr. Castro, 81, who has not appeared in public since undergoing stomach surgery almost 19 months ago, said he would not seek a new term as the communist country's president or as military commander-in-chief when the National Assembly meets 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 Council of State and Commander in Chief," Mr. Castro said in a statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party's Granma newspaper.

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President Bush said he hoped Mr. Castro's retirement would mark a new era in Cuba.

"I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of a democratic transition," Mr. Bush said at a news conference in Rwanda during a tour to Africa.

Cuba's National Assembly legislature is expected to nominate Mr. Castro's brother and designated successor Raul Castro as president. Raul Castro, 76, has been running the country since emergency surgery to stop intestinal bleeding forced Mr. Castro to delegate power on July 31, 2006.

Cubans on the empty streets of Havana were not surprised by Mr. Castro's retirement, announced in the middle of the night.

"Everyone knew for a while that he would not come back. The people got used to his absence," said Roberto, a self-employed Cuban who did not want to be fully named.

"I don't know what to say. I just want to leave. This system cannot continue," said Alexis, a garbage collector.