Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader of Cuba died on 25th Nov 2016 at the age of 90. His death was announced by President Raul Castro who is also his brother.
The former Cuban President and leader of the Communist revolution ruled Cuba as a one party state for 50 years before handing power to brother Raul in 2008.
His supporters held that he was a man who gave back Cuba to its people.
Fidel Castro was born on 13th August 1926 and governed Cuba as the prime minister from 1959 to 1976. He belonged to the Marxist Leninist political leaning.
He served the country as its president from 1976 to 2008. Through his administration, Cuba turned into a one party socialist state. State socialist reforms implemented through society, industry and business underwent nationalisation under him.
He was the first secretary of Cuba’s Communist Party. He held the post from 1961 to 2011.
In 1956, he threw out the Cuban President Fulgenico Batista by leading a guerrilla war against him. He was also assisted in his mission by brother Raul along with Che Guevara
The Marxist Leninist mode of development led to the conversion of Cuba into a one party socialist state under Communist Party rule. This was the first instance of its kind in the Western world.
Castro introduced central economic planning, extension of healthcare and education, state control of the press and suppression of dissenters. He also survived many assassination attempts by America.
He was decorated with several international awards such as the
Order of Good Hope by S. Africa.
He also supported anti Imperialist revolutionary groups across the world, backing the establishment of Marxist governments in Chile, Grenada and Nicaragua
From
1979-1983, he helped establish the
NAM movement.
Know Cuba- Capital: Havana
- Current president is Raul Castro
- Currencies: Cuban peso, Cuban convertible peso
- Official language: Spanish
