After 49 years as Cuba’s iron-fisted dictator, Fidel Castro is relinquishing power at the age of 81:

Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cuba and commander in chief of Cuba’s military Tuesday, according to a letter published in the state-run newspaper, Granma.

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“I will not aspire to, nor will I accept the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief,” Castro wrote. “I wish only to fight as a soldier of ideas. … Perhaps my voice will be heard.”

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He also said he realized that he had a duty to prepare Cubans for his absence.

“My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath,” he said. “That’s all I can offer.”

Cuba’s leaders plan to elect a president within days. Castro’s brother, Raúl, the country’s defense minister, has been named publicly as his successor.

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Although Raúl Castro has been named as his brother’s successor, the departure of the charismatic leader whose identity became inseparable from his revolution raises questions of how long his system can survive without him.

Raul Castro has signaled that he wants to make some modest economic reforms; his ambitions fall far short of move towards democratization that I (and many others) would like to see in Cuba.

Overall, I don’t expect much to change–Cuba will remain under an iron-fisted dictator who, like Fidel, will improve the people’s lives in some areas while continuing to oppress them in others.

Still, Raul Castro is nearly 77 years old. Within a few years, he too may also be unable to serve as the leader of Cuba. Once the Castros are gone, will Cuba go in a new direction? Will a young reformer step up to the plate and deliver that nation into the 21st century, or will the system Fidel built prove strong enough to endure without him?

Only time will tell. If Fidel taught us anything, though, it’s that isolating our adversaries is bad policy–it led Fidel to dig in his heels for nearly 50 years, engaging in brinksmanship with the United States at every opportunity.

Now, hopefully, the international community will take this opportunity to help Cuba nation modernize and reform, while taking every opportunity to provide assistance to the people of Cuba.

UPDATE: Some reactions:

Barack Obama released a statement on Castro’s resignation:

“Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba’s history. Fidel Castro’s stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba.

“Cuba’s future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It’s time for these heroes to be released.

“If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades. The freedom of the Cuban people is a cause that should bring the Americans together.”

John McCain, R-Ariz., also issued a written reaction to the media.

“Today’s resignation of Fidel Castro is nearly half a century overdue. For decades, Castro oversaw an apparatus of repression that denied liberty to the people who suffered under his dictatorship.

“Yet freedom for the Cuban people is not yet at hand, and the Castro brothers clearly intend to maintain their grip on power. That is why we must press the Cuban regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally, to legalize all political parties, labor unions and free media, and to schedule internationally monitored elections.

“Cuba’s transition to democracy is inevitable; it is a matter of when — not if. With the resignation of Fidel Castro, the Cuban people have an opportunity to move forward and continue pushing for the moment that they will truly be free. America can and should help hasten the sparking of freedom in Cuba. The Cuban people have waited long enough.”