Fidel Castro

President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba
Incumbent
In office since December 2, 1976 Responsibilities transferred as of 31 July 2006
Vice President(s)	Raúl Castro Ruz
Preceded by	Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
Prime Ministers of Cuba
In office February 16, 1959 – December 2, 1976
Preceded by	José Miró Cardona
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Born	August 13, 1926 Birán, Holguín Province
Political party	Communist Party of Cuba
Spouse	(1) Mirta Díaz-Balart (divorced 1955) (2) Dalia Soto del Valle

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. After commanding the revolution that overthrew Fulgencio Batista in 1959, he held the title of Prime Minister^[1] of Cuba until 1976, when he became president of the Council of State as well as of the Council of Ministers. Castro became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in 1965, and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic. As president he also holds the supreme military rank of Comandante en Jefe in the Cuban military. On July 31, 2006, Castro, after undergoing intestinal surgery, transferred his responsibilities to the vice-president, his brother Raúl. Image File history File links Fidel_Castro5_cropped. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Cuba. ... // In politics The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ... Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (April 17, 1919-June 23, 1983) was a Cuban political figure, and served as president of Cuba from July 17, 1959 until December 2, 1976, afterwhich Fidel Castro became president. ... This is a list of Prime Ministers of Cuba from 1940 to the present. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... José Miró Cardona in a Time Magazine cover. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Birán is a small town in the Oriente region of Cuba, best known as the birthplace of Fidel Castro in 1926. ... Holguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the second most populous after Ciudad de la Habana. ... The Communist Party of Cuba (Spanish: Partido Comunista de Cuba, PCC) is currently the only political party permitted to assemble or engage in any political activity in Cuba. ... Mirta Diaz Balart was Fidel Castros first wife. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... This page contains a list of presidents of Cuba. ... The Cuban Revolution was the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s regime by the 26th of July Movement and the establishment of a new Cuban government led by Fidel Castro in the 1950s. ... General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (pronounced ) (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the de facto military leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1940 and the de jure President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of the Prime Minister Prime Minister of Cuba is a term given to the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The Council of State is a thirty-one member body of the Republic of Cuba elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. ... The Council of Ministers is the cabinet of the Republic of Cuba. ... The Communist Party of Cuba (Spanish: Partido Comunista de Cuba, PCC) is currently the only political party permitted to assemble or engage in any political activity in Cuba. ... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... Socialist state is the term used in official documents of some countries to describe their political system. ... The following list presents the Rank and Insignia of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces from 1980, until 1999. ... National security Under Castro, Cuba became a highly militarized society. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2006 Cuban transfer of presidential duties is a transfer of duties of the Cuban presidency from Fidel Castro to the first vice president, his brother Raúl Castro, following Fidels illness. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ...

Castro first attracted attention in Cuban political life through nationalist critiques of Batista and United States corporate and political influence in Cuba. He gained an ardent, but limited, following and also drew the attention of the authorities.^[2] He eventually led the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks, after which he was captured, tried, incarcerated and later released. He then travelled to Mexico^[3][4] to organize and train for the guerrilla invasion of Cuba that took place in December 1956. Since his assumption of power in 1959 he has evoked both praise and condemnation (at home and internationally). Castro is frequently described by opponents as a dictator^[5][6] and accused of gross human rights violations, including the execution of thousands of political opponents ^[7]. Other groups hail Castro as a charismatic liberator.^[8] Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... ]] originally limited to a term -commonly of six months or the duration of a military conflict- and lacked power over the public finances. ...

Outside of Cuba, Castro has been defined by his relationship with both the United States and with the former Soviet Union. Ever since the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 by the United States, the Castro-led government has had an openly antagonistic relationship with the U.S., and a simultaneous closeness with the Soviet bloc. This was true until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, after which his priorities shifted from supporting foreign interventions to partnering with regional socialist figures such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia. Combatants Cuba Cuban exiles trained by the United States Commanders Fidel Castro Arnaldo Ochoa Sanchez Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Grayston Lynch Pepe San Roman Erneido Oliva Strength 51,000 1,500 Casualties 2,200; estimated 115 dead 1,189 captured Cuban poster warning before invasion showing a soldier armed... A map of the Eastern Bloc. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the 53rd[1] and current President of Venezuela. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has claimed to be the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ...

Domestically, Fidel Castro has overseen the implementation of various economic policies which saw the rapid centralization of Cuba's economy, land reform, collectivization of agriculture, and the nationalization of leading Cuban industries. The expansion of publicly funded health care and education has been a cornerstone of Castro's domestic social agenda. Some credit these policies for Cuba's relatively high Human Development Index rating. ^[9] Others see Castro and his policies as being responsible for Cuba's general economic depredation, and harshly criticize him for the criminalization of political dissent, free speech, and provoking hundreds of thousands of Cubans into fleeing the country. Land reform (also agrarian reform although that can have a broader meaning) is the government-initiated or government-backed redistribution of — i. ... Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Cuban government oversees the the largely state-controlled planned economy, though there remains significant foreign investment and enterprise in Cuba. ... The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes full fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of its citizens. ...

