On April 19, for the first time in decades, Cuba ceased to have a head of state surnamed Castro. Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is now president.

This has sparked endless speculation about what kind of man he is and how the new administration will function. Some of this commentary has offered genuinely interesting insight into his background while much else has indulged in speculation. The difficult truth is that right now nobody knows what his ascension means for Cuba. Perhaps not even Díaz-Canel himself.

There are two main reasons for this. First, as many have noted, Díaz-Canel is not nearly as well-known as his predecessors. Though he is a career politician, we have seen little more than glimpses of his thought process and character. For most of his time in public life he has been a middling official, largely limited to carrying out policies set by the Communist Party Central Committee. It is unclear what he will be like at the helm of government.