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Fidel Castro (Ruz) (1926-)
Cuban revolutionary, prime minister (1959- ), and president (1976- ).
Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926, near Birán, Cuba. One of five children, he showed an interested in history and military matters growing up. Castro studied law in Havana and became involved with a revolutionary group at the university.
In 1953 Castro was imprisoned after an unsuccessful rising against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He was later released under an amnesty. He went to Mexico and spent time in the United States to prepare for second attempt to overthrow Batista. Castro returned to Cuba in 1956 by boat with a small band of insurgents. In 1958 he mounted a full-scale attack and Batista fled the country in January 1959.
Castro took power in early 1959. As prime minister he set about far-reaching reforms. Castro ended U.S. economic dominance of the island and stopped the U.S.-supported émigré invasion at the Bay of Pigs (1961). Castro changed Cuba into the first communist nation in the Western Hemisphere and aligned himself with the Soviet Union. The country became reliant on Soviet aid, which caused economic hardship when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Beginning the late 1990s, the state of Castro's health became a subject of much discussion. While numerous health problems had been reported over the years, the most significant news came on the night of July 31, 2006. A letter from Castro was read on Cuban television announcing that Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, would be the country's leader temporarily. Fidel had surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding. During the recovery period, Raul would serve as Cuba's president. Raul had been Fidel's second in command for many years and had officially been selected as Fidel's successor in 1997. Since his surgery, the public has only seen him in photographs or video footage meeting allies.
Castro has led the country for more than four decades. He has been credited with making some improvements in education and healthcare, but the Cuban people still face food shortages, economic hardship, and little personal freedom. A strict ruler, Castro has been known for quieting anyone who criticizes his government and has imprisoned or killed numerous opponents.
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