Childhood and education

University student Fidel Castro (center, standing, in black) talking to fellow students during a protest on November 11, 1947.

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on a sugar plantation in Birán, near Mayarí, in the modern-day province of Holguín – then a part of the now-defunct Oriente province. He was the third child born to Ángel Castro y Argiz, a Galician immigrant who became relatively prosperous through hard work in the sugar industry and shrewd investments. His mother, Lina Ruz González, was a household servant.^[3] Angel Castro was married to another woman Maria Luisa Argota.^[10] until Fidel was 17, and thus Fidel as a child had to deal both with his illegitimacy and the challenge of being raised in various foster homes away from his father's house. REUTERS/Courtesy of Granma/FILE Taken from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... REUTERS/Courtesy of Granma/FILE Taken from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Holguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the second most populous after Ciudad de la Habana. ... Statistics Capital: Santiago de Cuba Area: 6,170km² Inhabitants: 1,016,600 Population Density: 164. ... Ángel Castro y Argiz is the father of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. ... Galician (Galician: galego) is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia. ...

Castro has two brothers: Ramón and Raúl, and four sisters: Angelita, Juanita, Enma, and Agustina. All of them were born out of wedlock. He also has two half siblings, Lidia and Pedro Emilio who were raised by Ángel Castro's first wife. Ramón Castro (born 1924) is the older brother of Fidel and Raúl Castro and a key figure of the Cuban Revolution. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ... Juanita Castro is the sister of Cuban President Fidel Castro and first vice President Raúl Castro. ...

Fidel was not baptized until he was eight, also very uncommon, bringing embarrassment and ridicule from other children.^[11][12] Ángel Castro finally dissolved his first marriage when Fidel was 15 and married Fidel’s mother. Castro was formally recognized by his father when he was 17, when his last name was legally changed to Castro from Ruiz, his mother’s maiden name.^[11][12] At the same time, Fidel changed his middle name to “Alejandro” (Alexander) after reading about the Macedonian warrior in school.^{[citation needed]} Alexander the Great (Greek: ,[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC–June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336–323 BC), was one of, if not the most successful military commanders in history. ...

Although accounts of his education differ, most sources agree that he was an intellectually gifted student, more interested in sports than in academics, and spent many years in private Catholic boarding schools, finishing high school at Belen, a Jesuit school in Havana in 1945.^[13] Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic high school in Miami, Florida. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ...

In late 1945, he entered law school at the University of Havana. While at the University he repeatedly was involved in gangs in order to assure himself political power. University of Havana or UH (in Spanish, Universidad de la Habana) was founded in September 21, 1721 and is the oldest university in Cuba and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. ...

Political beginnings

Castro became immediately fascinated by the politics on campus at the University of Havana. The campus atmosphere during that volatile period in Cuba's history was so aggressive that organized political gangs condoning violence had become an important tool for those students aspiring to be successful leaders. Politics centered around these political gangs and Castro participated in their ever violent confrontations.^[14]

In 1947, growing increasingly passionate about social justice lacking under Cuba's current system, Castro joined the Partido Ortodoxo which had been newly formed by Eduardo Chibás. A charismatic and emotional figure, Chibás was running for president against the incumbent Ramón Grau San Martín who had allowed rampant corruption to flourish during his term. The Partido Ortodoxo publicly exposed corruption and demanded government and social reform. It aimed to instill a strong sense of national identity among Cubans, establish Cuban economic independence and freedom from the United States, and dismantle the power of the elite over Cuban politics. Though Chibás lost the election, Castro, considering Chibás his mentor, remained committed to his cause, working fervently on his behalf. In 1951, while running for president again, Chibás shot himself in the stomach during a radio broadcast. Castro was present and accompanied him to the hospital where he died.^[13] The Partido Ortodoxo was a Cuban political party, otherwise known as the Partido del Pueblo Cubano, that was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibás in response to government corruption and lack of reform. ... Eduardo Chibás (1907-1951) was a Cuban anti-communist politician who used radio to broadcast his political views to the public. ... Ramón Grau San Martín was a university professor, as well as Cuban president from September 10, 1933 to January 15, 1934. ...

