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Fidel Castro

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Political People

   Fidel Castro
   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 August 13, 1926) is the current
   President of Cuba. After commanding the revolution that overthrew
   Fulgencio Batista in 1959, he held the title of Prime Minister 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.

   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. 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 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 and accused
   of gross human rights violations, including the execution of thousands
   of political opponents . Other groups hail Castro as a charismatic
   liberator.

   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.

   Domestically, Fidel Castro has overseen the implementation of various
   economic policies which saw the rapid centralization of Cuba's economy,
   land reform, collectivization and mechanization 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. 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.

Childhood and education

   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. Angel Castro was
   married to another woman Maria Luisa Argota. 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.

   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.

   Fidel was not baptized until he was eight, also very uncommon, bringing
   embarrassment and ridicule from other children. 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. At the same time, Fidel changed his middle name
   to “Alejandro” (Alexander) after reading about the Macedonian warrior
   in school.

   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.

   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. In 1950, after his graduation from law
   school, Castro opened a small law practice in Havana.

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.

   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.

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. It seems clear that
   experiencing the power of popular insurrection had an effect on Castro
   and influenced his subsequent political thinking.

   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.

   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.

   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.

Attack on 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. The attack proved disastrous and more than sixty of the
   one-hundred and thirty-five militants involved were killed.

   Castro and other surviving members of his group managed to escape to a
   part of the rugged Sierra Maestra 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. 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.

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


   Fidel Castro

    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.


   Fidel Castro

   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. 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.

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.

   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.

   Since regular contacts with a KGB agent named Nikolai Sergeevich Leonov
   in Mexico City had not resulted in the hoped for weapon supply, 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 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.

   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. 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. 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.

   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.

   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. Castro and Matthews were followed by the TV crew
   of Andrew Saint George, said to be a CIA contact person. Through
   television, Castro's rudimentary command of the English language and
   charismatic presence enabled him to appeal directly to a U.S. audience.

Operation Verano

   Fidel Castro in his days as a guerrilla
   Enlarge
   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.

   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.

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.

   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 centre 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.

   The rebel forces of Fidel Castro moved swiftly to seize power
   throughout the island. 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. 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. Soon after, the Castro-led revolutionary
   government embarked on a systematic purge of adversaries that saw the
   judicial and extra-judicial executions of thousands.

   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.

   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. Castro himself arrived in Havana to cheering crowds and assumed
   the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on January 8.

   In February Miró suddenly resigned and on February 16, 1959, Castro was
   sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba.

   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.

   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. He was refused a meeting
   with President Eisenhower. Rebuffed, he soon joined forces with the
   Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev.

Years in power

   On May 17 1959, Castro signed into law the First Agrarian Reform, which
   limited landholdings to 993 acres (4 km²) per owner and forbade foreign
   land ownership.

   As early as July 1959, Castro's intelligence chief Ramiro Valdés
   contacted the KGB in Mexico City. 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.

   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.

   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.)

   President Dwight Eisenhower broke off ties on January 3, 1961, saying
   Fidel Castro had provoked him once too often.

   By the early autumn of 1960, the U.S. Government was engaged in a
   semi-secret campaign to remove Castro from power. 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

   A timeline released by the National Security Archives shows the U.S.
   began planning to overthrow the government of Cuba in October, 1959. 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.

   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. 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.
   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.

   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:


   Fidel Castro

    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.


   Fidel Castro

   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.

   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. 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. In addition,
   the covert placement of dozens of Cuban intelligence officials in the
   invasion force gave the Cuban government detailed information on the
   operation.

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 and the Soviet KGB deputy station chief in
   Warsaw, was the translator Castro used for contact with the Russians
   during this period.

   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. 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.

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. 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."

   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

   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.

   Castro denounces the US embargo against Cuba. The embargo has united
   the Cuban people for over 40 years. 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. Many have condemned the
   embargo ranging from Pope John Paul II (in 1998 and 2005), to Steven
   Spielberg for humanitarian reasons.

   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.

   After the massive damage caused by Hurricane Michelle in 2001, Castro
   proposed to the U.S. a one-time cash purchase of food after declining a
   U.S. offer of humanitarian aid. The U.S. authorized the shipment of
   food in 2001, the first since the embargo was imposed in 1962, because
   of the devastation caused by the hurricane.

