was fidel castro parents italian

The longest-serving non-royal head of state in the 20th and 21st centuries, Castro polarized opinion throughout the world. Ideologically a MarxistLeninist and Cuban nationalist, he also served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Until the 1990s, he wore combat boots, but due to orthopedic issues, abandoned them for sneakers and tennis shoes instead. [502] The Castro government relied heavily on its appeals to nationalistic sentiment, in particular the widespread hostility to the US government. Many older members of government were to be retired and replaced by their younger counterparts. [153][154], Although then refusing to categorize his regime as socialist and repeatedly denying being a communist, Castro appointed Marxists to senior government and military positions. The following year Castro strengthened his alliance with Venezuelan Pres. [400] Castro was also described as a poor father; often absent from their lives, he had little interest in the activities of his children and was more interested in his work. "[518] Human Rights Watch stated that his government constructed a "repressive machinery" which deprived Cubans of their "basic rights". Shortly after, Castro assumed complete authority over Cubas new government. Officially announcing Cuba's identity as a socialist state, the first National Congress of the Cuban Communist Party was held, and a new constitution drafted that abolished the position of president and prime minister. Beginning on 9 April, it received strong support in central and eastern Cuba, but little elsewhere. [316] Support for Castro remained strong, and although there were small anti-government demonstrations, the Cuban opposition rejected the exile community's calls for an armed uprising. When Fidel Castro Ruz was born on 13 August 1926, in Birn, Holgun, Cuba, his father, ngel Mara Castro y Argiz, was 50 and his mother, Lina Ruz Gonzalez, was 22. . Further democratization was to be brought in by having the National Assembly's members elected directly by the people, rather than through municipal and provincial assemblies. Staying at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem, he met with journalists and anti-establishment figures like Malcolm X. Castro had decided to stay in Harlem as a way of expressing solidarity with the poor African-American population living there, thus leading to an assortment of world leaders such as Nasser of Egypt and Nehru of India having to drive out to Harlem to see him. [52] From July 1952 they went on a recruitment drive, gaining around 1,200 members in a year, the majority from Havana's poorer districts. In contrast, his former public criticisms had centered on condemning corruption and US imperialism. The people will back us in Oriente and in the whole island. His father, ngel Castro y Argiz, an immigrant from Spain, was a fairly prosperous sugarcane farmer in a locality that had long been dominated by estates of the U.S.-owned United Fruit Company. Castro also disliked worrying about his appearance and hated shaving, making the beard and uniform all the more convenient for him. Fidel Castro Achievements. Ral usually hosted large family barbecues on Sundays where Fidel would sometimes come, giving his extended family, sisters, and his elder brother Ramn a rare opportunity to see him. in front of foreign journalists, while Cuba became the first Latin American nation to beat the US to the top of the gold-medal table. Close by is a second two-story building used to house the bodyguards and the domestic staff. [76] Both Fidel and Mirta initiated divorce proceedings, with Mirta taking custody of their son Fidelito; this angered Castro, who did not want his son growing up in a bourgeois environment. Around his waist, he often carried a 9mm Browning pistol in a brown leather holster with an additional three clips. Peter Bourne, Castro biographer, 1986[184], In January 1961, Castro ordered Havana's US Embassy to reduce its 300-member staff, suspecting that many of them were spies. [40], Castro co-founded a legal partnership that primarily catered to poor Cubans, although it proved a financial failure. Manuel was Spanish, from Lncara, Lugo, Galicia. All of them were killed or captured except Fidel and Ral Castro, Ernesto (Che) Guevara, and nine others, who retreated into the Sierra Maestra to wage guerrilla warfare against the Batista forces. Fidel Castro's message to the UN General Assembly, 1979[263], In 1977, the Ogaden War broke out over the disputed Ogaden region as Somalia invaded Ethiopia; although a former ally of Somali President Siad Barre, Castro had warned him against such action, and Cuba sided with Mengistu Haile Mariam's Marxist government of Ethiopia. [298] Tensions were increased with the Cubans advancing close to the border of Namibia, which led to warnings from the South African government that they considered