Bogotazo

Main article: Bogotazo

Fidel Castro's role in this incident has been dogged by speculation and controversy but the following account seems to be generally agreed upon. In 1948 Castro traveled to Bogotá in Colombia for a political conference of Latin American students that coincided with the ninth meeting of the Pan-American Union Conference. The students had planned to use this opportunity to distribute pamphlets protesting United States dominance of the Western Hemisphere and to foment discontent. A few days after the conference began, the populist Colombian Liberal Party leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitán was assassinated, triggering massive riots in the streets in which many (mostly poor workers) were injured or killed. Rioting and looting spread to other cities in Colombia, beginning an era of turbulence that became known as "La Violencia". The students were caught up in the violence and chaos rocking the city, picking up rifles and roaming the streets distributing anti-United States material and stirring a revolt. When Castro was pursued by the Colombian authorities for his role in the riots, he took refuge in the Cuban Embassy and was flown back to Havana.^[15][16] It seems clear that experiencing the power of popular insurrection had an effect on Castro and influenced his subsequent political thinking. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Nickname: Athens of Latin America Motto: Bogotá, 2600 metros más cerca de las estrellas Bogotá, 2600 metres closer to the stars Municipalities of Bogotá Country Colombia Department Bogotá, D.C.* Foundation August 6, 1538 Mayor Luís Eduardo Garzón, PDA Area    - City 1,732 km² Elevation 2,640... The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ... Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Jorge Eliécer Gaitán (January 23, 1898 - April 9, 1948) was a politician and a leader of a populist movement in Colombia, and member of the Liberal Party. ... La Violencia (literally The Violence, in Spanish) is a term that refers to an era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1955. ...

Castro returned to Cuba and married Mirta Díaz Balart, a student from a wealthy Cuban family where he was exposed to the lifestyle of the Cuban elite. In 1950 he graduated from law school with a Doctor of Laws degree and began practicing law in a small partnership in Havana, mostly representing the poor and underprivileged. By now he had become well known for his passionately nationalistic views and his intense opposition to the influence of the United States on Cuban internal affairs. Increasingly interested in a career in politics, Castro had become a candidate for a seat in the Cuban parliament when General Fulgencio Batista led a coup d'état in 1952, successfully overthrowing the government of President Carlos Prío Socarrás and canceling the election. Mirta Diaz Balart was Fidel Castros first wife. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (pronounced ) (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the de facto military leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1940 and the de jure President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944. ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... Carlos Prío Socarrás (July 14, 1903 - April 5, 1977) was President of Cuba from 1948 until he was deposed by a military coup led by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before new elections were to be held [1]. // Youth Prio was born in Bahía...

Batista established himself as de facto leader with the support of establishment elements of Cuban society and powerful Cuban agencies. His regime was formally recognized by the United States, buttressing his power. These events effectively ended Castro's chances of pursuing a legitimate political career in Cuba. De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...

Frustrated, Castro broke away from the Partido Ortodoxo and marshaled legal arguments based on the Constitution of 1940 to formally charge Batista with violating the constitution. His petition was denied by the Court of Constitutional Guarantees and he was not allowed a hearing. This experience formed the foundation for Castro's opposition to the Batista regime and convinced him that revolution was the only way to depose Batista.^[17]

Attack on Moncada Barracks

Main article: Moncada Barracks

As discontent over the Batista coup grew, Castro abandoned his law practice and formed an underground organization of supporters, including his brother, Raúl, and actively plotted to overthrow Batista. They collected guns and ammunition and finalized their plans for an armed attack on Moncada Barracks, Batista's largest garrison outside Santiago de Cuba. On the 26th of July, 1953, they attacked Moncada Barracks. The Céspedes garrison in Bayamo was also attacked as a diversion.^[3] The attack proved disastrous and more than sixty of the one-hundred and thirty-five militants involved were killed. The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in eastern Cuba. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. ...

Castro and other surviving members of his group managed to escape to a part of the rugged Sierra Maestra^[18] mountains east of Santiago where they were eventually discovered and captured. Although there is disagreement over why Castro and his brother, Raúl, were not executed on capture as many of their fellow militants were, there is evidence that an officer recognized Castro from his university days and treated the captured rebels compassionately, despite the unofficial order to have the leader executed.^[3] Others say for example military commander of the 26th of July Movement Angel Prado that Castro said on his defense that on the night of the attack his driver got lost and he never reached the barracks. That night was the night of “El Carnaval de Santiago” and the streets of Santiago de Cuba were filled with party goers. Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero [1] in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ...

Castro was tried in the fall of 1953 and sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison.^[19] During his trial Castro delivered his famous defense speech History Will Absolve Me,^[20] upholding his rebellious actions and boldly declaring his political views:

I warn you, I am just beginning! If there is in your hearts a vestige of love for your country, love for humanity, love for justice, listen carefully... I know that the regime will try to suppress the truth by all possible means; I know that there will be a conspiracy to bury me in oblivion. But my voice will not be stifled – it will rise from my breast even when I feel most alone, and my heart will give it all the fire that callous cowards deny it... Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.