Foreign relations

Soviet Union

   Following the establishment of diplomatic ties to the Soviet Union, and
   after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuba became increasingly dependent on
   Soviet markets and military and economic aid. Castro was able to build
   a formidable military force with the help of Soviet equipment and
   military advisors. The KGB kept in close touch with Havana, and Castro
   tightened Communist Party control over all levels of government, the
   media, and the educational system, while developing a Soviet-style
   internal police force.

   Castro's alliance with the Soviet Union caused something of a split
   between him and Guevara, who took a more pro-Chinese view following
   ideological conflict between the CPSU and the Maoist CPC. In 1966,
   Guevara left for Bolivia in an ill-fated attempt to stir up revolution
   against the country's government.

   On 23 August 1968, Castro made a public gesture to the USSR that caused
   the Soviet leadership to reaffirm their support for him. Two days after
   the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia to repress the Prague Spring,
   Castro took to the airwaves and publicly denounced the Czech rebellion.
   Castro warned the Cuban people about the Czechoslovakian
   'counterrevolutionaries', who "were moving Czechoslovakia towards
   capitalism and into the arms of imperialists". He called the leaders of
   the rebellion "the agents of West Germany and fascist reactionary
   rabble." In return for his public backing of the invasion, at a time
   when many Soviet allies were deeming the invasion an infringement of
   Czechoslovakia's sovereignty, the Soviets bailed out the Cuban economy
   with extra loans and an immediate increase in oil exports.

   In 1971, despite an Organization of American States convention that no
   nation in the Western Hemisphere would have a relationship with Cuba
   (the only exception being Mexico, which had refused to adopt that
   convention), Castro took a month-long visit to Chile, following the
   re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba. The visit, in which
   Castro participated actively in the internal politics of the country,
   holding massive rallies and giving public advice to Allende, was seen
   by those on the political right as proof to support their view that
   "The Chilean Way to Socialism" was an effort to put Chile on the same
   path as Cuba.

   When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited Cuba in 1989, the
   comradely relationship between Havana and Moscow was strained by
   Gorbachev's implementation of economic and political reforms in the
   USSR. "We are witnessing sad things in other socialist countries, very
   sad things," lamented Castro in November 1989, in reference to the
   changes that were sweeping such communist allies as the Soviet Union,
   East Germany, Hungary, and Poland. The subsequent collapse of the
   Soviet Union in 1991 had an immediate and devastating effect on Cuba.

Other countries

   Schafik Handal, Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro and Evo Morales, in Havana in
   2004.
   Enlarge
   Schafik Handal, Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro and Evo Morales, in Havana in
   2004.

   On November 4, 1975, Castro ordered the deployment of Cuban troops to
   Angola in order to aid the Marxist MPLA-ruled government against the
   South African-backed UNITA opposition forces. Moscow aided the Cuban
   initiative with the USSR engaging in a massive airlift of Cuban forces
   into Angola. On Cuba's role in Angola, Nelson Mandela is said to have
   remarked "Cuban internationalists have done so much for African
   independence, freedom, and justice." Cuban troops were also sent to
   Marxist Ethiopia to assist Ethiopian forces in the Ogaden War with
   Somalia in 1977. In addition, Castro extended support to Marxist
   Revolutionary movements throughout Latin America, such as aiding the
   Sandinistas in overthrowing the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua in
   1979. It has been claimed by the Carthage Foundation-funded Centre for
   a Free Cuba that an estimated 14,000 Cubans were killed in Cuban
   military actions abroad.

   Cuba and Panama have restored diplomatic ties after breaking them off
   in 2005 when Panama's former president pardoned four Cuban exiles
   accused of attempting to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro. The
   foreign minister of each country re-established official diplomatic
   relations in Havana by signing a document describing a spirit of
   fraternity that has long linked both nations. Cuba, once shunned by
   many of its Latin American neighbours, now has full diplomatic
   relations with all but Costa Rica and El Salvador.

   Although the relationship between Cuba and Mexico remains strained,
   each side appears to make attempts to improve it. In 1998, Fidel Castro
   apologised for remarks he made about Mickey Mouse which led Mexico to
   recall its ambassador from Havana. He said he intended no offense when
   he said earlier that Mexican children would find it easier to name
   Disney characters than to recount key figures in Mexican history.
   Rather, he said, his words were meant to underscore the cultural
   dominance of the US. Mexican president, Vicente Fox, apologised to
   Fidel Castro in 2002 over allegations by Castro that Fox forced him to
   leave a United Nations summit in Mexico so that he would not be in the
   presence of President Bush, who also attended.