this an extremely unfriendly act, causing South Africa to mobilize and call up its reserves. [401] Nobody, not even Ral was exempt from this; despite being the minister of the armed forces, he would bring seemingly minor military decisions to Castro for his final approval in order to avoid inadvertently contradicting him. [449], Until 1979, Castro's primary vehicle was a black ZiL limousine, first an armoured convertible ZIL-111 from Khrushchev, a ZIL-114 and briefly a ZIL-4104 gifted to him by Leonid Brezhnev, while his escort would accompany him in several Alfa Romeo 1750s and 2000s. Considered spoiled by his parents from a young age, he was long considered the "trouble child" of the family. [336], Cuba and Venezuela were the founding members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). In 1962 the Soviet Union secretly stationed ballistic missiles in Cuba that could deliver nuclear warheads to American cities, and in the ensuing confrontation with the United States, the world came close to a nuclear war. [311] When Gorbachev regained control, Cuba-Soviet relations deteriorated further and Soviet troops were withdrawn in September 1991. Acclaimed by many across Latin America, he travelled to Venezuela where he met with President-elect Rmulo Betancourt, unsuccessfully requesting a loan and a new deal for Venezuelan oil. Returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batista's forces from the Sierra Maestra. [415] Castro had a lifelong passion, almost obsession, with cows and, starting in 1966, with bovine genetics and breeding. Some say Cuba has not met the conditions required to lift it, and the US will look weak for lifting the sanctions. The Feb. 1 suicide of Castro's oldest son, Fidelito, spurred the most recent report . [524] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed him "one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century" and a "great friend", while South African President Jacob Zuma praised Castro for aiding black South Africans in "our struggle against apartheid". [456][452] Reynaldo Snchez confirmed that Celia was indeed Castro's mistress and regarded her as the "true love of his life". [41] Caring little for money or material goods, Castro failed to pay his bills; his furniture was repossessed and electricity cut off, distressing his wife. [81] Castro sent a letter to the press, declaring that he was "leaving Cuba because all doors of peaceful struggle have been closed to me As a follower of Mart, I believe the hour has come to take our rights and not beg for them, to fight instead of pleading for them. [347] Later that month, Fidel called into Hugo Chvez's radio show Al Presidente. [217] In September, the government temporarily permitted emigration for anyone other than males aged between 15 and 26, thereby ridding the government of thousands of critics, most of whom were from upper and middle-class backgrounds. [25] Returning to Havana, Castro took a leading role in student protests against the killing of a high school pupil by government bodyguards. [189] He ordered the 1189 captured rebels to be interrogated by a panel of journalists on live television, personally taking over the questioning on 25 April. Castro and Chvez developed a close friendship, with the former acting as a mentor and father-figure to the latter,[331] and together they built an alliance that had repercussions throughout Latin America. [395] He drew inspiration from the wider Latin American anti-imperialist movements of the 1930s and 1940s, including Argentina's Pern and Guatemala's Jacobo rbenz. [197] Despite their ideological affinity with China, in the Sino-Soviet split, Cuba allied with the wealthier Soviets, who offered economic and military aid. [26] The protests, accompanied by a crackdown on those considered communists, led to violent clashes between activists and police in February 1948, in which Castro was badly beaten. [69] Castro was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment in the hospital wing of the Model Prison (Presidio Modelo), a relatively comfortable and modern institution on the Isla de Pinos.[70]. Four Waves. Cuba asserted that this was a manifestation of US hegemony, and refused to allow an investigative delegation to enter the country. His speech was greeted with much applause from other world leaders,[275] though his standing in NAM was damaged by Cuba's refusal to condemn the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.