Cuban President Raul Castro is marking his 83rd birthday privately, a milestone that is passing without fanfare but serves as a reminder that his generation's time in power is limited.
Castro has said he intends to remain in office no longer than his current term, which ends in 2018.
Castro took office provisionally in 2006 when his older brother Fidel was stricken with a life-threatening illness. He assumed the full presidency two years later.
There was no mention of Raul Castro's birthday today in official media.
Fidel Castro is 87, retired and rarely appears in public.
