HAVANA — Ailing President Fidel Castro did not show up at the opening of a summit of developing nations here Monday, leaving the stage to what many believe is the next generation of leaders who will guide Cubans through their nation's first power shift since the 1959 revolution.
They ranged in age from 41 to 69, and the choreography of their roles left ample room for speculation about who is the heir apparent to Castro, who transferred power to his brother Raul and a small cadre of leaders in July, when he underwent intestinal surgery.
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, 41, stepped up to host the inaugural reception and to address the start of the 14th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Vice President Carlos Lage Davila, 54, served as official greeter as heads of state and government arrived for the meeting of the 116-nation group formed in 1961 to counterbalance superpower influence.
National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, 69, is set to brief international media; Defense Minister Raul Castro, 75, temporarily replacing his brother as leader, was not expected to take part until a culminating plenary session Friday.
Emergence of the Cuban Communist Party officials in the summit preliminaries seemed to validate a long-held belief that Lage and Perez Roque have been positioned to succeed the Castro brothers in the political hierarchy.
Fidel Castro handed power to his brother July 31, when he underwent surgery for intestinal bleeding. Despite reports that his convalescence is proceeding well, he has yet to make a public appearance and has looked frail in photos released by the government.
Raul Castro also has been little seen, although he has appeared at Jose Marti International Airport to greet arriving dignitaries, accompanied by Lage.
The defense minister, always in his general's uniform and military cap, told the party newspaper Granma last month that it was not his style to give speeches and make appearances, which bolstered public speculation that his power was transitional.
Perez Roque, who held a news conference Sunday, was the only Cuban official to speak at Monday's session.
Later, he was host of a reception for senior officials who will draft accords to consolidate the Non-Aligned bloc's policies and interests.
But his seemingly dominant role could be a formality largely explained by his position as the country's top diplomat, rather than a sign that he has surpassed Lage in the succession order.