   At a summit meeting of sixteen Caribbean countries in 1998, Castro
   called for regional unity, saying that only strengthened cooperation
   between Caribbean countries would prevent their domination by rich
   nations in a global economy. Caribbean nations have embraced Cuba's
   Fidel Castro while accusing the US of breaking trade promises. Castro,
   until recently a regional outcast, has been increasing grants and
   scholarships to the Caribbean countries, while US aid has dropped 25%
   over the past five years. Cuba has opened four additional embassies in
   the Caribbean Community including: Antigua and Barbados, Dominica,
   Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This development makes Cuba
   the only country to have embassies in all independent countries of the
   Caribbean Community.

   In the poorest areas of Latin America and Africa, Castro is seen as a
   hero, the leader of the Third World, and the enemy of the wealthy and
   greedy. On a visit to South Africa he was warmly received by President
   Nelson Mandela. President Mandela gave Castro South Africa's highest
   civilian award for foreigners, the Order of Good Hope. Last December
   Castro fulfilled his promise of sending 100 medical aid workers to
   Botswana, according to the Botswana presidency. These workers play an
   important role in Botswana's war against HIV/AIDS. According to Anna
   Vallejera, Cuba's first-ever Ambassador to Botswana, the health workers
   are part of her country's ongoing commitment to proactively assist in
   the global war against HIV/AIDS,

   The president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez is a grand admirer of his and
   Bolivian president Evo Morales called him the "Grandfather". In Harlem,
   he is seen as an icon because of his historic visit with Malcolm X in
   1960 at the Hotel Theresa.
   Castro and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
   Enlarge
   Castro and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

   Castro was known to be a friend of former Canadian Prime Minister
   Pierre Trudeau and was an honorary pall bearer at Trudeau's funeral in
   October 2000. They had continued their friendship after Trudeau left
   office until his death. Canada became one of the first American allies
   to openly trade with Cuba. Cuba still has a good relationship with
   Canada. In 1998 Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien arrived in Cuba
   to meet President Castro and highlight their close ties. He is the
   first Canadian government leader to visit the island since Pierre
   Trudeau was in Havana in 1976.

   In December 2001, European Union representatives described their
   political dialogue with Cuba as back on track after a weekend of talks
   in Havana. The EU praised Cuba's willingness to discuss questions of
   human rights. Cuba is the only Latin American country without an
   economic co-operation agreement with the EU. However, trade with
   individual European countries remains strong, since the US trade
   embargo on Cuba leaves the market free from American rivals. In 2005 EU
   Development Commissioner Louis Michel ended his visit to Cuba
   optimistic that relations with the communist state will become
   stronger. The EU is Cuba's largest trading partner. Cuba's imprisonment
   of 75 dissidents and the execution of three hijackers have strained
   diplomatic relations. However, the EU commissioner was impressed with
   Fidel Castro's willingness to discuss these concerns, although he
   received no commitments from Castro. Cuba does not admit to holding
   political prisoners, rather seeing them as mercenaries in the pay of
   the United States.

Succession issues

   According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice
   President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the
   illness or death of the president. At the moment (2006), that is Raúl
   Castro.

   Due to the issue of presidential succession, and Castro's longevity,
   there has long been rumor, speculation and hoaxing about Castro's
   health and demise. In 1998 there were reports that he had a serious
   brain disease, later discredited. In June 2001, he apparently fainted
   during a seven-hour speech under the Caribbean sun. Later that day he
   finished the speech, walking buoyantly into the television studios in
   his military fatigues, joking with journalists.

   In January 2004, Luis Eduardo Garzón, the mayor of Bogotá, said that
   Castro "seemed very sick to me" following a meeting with him during a
   vacation in Cuba. In May 2004, Castro's physician denied that his
   health was failing, and speculated that he would live to be 140 years
   old. Dr. Eugenio Selman Housein said that the "press is always
   speculating about something, that he had a heart attack once, that he
   had cancer, some neurological problem", but maintained that Castro was
   in good health.

   On October 20, 2004, Castro tripped and fell following a speech he gave
   at a rally, breaking his kneecap and fracturing his right arm. He was
   able to recover his ability to walk, and publicly demonstrated this two
   months later.

   Due to his large role in Cuba, his well-being has become a continual
   source of speculation, both on and off the island, as he has grown
   older. The CIA has long been interested in Castro's health.