While he was being held at the prison for political activists on Isla de Pinos, he continued to plot Batista's overthrow, planning upon release to reorganize and train in Mexico.^[3] After having served less than two years, he was released in May 1955 due to a general amnesty from Batista who was under political pressure, and went as planned to Mexico.^[21] Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... The Isla de la Juventud (Spanish) or Isle of Youth (English) is the largest island of Cuba after Cuba proper. ... Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion) is an act of justice by which the supreme power in a state restores those who may have been guilty of any offence against it to the position of innocent persons. ...

26th of July Movement

Main article: 26th of July Movement

Once in Mexico, Castro reunited with other Cuban exiles and founded the 26th of July Movement, named after the date of the failed attack on the Moncada Barracks. The goal remained the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista. Castro had learned from the Moncada experience that new tactics were needed if Batista's forces were to be defeated. This time, the plan was to use underground guerrilla tactics, at that time a form of combat unknown in Latin America.^[3] Flag of the The Cuban Revolution The 26th of July Movement (Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio) was the revolutionary organization led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista regime in Cuba. ... Flag of the The Cuban Revolution The 26th of July Movement (Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio) was the revolutionary organization led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista regime in Cuba. ... General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (pronounced ) (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the de facto military leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1940 and the de jure President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944. ...

In Mexico Castro met Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a proponent of guerrilla warfare. Guevara joined the group of rebels and became an important force in shaping Castro's evolving political beliefs. Guevara's observations of the misery of the poor in Latin America had already convinced him that the only solution lay in violent revolution. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or el Che, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Since regular contacts with a KGB agent named Nikolai Sergeevich Leonov in Mexico City had not resulted in the hoped for weapon supply,^[22] they decided to go to the United States to gather personnel and funds from Cubans living there, including Carlos Prío Socarrás, the elected Cuban president deposed by Batista in 1952. Back in Mexico, the group trained under a Spanish Civil War Veteran, Cuban-born Alberto Bayo^[20] who had fled to Mexico after Francisco Franco's victory in Spain. On November 26, 1956, Castro and his group of 81 followers, mostly Cuban exiles, set out from Tuxpan Mexico aboard the yacht Granma. for the purpose of starting a rebellion in Cuba.^[23] Nikolai Leonov (born August 22, 1928) was a senior KGB officer and Latin America expert in the USSR. In 1953, at the age of 27, Leonov was posted to Mexico City, where he learned Spanish at the Autonomous University. ... (Spanish: Ciudad de México, México D.F. or simply México, pronounced IPA: ) is the capital city of the nation of Mexico. ... Carlos Prío Socarrás (July 14, 1903 - April 5, 1977) was President of Cuba from 1948 until he was deposed by a military coup led by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before new elections were to be held [1]. // Youth Prio was born in Bahía... Combatants Spanish Republic CNT-FAI UGT POUM Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish State Falangists Carlists Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Casualties Civilians killed/wounded = hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17, 1936 to April... Alberto Bayo y Giroud (1892, Camagüey—1967, Havana) was a Cuban military leader of the defeated left-wing Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. ... Franco redirects here. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tuxpan or Túxpam (IPA: ) in Nahuatl, the language of the ancient Toltecs, literally means Place of Rabbits. Tuxpan is a city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. ... Granma is the yacht that was used to transport the fighters of the Cuban Revolution to Cuba in 1956. ...

The rebels landed at Playa Las Coloradas close to Los Cayuelos near the eastern city of Manzanillo on December 2, 1956. In short order, most of Castro's men were killed, dispersed, or taken prisoner by Batista's forces.^[23] While the exact number is in dispute, it is agreed that no more than twenty of the original eighty-two men survived the bloody encounters with the Cuban army and succeeded in fleeing to the Sierra Maestra mountains.^[24] The survivors, who were aided by people in the countryside, included Che Guevara, Raúl Castro, and Camilo Cienfuegos. They regrouped in the Sierra Maestra in Oriente province and organized a column under Castro's command. Los Cayuelos is in Cuba ... Manzanillo is a city in Cuba. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero [1] in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. ... Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or el Che, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ... Cuban poster showing Camilo Cienfuegos Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán (February 6, 1932 - October 28, 1959) was a Cuban revolutionary born in Havana. ... Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero [1] in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. ...

From their encampment in the Sierra Maestra mountains, the 26th of July Movement waged a guerrilla war against the Batista government. In the cities and major towns also, resistance groups were organizing until underground groups were everywhere. The strongest was in Santiago formed by Frank País.^[25][26] A military camp or bivouac is a minor, semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. ... Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero [1] in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. ... Frank Pais was born on December 7, 1934 and was a Cuban revolutionary. ...