[276]. [381], Castro proclaimed himself to be "a Socialist, a Marxist, and a Leninist",[382] and publicly identified as a MarxistLeninist from December 1961 onward. Castro's militants intended to dress in army uniforms and arrive at the base on 25 July, seizing control and raiding the armoury before reinforcements arrived. [204] Although conflicted, Castro agreed, believing it would guarantee Cuba's safety and enhance the cause of socialism. With his rugged rebel look and seductive charisma, Fidel Castro was known not only as a giant of 20th century history, but also as quite the ladies' . Fidel Castro and his (many) women - Digital Journal During that year the Cuban government arrested dozens of independent journalists and activists in a renewed government crackdown on dissidents, and some 75 activists were convicted for conspiring with the United States to subvert the revolution. [396] Castro took a relatively socially conservative stance on many issues, opposing drug use, gambling, and prostitution, which he viewed as moral evils. Mandela praised Cuba's involvement in battling South Africa during the Angolan Civil War and thanked Castro personally. In response to the siege of Cuito Cuanavale in 19871988 by South AfricanUNITA forces, Castro sent an additional 12,000 Cuban Army troops to Angola in late 1987. Cuba's stature in the world soared to new heights, and Fidel's role as the adored and revered leader among ordinary Cuban people received a renewed boost. 1 Portrait of Fidel Castro. Galician, Portuguese, Italian, and Jewish (Sephardic): topographic name from castro 'castle', 'fortress' . The authoritarian nature of the Cuban Revolution stems largely from his commitment to that goal. [144] Within a year, Castro and his government had effectively redistributed 15 per cent of the nation's wealth, declaring that "the revolution is the dictatorship of the exploited against the exploiters. [303] Ignoring calls for liberalization in accordance with the Soviet example, Castro continued to clamp down on internal dissidents and in particular kept tabs on the military, the primary threat to the government. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [452] Castro provided a large apartment for Celia on 11th Street near Vedado, El Once whom Fidel visited every day before returning home. [80], In 1955, bombings and violent demonstrations led to a crackdown on dissent, with Castro and Ral fleeing the country to evade arrest. HAVANA, July 7th A new book called "Fidel in Love" reveals the secret love story between Cuba's 'Lider Maximo,' Fidel Castro, and Anna Maria Traglia, the niece of the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. [221] In October 1965, the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations was officially renamed the "Cuban Communist Party" and published the membership of its Central Committee.[222]. In discussions with his colleagues or foreigners, he would repeat the same things over again on a continuous loop until they were convinced he was right. Subsequently, Fidel ordered two mechanics from his bodyguard unit to West Germany to purchase several second-hand Mercedes-Benz 500's to replace the obsolete Alfa Romeos. [441], In addition to "Punto Cero", Castro had five other residences in Havana: Casa Cojimar, his initial home after 1959 but disused by the 1970s; a house on 160th Street near the Playa district; Casa Carbonell, maintained by Cuban Intelligence for his covert meetings with representatives of foreign groups or intelligence assets; A beach house in Santa Maria del Mar (next to the Tropico Hotel); and two houses retrofitted with air-raid shelters and connected to the MINFAR command bunkers for use in war: Casa Punta Brava (Dalia's old house before meeting Fidel) and Casa Gallego, near the bodyguards base at Unit 160. Adopting a MarxistLeninist model of development, Castro converted Cuba into a one-party, socialist state under Communist Party rule, the first in the Western Hemisphere. [120] Accompanying celebrations at news of Batista's downfall on 1 January 1959, Castro ordered the MR-26-7 to prevent widespread looting and vandalism. "[522] The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Castro "was a hero for many. Although described as a "relatively highly developed Latin American export economy" in 1959 and the early 1960s, Cuba's basic economic structure changed very little between then and the 1980s. Petrol rations were dramatically reduced, Chinese bicycles were imported to replace cars, and factories performing non-essential tasks were shut down. [271] The Cuban intervention in Angola was envisioned as a short-term commitment, but the Angolan government used the profits from the oil industry to subsidize Cuba's economy, making Cuba as economically dependent upon Angola as Angola was militarily dependent upon Cuba. [213] Castro returned to Cuba with new ideas; inspired by Soviet newspaper Pravda, he amalgamated Hoy and Revolucin into a new daily, Granma,[214] and oversaw large investment into Cuban sport that resulted in an increased international sporting reputation. [111] Many of Batista's soldiers defected to Castro's rebels, who also benefited from local popular support. [387] Castro biographer Sebastian Balfour noted that "the vein of moral regeneration and voluntarism that runs through" Castro's thought owes far more