Fidel Castro
by Staff WriterBiography - Personal Life
Fidel Castro’s birth was on August 13, 1926 in Cuba. He was the son of Angel Castro Argiz and Lina Ruz Gonzalez. As a youth Castro attended Catholic schools. He later studied law school at the University of Havana, graduating in 1950.
In 1948, Castro married Mirta Diaz-Balart and together they had a son named Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart in 1949. Only several years after their son was born the two divorced. Castro later remarried Dalia Soto del Valle and had five sons.
History of Fidel Castro’s Leadership
After graduating law school in 1950, Castro became a member of the Ortodoxo Party and campaigned for a seat in the Cuban Congress. However, Fulgencio Batista seized control of the Cuban government. Batista intended to prevent the rise of the Orthodoxos.
On January 1st, 1959, Fidel Castro and his band of revolutionaries overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista. Castro had led an important revolt against Batista in 1953 and was imprisoned and then exiled. He secretly returned to Cuba in 1956 with 81 followers. Against overwhelming odds, Castro and his guerrillas toppled the cruel and corrupt Batista regime.
Initially, much of the world welcomed Castro’s victory and regarded him as a patriot who would soon establish democratic rule. However, disillusionment spread when Castro made himself Premier and began curtailing civil liberties and executing thousands of political enemies.
In front of the presidential palace in Havana, Cuba, nearly one million people (just about the whole population of Havana) gathered at the bidding of their new leader, Fidel Castro. The summary court marshal and executions of Batista followers have brought criticism from abroad, especially America. Castro wanted to know how his countrymen felt on the subject and the historical reception shows that Cubans would support just about anything he did. 4,500 people had been arrested. Most were believed to be former soldiers of Batista’s regime. The public trials were held at Havana Sports Arena. Castro’s government allowed freedom of the press, so the reporters were able to provide dramatic firsthand accounts.
The relationship between Cuba and the US grew worse as Castro embraced communism in Cuba and the Soviet Union.
Cuba Today
In August 2006, at almost 80 years of age, Fidel Castro had undergone surgery to stop gastrointestinal bleeding. After the operation, Castro was obligated to rest for several weeks. Due to his poor physical state, Castro temporarily granted power over communist Cuba to his brother Raul Castro.
In the United States, crowds cheered in the streets of Miami, celebrating the current situation in Cuba. The people of Miami anticipated a possible end to Cuba being led by, what many consider, a brutal dictator.