In the summer of 1955, País’s organization merged with the 26th of July Movement of Castro. As Castro's movement gained popular support in the cities and countryside, it grew to over eight hundred men. In mid-1957 Castro gave Che Guevara command of a second column. A journalist, Herbert Matthews from the New York Times, came to interview him in the Sierra Maestra, attracting interest to Castro's cause in the United States. The New York Times front page stories by Matthews presented Castro as a romantic and appealing revolutionary, bearded and dressed in rumpled fatigues.^{[27] [28]} Castro and Matthews were followed by the TV crew of Andrew Saint George, said to be a CIA contact person.^[29] Through television, Castro's rudimentary command of the English language and charismatic presence enabled him to appeal directly to a U.S. audience. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or el Che, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Herbert Matthews Herbert Lionel Matthews (1900-1977) was a reporter [1] for the New York Times said to be the first to report Fidel Castro was alive in the Sierra Maestra [2]. And also a reporter partial to the Republic side in (The Spanish Civil War (1961) Hugh Thomas) and... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Operation Verano

Main article: Operation Verano

Fidel Castro in his days as a guerrilla

In May 1958, Batista launched Operation Verano aiming to crush Castro and other anti-government groups. It was called "la Ofensiva" by the rebels (Alarcón Ramírez,1997). Although on paper heavily outnumbered, Castro's guerrilla forces scored a series of victories, largely aided by mass desertions from Batista's army of poorly trained and uncommitted young conscripts. During the Battle of La Plata, Castro's forces defeated an entire battalion. While pro-Castro Cuban sources later emphasized the role of Castro's guerrilla forces in these battles, other groups and leaders were also involved, such as escopeteros (poorly-armed irregulars). During the Battle of Las Mercedes, Castro's small army came close to defeat but he managed to pull his troops out by opening up negotiations with General Cantillo while secretly slipping his soldiers out of a trap. Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 12,000 Casualties 80 800 ? Operation Verano was the name given to the summer offensive in 1958 by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1133x975, 182 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1133x975, 182 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 12,000 Casualties 80 800 ? Operation Verano was the name given to the summer offensive in 1958 by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 1,200 Casualties 3 ? 500 The Battle of La Plata was part of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ... // Escopeteros In the original usage it means those armed with a smooth bore long barrel fire arm, sometimes a trabuco or blunderbuss, and has been used in this general context in histories of Spain and Latin America [1]. It has been used to describe a pitcher in baseball e. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 3,000 Casualties 70 70 ? The Battle of Las Mercedes was the last battle of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ...

When Operation Verano ended, Castro ordered three columns commanded by Guevara, Jaime Vega and Camilo Cienfuegos to invade central Cuba where they were strongly supported by rebellious elements who had long been operating in the area. One of Castro's columns moved out onto the Cauto Plains. Here, they were supported by Huber Matos, Raúl Castro and others who were operating in the eastern-most part of the province. On the plains, Castro's forces first surrounded the town of Guisa in Granma Province and drove out their enemies, then proceeded to take most of the towns that had been taken by Calixto Garcia in the 1895-1898 Cuban War of Independence. Cuban poster showing Camilo Cienfuegos Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán (February 6, 1932 - October 28, 1959) was a Cuban revolutionary born in Havana. ... Huber Matos was a Cuban revolutionary who successfully overthrew the dictatorship of General Fulgencio Batista along with Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, Raul Castro and others. ... Raúl Castro waving the Cuban flag. ... Granma is one of the provinces of Cuba. ... Calixto Garcia was born on August 4, 1839 in Holguin. ... // Pre-Columbian Cuba The archeological record and evidence from mitochondrial DNA studies indicate that Cuba and the Antilles have been inhabited by peoples ancestral to the indigenous inhabitants for at least several thousand years. ...

Battle of Yaguajay

Main article: Battle of Yaguajay

In December 1958, the columns of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos continued their advance through Las Villas province. They succeeded in occupying several towns, and then began preparations for an attack on Santa Clara, the provincial capital. Guevara's fighters launched a fierce assault on the Cuban army surrounding Santa Clara, and a vicious house-to-house battle ensued. They also derailed an armored train which Batista had sent to aid his troops in the city while Cienfuegos won the Battle of Yaguajay. Defeated on all sides, Batista's forces crumbled. The provincial capital was captured after less than a day of fighting on December 31, 1958. Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Camilo Cienfuegos Captain Abon Ly Strength 450-500 ? 250 Casualties  ?  ? The Battle of Yaguajay, was a decisive victory for the Cuban Revolutionaries over the soldiers of the Batista government near the city of Santa Clara in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. ... Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or el Che, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... Cuban poster showing Camilo Cienfuegos Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán (February 6, 1932 - October 28, 1959) was a Cuban revolutionary born in Havana. ... , Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Camilo Cienfuegos Captain Abon Ly Strength 450-500 ? 250 Casualties  ?  ? The Battle of Yaguajay, was a decisive victory for the Cuban Revolutionaries over the soldiers of the Batista government near the city of Santa Clara in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. ...