   In 2005 the CIA said it thought Castro has Parkinson's disease. Castro
   denies such allegations, while also stating "I don't care if I get
   Parkinson's. The Pope had Parkinson's, and he spent a bunch of years
   running all around the world."

   On July 31, 2006, the spokesman for Castro announced a provisional
   transfer of his duties as president and Communist Party first secretary
   to his younger brother Raúl. The announcement cited "an acute
   intestinal crisis, with sustained bleeding" requiring immediate medical
   intervention, as the cause of his decision to cede control. The
   announcement marked the first delegation of presidential duties in Cuba
   since Castro's inauguration in 1976.

   As of early August, rumors persisted that Castro was already dead. On
   August 5, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported that Cuban
   authorities had informed Brazilian president Lula da Silva that
   Castro's health was much worse than what the Cuban government had
   previously admitted in public. According to the report, Castro is
   actually suffering from intestinal cancer and will be unable to resume
   control of the Cuban state. The Brazilian government quickly denied
   that the report was accurate. Folha's editors responded to the
   government's denials by saying their sources were aides to the
   president. On 13 August 2006, Castro published a note: "I ask you all
   to be optimistic, and at the same time to be ready to face any adverse
   news. . . . For all those who care about my health, I promise I'll
   fight for it". He also appeared live on Venezuelan television on 14
   August 2006 joking with Hugo Chávez from his sickbed. Castro issued a
   statement updating his condition on September 6, 2006: "The worst is
   over." "This is still serious. We're out of the woods, but don't expect
   me to be walking around in my fatigues any time soon. Other people are
   running the show now, but I'm still here as the grandfather of the
   revolution." "We all must also understand, with realism, that the
   duration of a complete recovery, whether we want it or not, will be
   prolonged," he said. "At this moment, I am not in any hurry, and no one
   should hurry. The country marches on well and moves ahead." The photos
   showed a slimmer Castro in two different sets of blue pajamas reading
   and writing. Only one shows a full-length image, showing him wearing
   slippers and reading while he sits on a rocking chair. In one photo,
   Castro holds up what appears to be a proof of the book One Hundred
   Hours With Fidel, written by Spanish leftist intellectual Ignacio
   Ramonet. Castro promises the book will be published soon. However, the
   book was launched April 2006 in Spain, and came under criticism when
   some of the passages from the alleged interviews turned out to be
   identical to Castro speeches. "He didn't look good," Castro biographer
   Georgie Anne Geyer said by phone from Washington D.C. "In the past he's
   had this hearty look about him. This time he looked like an old man.
   It's a little surprising to me. My own knowledge of him is that . . .
   he would never ever admit he's sick, weak, or not coming back." Dr.
   Jeffrey Raskin, the University of Miami's interim chief of
   gastroenterology, speculated that the ongoing secrecy surrounding
   Castro's health suggests Castro may have cancer. "The fact that they're
   continuing to be vague this late into it means more than likely it's
   not a benign condition, that he does in fact have a tumor," Raskin
   said. Cancer of the pancreas, stomach or colon are all possibilities.
   Other conditions that could have prompted intestinal bleeding and
   surgery — such as a bleeding ulcer or diverticular disease — would
   likely have been resolved by now, Raskin said. The Brazilian newspaper
   Folha de São Paulo reported on September 3, 2006 that sources in the
   ruling Workers Party with a direct line to the Cuban government say a
   part of Castro's intestines was removed because of a cancer that had
   not metastasized.

   On October 6, 2006, Time reported that U.S. intelligence sources
   indicate that Castro does have terminal cancer and will likely not
   return to power.

   On November 6, Cuban foreign minister, Felipe Perez Roque, backed away
   from his earlier prediction that Castro would return to power in early
   December, further fueling speculation that Castro's health is much
   worse than Cuban government officials are saying.

   On November 12, the Associated Press reported that multiple U.S.
   government officials believe Castro has terminal cancer and will not
   live through 2007.

Human rights record

   Thousands of political opponents to the Castro regime have been killed,
   primarily during the first decade of his leadership; however exact
   numbers are not known. Some Cubans labeled "counterrevolutionaries",
   "fascists", or "CIA operatives" have been imprisoned in extremely poor
   conditions without trial. Military Units to Aid Production, or UMAPs,
   were labor camps established in 1965 which confined "social deviants"
   including homosexuals and Jehovah Witnesses in order to work
   "counter-revolutionary" influences out of certain segments of the
   population. The camps were closed in 1967 in response to international
   outcries. Professor Marifeli Pérez Stable, a Cuban American who once
   supported the revolution, reflects on the costs of the Cuban
   revolution. "[There were] thousands of executions, forty, fifty
   thousand political prisoners. The treatment of political prisoners,
   with what we today know about human rights and the international norms
   governing human rights ... it is legitimate to raise questions about
   possible crimes against humanity in Cuba." Castro acknowledges that
   Cuba holds political prisoners, but argues that Cuba is justified
   because these prisoners are not jailed because of their political
   beliefs, but have been convicted of "counter-revolutionary" crimes,
   including bombings.

