Biography
Fidel Castro (1926–2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and political leader who overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and went on to rule Cuba for nearly five decades. He established a one-party communist state, suppressed political opposition and dissent, and maintained close political, economic, and military ties with the Soviet Union throughout much of the Cold War.
Castro was born on August 13, 1926, in Birán, in eastern Cuba. His father, Ángel Castro, was a Spanish immigrant and prosperous landowner, while his mother, Lina Ruz, had worked in the household before becoming his father's partner. As a young man, Fidel was particularly interested in sports, especially baseball. He attended Catholic schools and later studied law at the University of Havana, where he became increasingly involved in politics.
While still a student, Castro spoke out against political corruption, social inequality, and American influence in Cuba. In 1948, he married Mirta Díaz-Balart, a fellow student from a wealthy Cuban family. They had one son, Fidelito, before divorcing in 1955. Castro later had several other children from different relationships.
In 1952, Fulgencio Batista seized power in a military coup after cancelling elections. Castro responded by organizing an armed struggle against the regime. On July 26, 1953, he led an unsuccessful attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. He was captured, tried, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. After serving less than two years, he was released under an amnesty in 1955 and went into exile in Mexico.
In Mexico, Castro organized a small revolutionary movement and met Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who joined his cause. In December 1956, Castro, Guevara, and a group of revolutionaries landed in eastern Cuba aboard the yacht *Granma*. Batista's forces attacked them soon after their arrival, but Castro and a small number of survivors escaped into the Sierra Maestra mountains.
From there, Castro rebuilt his guerrilla movement. Over the next two years, the rebels gained strength while Batista's government increasingly lost popular support. On January 1, 1959, Batista fled Cuba, and Castro's forces entered Havana. Castro soon became the country's dominant political leader and would remain in power until 2006.
The Cuban Revolution initially attracted support from many poor Cubans and from sections of the middle class and intellectual community. Castro introduced sweeping economic and social reforms, including land redistribution and the nationalization of major industries and banks. His government increasingly aligned itself with the Soviet Union, while relations with the United States deteriorated rapidly.
In 1961, Castro's government nationalized numerous American-owned businesses and properties. The United States responded with economic sanctions and supported Cuban exiles who sought to overthrow Castro. In April 1961, an invasion by Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs failed. Later that year, Castro openly declared that the Cuban Revolution was socialist.
Cuba's alliance with the Soviet Union soon brought the island to the center of the Cold War. In October 1962, the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis, bringing the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev eventually agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for American assurances that Cuba would not be invaded.
For decades, relations between Cuba and the United States remained hostile. Cuba received substantial economic and military support from the Soviet Union and maintained close relations with other communist states. Castro also supported revolutionary movements abroad, particularly in Latin America and Africa.
In 1980, Castro allowed Cubans who wished to leave the country to do so through the port of Mariel. Around 125,000 people eventually left Cuba in what became known as the Mariel boatlift. In the following years, the United States continued to impose economic sanctions and restrictions on Cuba.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 plunged Cuba into a severe economic crisis. The loss of Soviet assistance, combined with the continuing American embargo, produced shortages of food, fuel, and other essential goods. Castro responded by introducing limited economic reforms while maintaining the country's one-party political system.
Throughout his rule, Castro remained a deeply controversial figure. Supporters credited him with expanding access to education and healthcare, promoting Cuban independence from the United States, and supporting anti-colonial movements abroad. Critics condemned his government for political repression, restrictions on freedom of expression, imprisonment of dissidents, and the absence of free multiparty elections.
On July 31, 2006, after undergoing emergency surgery, Castro temporarily transferred his powers to his younger brother, Raúl Castro. In February 2008, he formally resigned as President of Cuba, although he remained an influential political figure.
Fidel Castro died on November 25, 2016, in Havana, at the age of 90.