After the loss of Santa Clara and expecting betrayal by his own army, Batista (accompanied by president-elect Andres Rivero Agüero) fled to the Dominican Republic in the early hours of January 1, 1959. They left behind a junta headed by Gen. Eulogio Cantillo, recently the commander in Oriente province, the center of the Castro revolt. The junta immediately selected Dr. Carlos Piedra, the oldest judge of the Supreme Court, as provisional President of Cuba as specified in the Constitution of 1940. Castro refused to accept the selection of Justice Piedra as provisional President and the Supreme Court refused to administer the oath of office to the Justice.^[30] A President-elect is a candidate who has officially been elected President, but who has not yet acceded to his Office, as it is still occupied by the out-going President. ... Andres Rivero Aguero was elected president of Cuba in 1958, after the former president, Fulgencio Batista, was prohibited from running for re-election. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The supreme court in some countries, provinces, and states, functions as a court of last resort whose rulings cannot be challenged. ...

The rebel forces of Fidel Castro moved swiftly to seize power throughout the island.^[30] At the age of 32, Castro had successfully masterminded a classic guerrilla campaign from his headquarters in the Sierra Maestra and ousted Batista.

Assumption of power

On January 8, 1959, Castro's army rolled victoriously into Havana.^[31] As news of the fall of Batista's government spread through Havana, The New York Times described the scene as one of jubilant crowds pouring into the streets and automobile horns honking. The black and red flag of the 26th of July Movement waved on automobiles and buildings. The atmosphere was chaotic.^[30] Soon after, the Castro-led revolutionary government embarked on a systematic purge of adversaries that saw the judicial and extra-judicial executions of thousands.^{[citation needed]} January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Havana (Spanish in full: La Habana, formerly named San Cristóbal de La Habana; UN/LOCODE: CU HAV) is the capital of Cuba and of one of the 14 provinces of Cuba, the one named Ciudad de La Habana), with a population of more than 2. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ...

Castro called a general strike in protest of the Piedra regime. He demanded that Dr. Urrutia, former judge of the Urgency Court of Santiago de Cuba, be installed as the provisional President instead. The Cane Planters Association of Cuba, speaking on behalf of the island's crucial sugar industry, issued a statement of support for Castro and his movement.^[32]

Law professor José Miró Cardona created a new government with himself as prime minister and Manuel Urrutia Lleó as president on January 5. The United States officially recognized the new government two days later.^[33] Castro himself arrived in Havana to cheering crowds and assumed the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on January 8. A professor giving a lecture The meaning of the word professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) varies. ... José Miró Cardona in a Time Magazine cover. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Manuel Urrutia Lleó (1901 - 1981) was a Cuban political figure. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In February Miró suddenly resigned and on February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba.^[1] February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Soon friction with the U.S. developed as the new government began expropriating property owned by major U.S. corporations (United Fruit in particular) and announced plans to base the compensation on the artificially low property valuations that the companies themselves had kept to a fraction of their true value so that their taxes would be negligible.^[32]

Between April 15th and 26th, Castro and a delegation of industrial and international representatives visited the U.S. as guests of the Press Club. This visit was perceived by many as a charm offensive on the part of Castro and his recently initiated government; the fact that Castro hired one of the best public relations firms in the United States supports that conclusion. Castro answered impertinent questions jokingly and ate hotdogs and hamburgers. His rumpled fatigues and scruffy beard made him seem an authentic hero.^[34] He was refused a meeting with President Eisenhower. Rebuffed, he soon joined forces with the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev.^[31] Public relations (PR) is the art of managing communication between an organization and its key publics to build, manage and sustain an accurate image. ...

In the fourth month of his prime ministership, on May 17, Castro signed the First Agrarian Reform Law, which limited landholdings to 993 acres (4 km²) per owner and forbade foreign land ownership.^[35][36] May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... Revolutionary Cuba has had three principal laws relating to agrarian reform. ...

Years in power

As early as July 1959, Castro's intelligence chief Ramiro Valdés contacted the KGB in Mexico City.^[37] Subsequently, the USSR sent over one hundred mostly Spanish speaking advisors, including Enrique Líster Forján, to organize the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. General Enrique Líster at the Battle of the Ebro, 1938. ... Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (Spanish: Comités de Defensa de la Revolución), or CDR, is a network of committees across Cuba designed to combat counter-revolutionary activity. ...

In February 1960, Cuba signed an agreement to buy oil from the USSR. When the U.S.-owned refineries in Cuba refused to process the oil, they were expropriated, and the United States broke off diplomatic relations with the Castro government soon afterward. To the concern of the Eisenhower administration, Cuba began to establish closer ties with the Soviet Union. A variety of pacts were signed between Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, allowing Cuba to receive large amounts of economic and military aid from them. Premier of the Soviet Union is the commonly used English term for the offices of Chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars of the USSR (Председатель Совета Народных Комиссаров СССР; Predsedatel Soveta Narodnykh Komissarov SSSR) (1923-1946) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (Председатель Совета Министров СССР; Predsedatel Soveta Ministrov SSSR) (1946-1991), who... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17, 1894 [O.S. April 5]–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ...

