Cuba's one-party system, with presidents elected by the National Assembly for fixed five-year terms under the 2019 constitution, anchors continuity for Miguel Díaz-Canel, whose current mandate runs through 2028. Severe energy shortages and economic pressures prompted him to acknowledge the need for urgent economic model adjustments in mid-2026, while bilateral talks with the United States—confirmed in March and tied to energy relief and prisoner releases—advanced without leadership concessions. Cuban officials explicitly rejected any negotiation over the presidency. Additional U.S. sanctions and external calls for change have not altered domestic power structures. The next scheduled parliamentary cycle and ratification process remain distant, limiting near-term pathways for removal absent internal party shifts or extraordinary events.