Fidel

Fidel Castro Ruz, commonly referred to as Fidel Castro, was a Cuban revolutionary and statesman who led Cuba for nearly five decades. Born on August 13, 1926, in Birán, he emerged as a key figure in resisting the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and helped organize the 26th of July Movement. After a guerrilla campaign, Castro’s forces overthrew Batista in January 1959 and began transforming Cuba into a socialist state aligned with the Soviet Union. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, and after constitutional changes in 1976, as president and a central figure of Cuban leadership, remaining influential until his illness led to the handover of power to his brother Raúl in 2008. He died on November 25, 2016, in Havana.

Under Castro, Cuba pursued wide-ranging social reforms, including universal healthcare, education, and literacy campaigns, while establishing a one-party political system with centralized economic planning. The United States maintained a long-running adversarial relationship, culminating in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). Cuba received substantial support from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, after which the island faced severe economic hardship during the “Special Period.” Internationally, Cuba backed allied movements and provided medical and diplomatic aid in some regions, even as political freedoms were constrained and dissent curtailed.

Castro’s legacy is highly contested. Supporters credit him with national sovereignty, social welfare gains, and education; critics point to human rights concerns, lack of multiparty elections, and economic stagnation. He remains a central figure in 20th-century revolutions and Cold War history.