In June 1960, Eisenhower reduced Cuba's sugar import quota by 7,000,000 tons, and in response, Cuba nationalized some $850 million worth of U.S. property and businesses. The revolutionary government grabbed control of the nation by nationalizing industry, expropriating property owned by Cubans and non-Cubans alike, collectivizing agriculture, and enacting policies which would benefit the population. While popular among the poor, these policies alienated many former supporters of the revolution among the Cuban middle and upper-classes. Over one million Cubans later migrated to the U.S., forming a vocal anti-Castro community in Miami, Florida. (See Cuban-American lobby.) Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Nickname: The Magic City, Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida. ... The Cuban-American lobby is a general term for the various groups largely made up by Cuban emigrants to the USA and their descendants who pressure the U.S. government over its policy toward Cuba. ...

President Dwight Eisenhower broke off ties on January 3, 1961, saying Fidel Castro had provoked him once too often.^[38] January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By the early autumn of 1960, the U.S. Government was engaged in a semi-secret campaign to remove Castro from power.^[39] The unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 – an attempt to topple Castro by supporting an armed force of Cuban exiles to retake the island – is the most well-known operation of this campaign.

Bay of Pigs

Main article: Bay of Pigs Invasion

A timeline released by the National Security Archives shows the U.S. began planning to overthrow the government of Cuba in October, 1959.^[40] On April 17, 1961, approximately 1,400 members of a CIA-trained Cuban exile force landed at the Bay of Pigs, while the United States denied any involvement. Combatants Cuba Cuban exiles trained by the United States Commanders Fidel Castro Arnaldo Ochoa Sanchez Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Grayston Lynch Pepe San Roman Erneido Oliva Strength 51,000 1,500 Casualties 2,200; estimated 115 dead 1,189 captured Cuban poster warning before invasion showing a soldier armed...

Documents released by the National Security Archive show that the CIA expected the Cuban people to welcome a U.S.-sponsored invasion, spontaneously rising up against the Castro regime. It expected Cuban military and police forces to refuse to fight against the CIA's 1,400-man mercenary invasion force.^[41] President Kennedy had withdrawn support for the invasion at the last minute by canceling several bombing sorties that could have crippled the entire Cuban Air Force.^[42] The brief military invasion ended in total failure and quickly became a foreign policy debacle for Kennedy. He had approved the plan just three months into his presidency.^[43]

The Cubans had repelled the invaders, killing many and capturing a thousand. On May 1, 1961, as hundreds of thousands celebrating May Day roared their approval, Castro announced:

The revolution has no time for elections. There is no more democratic government in Latin America than the revolutionary government. ... If Mr. Kennedy does not like Socialism, we do not like imperialism. We do not like capitalism.[44]

In a nationally broadcast speech on December 2, 1961, Castro declared that he was a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba was adopting Communism. On February 7, 1962, the U.S. imposed an embargo against Cuba. This embargo was broadened during 1962 and 1963, including a general travel ban for American tourists.^[45] Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... This article is about communism as a political movement. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... United States embargo against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for the blockade) is an economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba on February 7, 1962. ...

Many theories are offered for the failure of the U.S. operation. Some argue that Kennedy's last-minute decision to withdraw air support caused the invasion to fail^{[citations needed]}. Others argue that the Americans misjudged Cuban support for Castro.^[46] They had believed the testimonies of the Cuban exiles, who told them that Castro was not well supported by the Cuban people. In the weeks prior to the invasion, the Castro regime had rounded up tens of thousands of Cubans, holing them up in sports stadiums across the island in order to quash discontent on the island and prevent its adversaries from joining exile forces. The idea that Cubans would rise up against Castro, while possibly correct judging from the discontent reported to be growing on the island at the time, would never happen — perhaps as a result of the widespread incarcerations throughout Cuba and the reprisals the families would have to endure, like public humiliation and harassment. As well, the CIA-trained force of 1,400 armed only with light arms faced a Cuban force of tens of thousands armed with tanks and artillery.^{[citation needed]} In addition, the covert placement of dozens of Cuban intelligence officials in the invasion force gave the Cuban government detailed information on the operation.^[47]

