Sinh nhật Fidel Castro

When he was in good health, Fidel Castro enjoyed celebrating his birthday in public. Concerts were laid on, Cubans would wave flags at parades and children would share slices of cake. The events gave Mr Castro an image of being "father of the revolution"; his absence today is further confirmation that he's unlikely to play the same role again.

But although Fidel Castro dominated Cuban political life for nearly fifty years, his illness hasn't created a leadership vacuum. His brother, Raul - acting president now for over a year - is credited with keeping the Cuban people calm and the government united. Raul Castro has moved his supporters into key positions, while the powerful Cuban army - which he leads - has been given a bigger role in overhauling the economy.

Many analysts think the transition to a Raul Castro presidency is well underway, even though his ailing brother insists he's being consulted on the key decisions. But the real test for the survival of the Cuban system will still come when Fidel Castro dies. This could be the catalyst for bottled-up social tension, or rivalry within the government to break out, even though observers generally think Cuba is more likely to experience a slow, orderly transition to a more open system.

Simon Watts, BBC

laid on
ở đây có nghĩa là được tổ chức, tiến hành

further confirmation
khẳng định thêm

dominated
thống lĩnh, thống trị, là nhân vật quan trọng nhất nắm quyền kiểm soát

leadership vacuum
khoảng trống lãnh đạo, thiếu vắng sự lãnh đạo dẫn dắt

credited with
được ghi nhận, ghi công, được ca ngợi về

overhauling the economy
tái cơ cấu và cải thiện kinh tế một cách toàn diện

well underway
đã và đang diễn ra

ailing
đau yếu

catalyst
một sự kiện hay một người tạo ra thay đổi lớn

bottled-up
bi dồn đọng, chất chứa, không được thể hiện hay nói ra