   Fidel Castro portrays opposition to the Cuban government as
   illegitimate, and the result of an ongoing conspiracy fostered by Cuban
   exiles with ties to the United States or the CIA. Many Castro
   supporters say that Castro's measures are justified to prevent the fall
   of his government, whereas his opposition says he uses the United
   States as an excuse to justify his continuing political control.

Religious beliefs

   Castro was raised a Roman Catholic as a child but doesn't practice as
   one. However, when asked whether he believes in God, Castro has not
   given a direct answer, saying that if he professed belief he would
   offend disbelievers, and that if he expressed disbelief he would offend
   believers. Pope John XXIII excommunicated Castro in 1962 on the basis
   of a 1949 decree by Pope Pius XII forbidding Catholics from supporting
   communist governments. The excommunication was aimed at undermining
   support for Castro among Catholics. For Castro, who had previously
   renounced his Catholic faith, this was an event of very little
   consequence, nor was it expected to be otherwise.

   In 1992, Castro agreed to loosen restrictions on religion and even
   permitted church-going Catholics to join the Cuban Communist Party. He
   began describing his country as "secular" rather than "atheist". Pope
   John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998, the first visit by a reigning
   pontiff to the island. Castro and the Pope appeared side by side in
   public on several occasions during the visit. Castro wore a dark blue
   business suit (in contrast to his fatigues) in his public meetings with
   the Pope and treated him with reverence and respect. With Castro and
   other senior Cuban officials in the front row at a mid-morning Mass,
   the pope delivered a ringing call for pluralism in Cuba. He rejected
   the materialistic, one-party ideology of the Cuban state. And he said
   that true liberation "cannot be reduced to its social and political
   aspects," but must also include "the exercise of freedom of conscience
   — the basis and foundation of all other human rights." Later in the
   day, though, the pope also made his most critical reference yet to the
   American economic embargo of Cuba. At a departure ceremony at Jose
   Marti Airport that evening, he said that Cuba's "material and moral
   poverty" arises not only from "limitations to fundamental freedoms" and
   "discouragement of the individual," but also from "restrictive economic
   measures — unjust and ethically unacceptable — imposed from outside the
   country." He also criticized widespread abortion in Cuban hospitals and
   urged Castro to end the government's monopoly on education to allow the
   return of Catholic schools. A month later Castro condemned the use of
   abortion as a form of birth control.

   In December 1998, Castro formally re-instated Christmas Day as the
   official celebration it was formerly before the Communist Party
   abolished it in 1969. Cubans were again allowed to mark Christmas as a
   holiday and to openly hold religious processions. The Pope sent a
   telegram to Castro thanking him for restoring Christmas as a public
   holiday.

   Castro attended a Roman Catholic convent blessing in 2003. The purpose
   of this unprecedented event was to help bless the newly restored
   convent in Old Havana and to mark the fifth anniversary of the Pope's
   visit to Cuba.

   The senior spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christian faith arrived in
   Cuba in 2004, the first time any Orthodox Patriarch of the
   2,000-year-old Orthodox faith has visited Latin America in the Church's
   history. Patriarch Bartholomew consecrated a cathedral in Havana and
   bestowed an honour on Fidel Castro. His aides said that he was
   responding to the decision of the Cuban Government to build and donate
   to the Orthodox Christians a tiny Orthodox cathedral in the heart of
   old Havana.

   After the Pope's death in April 2005, an emotional Castro attended a
   mass in his honour in Havana's cathedral and signed the Pope's
   condolence book at the Vatican Embassy. He had last visited the
   cathedral in 1959, 46 years earlier, for the wedding of one of his
   sisters. Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino led the mass and
   welcomed Castro, who was dressed in a black suit, expressing his
   gratitude for the "heartfelt way the death of our Holy Father John Paul
   II was received (in Cuba)."