Cuban Missile Crisis

Main article: Cuban Missile Crisis

Tensions between Cuba and the U.S. heightened during the 1962 missile crisis, which nearly brought the US and the USSR into nuclear conflict. Khrushchev conceived the idea of placing missiles in Cuba as a deterrent to a possible U.S. invasion and justified the move in response to US missile deployment in Turkey. After consultations with his military advisors, he met with a Cuban delegation led by Raúl Castro in July in order to work out the specifics. It was agreed to deploy Soviet R-12 MRBMs on Cuban soil; however, American Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance discovered the construction of the missile installations on 15 October 1962 before the weapons had actually been deployed. The US government viewed the installation of Soviet nuclear weapons 90 miles south of Key West as an aggressive act and a threat to US security. As a result, the US publicly announced its discovery on 22 October 1962, and implemented a quarantine around Cuba that would actively intercept and search any vessels heading for the island. Nikolai Sergevich Leonov, who would become a General in the KGB Intelligence Directorate ^[48] and the Soviet KGB deputy station chief in Warsaw, was the translator Castro used for contact with the Russians during this period. USAF spy photo of one of the suspected launch sites The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. ... // Overview The R-12 was an intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union, operated by the Strategic Rocket Forces. ... MRBM stands from Medium Range Ballistic Missiles such as the SS1. ... The Lockheed U-2R/TR-1 in flight The U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude surveillance aircraft flown by the United States Air Force. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Map of Key West Key West is a city located in Monroe County, Florida. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Quarantine, a medical term (from Italian: quaranta giorni, forty days) is the act of keeping people or animals separated for a period of time before, for instance, allowing them to enter another country. ... Nikolai Leonov (born August 22, 1928) was a senior KGB officer and Latin America expert in the USSR. In 1953, at the age of 27, Leonov was posted to Mexico City, where he learned Spanish at the Autonomous University. ...

In a personal letter to Khrushchev dated 27 October 1962, Castro urged Khrushchev to launch a nuclear first strike against the United States if Cuba were invaded, but Khrushchev rejected any first strike response.^[49] Soviet field commanders in Cuba were; however, authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons if attacked by the United States. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for a US commitment not to invade Cuba and an understanding that the US would remove American MRBMs targeting the Soviet Union from Turkey and Italy, a measure that the US implemented a few months later. The missile swap was never publicized because the Kennedy Administration demanded secrecy in order to preserve NATO relations and protect Democratic candidates in the upcoming elections. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... MRBM stands from Medium Range Ballistic Missiles such as the SS1. ...

Assassination Attempts & Health Issues

It has been estimated that there have been over 600 attempts on Castro's life committed by the CIA. Fabian Escalante, who was long tasked with protecting the life of Castro has calculated the exact number of assassination schemes and/or attempts by the CIA to be 638. Some such attempts have included an exploding cigar, a fungal-infected scuba-diving suit, and a mafia-style shooting. Some of these plots are depicted in a documentary entitled 638 Ways to Kill Castro.^[50]Castro once said in regards to the numerous attempts on his life, "If surviving assassination attempts were an Olympic event, I would win the gold medal." The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... 638 Ways to Kill Castro is a Channel 4 documentary film, to be broadcast in November 2006. ... Olympic can mean: Olympic Games, an international multi-sport event: Olympic Games, the modern games held since 1896 Ancient Olympic Games, the ancient games held in Olympia, Greece between 776 BC and 393 AD Olympic (band), a Czech rock band Olympic (MTR) A MTR station in Hong Kong Olympic Airlines...

Castro has not made any public appearances since July 26, 2006, when he announced he would undergo surgery and temporarily transferred power to his younger brother Raul. The Cuban government has treated Castro's ailment as a state secret, releasing only sporadic videos and photographs to prove he is recovering.

A video released late October on state-run television showed the Cuban leader defiantly denying rumors that he was on his deathbed. Yet some Cubans say they were surprised to see how frail he still was.

Castro turned 80 on Aug. 13. But when he announced his surgery, he said celebrations would be delayed until Dec. 2. The U.S. Government speculates that Fidel now has cancer.

Embargo

Main article: United States embargo against Cuba

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba was left bankrupt and isolated by the disintegration of the Soviet bloc. Eighty-five percent of its markets had disappeared, along with the subsidies and trade agreements that had supported its economy. The situation became desperate. Daily life was a struggle with extended gas and water outages, severe power shortages, and dwindling food supplies available for rationing.^[51] United States embargo against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for the blockade) is an economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba on February 7, 1962. ...

Castro denounces the US embargo against Cuba. The embargo has united the Cuban people for over 40 years.^[52] A former Prime Minister of Spain has written that the embargo is Castro's greatest ally, as it perpetuates the government; he asserts that if it were lifted, Castro would lose his presidency in three months.^[53] Many have condemned the embargo ranging from Pope John Paul II (in 1998 and 2005),^[54][55] to Steven Spielberg^[56] for humanitarian reasons. Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from October 16... Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (born December 18, 1946) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director and producer. ...

By 1994, the island's economy, which had survived over 30 years of sanctions by the US, teetered on the brink. Cuba was plunged into what was called the "Special Period" during which there were shortages of everything. To survive, Cuba legalized the US dollar, turned to tourism and encouraged the transfer of remittances in US dollars from Cubans living in the USA to their relatives on the Island. Even as late as 2004, Castro was forced to shut down 118 factories, including steel plants, sugar mills and paper processors for the month of October to deal with a crisis caused by fuel shortages.^[57]

After the massive damage caused by Hurricane