Fidel Castro became interested in politics when he was in college. Opposed to the social and economic inequalities of the country, in 1953 he attempted an armed reaction against the government of Batista. He was arrested and exiled to Mexico. In 1956, he returned clandestinely to Cuba in order to overthrow General Batista with the Cuban Revolution. He was accompanied by 81 men, including his brother Raul Castro and Ernesto Guevara. He then appeared as a hero of democracy.
He was Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 before becoming President of the Republic of Cuba and First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. He then adopted several communist policies as well as Marxist-Leninist beliefs. In the midst of the Cold War, Cuba allied with the USSR and thus became the enemy of the United States. After the unsuccessful landing of the Americans on the Bay of Pigs (1961), Castro gained popularity.
In the 1980s, he engaged in virulent criticism of the American policy of embargo and the frequent attempts to overthrow his government.
In 2008, he announced his retirement from the head of the Cuban state in favor of his brother.
1926 - 2016
Status
Dictator
Politician