Public image

   By wearing military-style uniforms and leading mass demonstrations,
   Castro projects an image of a perpetual revolutionary. He is mostly
   seen in military attire, but his personal tailor, Merel Van 't Wout,
   convinced him to occasionally change to a business suit. Large throngs
   of people gather to cheer at Castro's fiery speeches, which typically
   last for hours. Many details of Castro's private life, particularly
   involving his family members, are scarce and Castro, often referred to
   as "Comandante" ("Commander"), insists that he does not promote a cult
   of personality. When asked about the matter in 1985 he replied,


   Fidel Castro

       Although we have been dogmatic, we have never preached cult of
     personality. You will not see a statue of me anywhere, nor a school
       with my name, nor a street, nor a little town, nor any type of
   personality cult because we have not taught our people to believe, but
                          to think, to reason out."


   Fidel Castro

   There are no streets in Cuba named after Castro, and no statues or peso
   bills bearing his image. Despite this, Castro was accused by American
   anarchist Sam Dolgoff of "bask[ing] in the adulation and servility of
   his subordinates" and "creating a regime built around the cult of the
   personality functions" encouraging "the illusion that only he and his
   select group of revolutionaries have earned the right to wield
   unlimited power over the people of Cuba." Castro has also been
   described as an example of the rise of a distinct " charismatic leader"
   common to developing nations, and of encouraging the "personalistic
   political regime". This theory contends that Castro has maintained
   power largely through highly visible, charismatic leadership and
   popular appeals to the Cuban people, though the administration is
   successful only as long as the leader's charisma lasts.

Personal

Family

   Fidel Castro making a speech in Havana in 1978, image by Marcelo
   Montecino
   Enlarge
   Fidel Castro making a speech in Havana in 1978, image by Marcelo
   Montecino

   By his first wife Mirta Díaz Balart, Castro has a son named Fidel
   "Fidelito" Castro Díaz-Balart. Mirta and Castro were divorced in 1955,
   and Mirta now lives remarried in Madrid. Fidelito was later returned to
   and grew up in Cuba, For a time, he ran Cuba's atomic-energy commission
   before being removed from the post by his father.

   Fidel has five other sons by his second wife, Dalia Soto del Valle:
   Alexis, Alexander, Alejandro, Antonio, and Angel.

   While Fidel was still married to Mirta, he had an affair with Naty
   Revuelta resulting in a daughter named Alina Fernández-Revuelta. Alina
   left Cuba in 1993, disguised as a Spanish tourist, and sought asylum in
   the United States. She has been a vocal critic of her father's
   policies. During his days in the Sierra, Castro was linked romantically
   with fellow rebel Celia Sánchez, though support for this theory isn't
   as common as it was.

   His sister Juanita Castro has been living in the United States since
   the early 1960s and was featured in a film documentary by Andy Warhol
   in 1965.

Wealth

   In 2005, American business and financial magazine Forbes (whose owner
   and editor-in-chief is the Republican Steve Forbes) listed Castro among
   the world's richest people, with an estimated net worth of $550
   million. This was based on economic control of Cuban state-owned
   companies. In 2006, Forbes magazine increased their estimate of
   Castro's wealth to $900 million. but acknowledged in the article that
   the estimates for all the leaders are "more art than science." Castro
   responded to the report by saying, "If they can prove I have an account
   abroad... containing even one dollar I will resign my post."

   Attempts have been made to provide a clear and in-depth overview of
   Castro's large economic influence and financial status. Castro and
   loyalists are said to control several billions of dollars in real
   estate, bank accounts, private estates, yachts and other assets —
   called “the Comandante's Reserves” — in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
   These attempts often must rely on the testimonials of defectors who
   were close to Castro and investigators have not been able to give hard
   evidence of his real worth. In addition, although the evidence is clear
   that Cuba as an entity must and does operate within the nexus of global
   capital markets as a "global conglomerate", it is difficult to separate
   the state from the individual and vice versa. Castro maintains that
   these activities are for the benefit of the state and not for personal
   gain. Whether or not the wealth that he controls as the head of state
   is to be considered personal wealth or not is a matter of controversy.
   What is generally accepted is the fact that the Cuban state, an entity
   over which Castro has wide-reaching influence, acts in world markets as
   any other financial and economic entity must.

   In May 2006, British MP George Galloway, who has a history of
   supporting Castro, made a live appearance on Cuban TV to defend Castro
   against the charges.

   "The Castro family's substantial wealth was in no way spared from the
   expropriations of the immediate post-revolutionary period."
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