The Life and Legacy of Fidel Castro - A Revolutionary Cuban Politician

Fidel Castro Story

Profile

A well-known politician and revolutionary from Cuba, Fidel Castro. He served as the Republic of Cuba's Prime Minister for 17 years before taking office as President in 2000 and leading the nation until 2006. He served as the Communist Party of Cuba's first secretary.

 

Up until 2011, he worked as a secretary. Cuba developed and became a socialist one-party state during his rule. Under his leadership, all businesses and industries were nationalized. Under his administration, Cuba underwent several socialist changes.

Earlier Life

On August 13, 1926, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born in Birán, Oriental. He was the affluent sugarcane plantation owner's son from Galicia, Spain. He was the third of Castro y Argiz's six children. The first wife of Angel, Maria Luisa Argota, used to have Fidel's mother as her maid. 

 

When he was 15 years old, ngel Castro wed Lina Ruz González, the mother of Fidel. When Fidel was 17 years old, his father recognized him and formally changed his name from Ruz to Castro.

Fidel was raised in affluent conditions despite Cuba's terrible poverty. His father had connections with the United Fruit Company, which was owned by Americans. He received his education in exclusive Jesuit boarding schools. 

 

He then enrolled in Colegio Dolores in Santiago de Cuba and El Colegio de Belén in Havana, respectively. Castro enrolled in the University of Havana's law school after receiving his diploma in 1945, and the socialist ideas he encountered there fundamentally changed him.

Political Career

In 1947, Castro fundamentally changed his attitude toward bringing social justice and economic freedom to his own Cuba. He went to the Dominican Republic and then to Columbia to take part in rioting against the government. 

 

He then intended to depose Fulgencio Batista, the president of Cuba.

 After failing in his attempt and after a year in prison, he traveled to Mexico and joined up with Che Guevara and Raul Castro to create the 26th July Movement. 

He initiated a guerrilla battle against the Batista regime when he returned to Cuba in 1956 with about 80 rebels and weapons. He was successful in putting together numerous resistance groups throughout the following two years. Additionally, he established a parallel government and implemented some reforms in the manufacturing and agriculture industries.


Castro was lucky to overthrow Batista's administration after several contentious military engagements. He successfully finished his guerrilla campaign and seized power in Cuba by the age of 32. In 1959, Castro took the oath of office as Cuba's premier. Castro proclaimed Cuba a socialist state on April 14, 1961. Soon after, the Bay of Pigs event strained ties between the US and Cuba. The US administration made numerous unsuccessful attempts to topple Castro's regime.

 
Following the Bay of Pigs episode, Castro grew closer to the Soviet Union. This political alliance pushed the globe one step closer to a nuclear conflict. 

 

Castro and Soviet Premier Khrushchev developed the notion of retaining nuclear missiles in Cuba as they prepared for an unexpected US invasion of the island. After 13 days of intense worry and conversation between the US President and Soviet Premier, the missiles were taken from the state.

Fidel Castro combined his radical organizations with Cuba's Communist party in 1965. He positioned himself in the 1970s as the voice of developing nations and supported numerous nations that supported the Soviet Union, including Yemen and Ethiopia.

Around 10,000 new schools were opened in Cuba during Castro's rule, and the country's literacy rate rose to 98%. Additionally, the health care system for Cubans improved. Infant mortality drastically decreased. Castro restricted people's freedom in a variety of ways. 

 

For example, unions were denied the ability to strike, independent newspapers were forced out of business, and numerous religious organizations also experienced setbacks.

Personal Life

In 1948, Castro wed Mirta Diaz-Balart; their son Fidelito was born in 1949. He had relationships with Maria Laborde and Naty Revuelta after divorcing Mirta in 1955. Castro experienced gastrointestinal hemorrhage as his health deteriorated in the 1990s. He died on November 25, 2016, at the age of 90.
Awards

Castro was awarded the Lenin Order three times. He was the honoree's first international recipient. For his work against racism, he received South Africa's Order of Good Hope. He was honored by numerous countries all around the world for his social initiatives.