to "Hispanic nationalism" than European socialism or MarxismLeninism. Castro supported Allende's socialist reforms, but warned him of right-wing elements in Chile's military. A new book called "Fidel in Love" reveals the secret love story between Cuba's 'Lider Maximo,' Fidel Castro, and Anna Maria Traglia, the niece of the . The program was designed to protect Cuban children whose parents were being targeted by Fidel Castro's new regimeand to shield them from the Communist ideologies feared by the U.S. at the . It had allowed some political opposition to be voiced, and Castro's supporters had agitated for an amnesty for the Moncada incident's perpetrators. There, the assassination of popular leftist leader Jorge Elicer Gaitn Ayala led to widespread rioting and clashes between the governing Conservativesbacked by the armyand leftist Liberals. During his first marriage, Castro had a brief encounter with Maria Laborde, an admirer from Camaguey whom very little is known and has long been deceased. Castro's response to his critics regarding the mass executions, 1959[129], In suppressing the revolution, Batista's government had killed thousands of Cubans; Castro and influential sectors of the press put the death toll at 20,000, but a list of victims published shortly after the revolution contained only 898 namesover half of them combatants. Publicly, he presented himself as a moderate on the world stage. [279] Increasing numbers of Cubans fled to Florida, but were labelled "scum" and "lumpen" by Castro and his CDR supporters. Whatever we may think of him he is going to be a great factor in the development of Cuba and very possibly in Latin American affairs generally. Free farmers' markets and small-scale private enterprises would be legalized in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, while US dollars were also made legal tender. [356] Describing his brother as "not substitutable", Ral proposed that Fidel continue to be consulted on matters of great importance, a motion unanimously approved by the 597 National Assembly members. Within the first six months of Castro's government, 1,000km (600mi) of roads were built across the island, while $300million was spent on water and sanitation projects. I speak on the behalf of the sick who have no medicine, of those whose rights to life and human dignity have been denied. Over 500,000 Castro-supporters surrounded the Presidential Palace demanding Urrutia's resignation, which he submitted. [391], Biographer Volker Skierka described Castro's government as a "highly individual, socialist-nationalist 'fidelista' system",[392] with Theodore Draper terming his approach "Castroism", viewing it as a blend of European socialism with the Latin American revolutionary tradition. We are executing murderers and they deserve it. [388] Castro described Karl Marx and Cuban nationalist Jos Mart as his main political influences,[389] although Gott believed that Mart ultimately remained more important than Marx in Castro's politics. What were Fidel Castros political beliefs? [196] In response, the US successfully pushed the Organization of American States to expel Cuba; the Soviets privately reprimanded Castro for recklessness, although he received praise from China. Eldest son Fidelito, long Castro's only officially recognised child, was a nuclear scientist in Cuba. Pierre Trudeau was cuckolded by Fidel Castro on one of his many trips to Cuba with his wife Margaret, and Justin is one of Castro's many . [18] Student violence escalated after Grau employed gang leaders as police officers, and Castro soon received a death threat urging him to leave the university. A review of documents reveals that Marco Rubio's dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts and that Rubio's parents came to the United States more than 2 years before Fidel . Fidel Castro slept with 35,000 women. [130] More recent estimates place the death toll between 1,000[131] and 4,000. Castro and the bodyguard located the cigar maker, Eduardo Ribera, who agreed to establish the El Laguito Factory and branded the cigars as Cohiba which became Castro's signature brand and elevating its profile internationally. Castro remained premier until 1976, when a new constitution created a National Assembly and Castro became president of that bodys State Council. [373] In September 2016, Castro was visited at his Havana home by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani,[374] and later that month was visited by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. [142] In May 1959, Castro signed into law the First Agrarian Reform, setting a cap for landholdings to 993 acres (402ha) per owner and prohibiting foreigners from obtaining Cuban land ownership. In the meantime Castro created a one-party government to exercise dictatorial control over all aspects of Cubas political, economic, and cultural life. Addressing the warming Cuba-U.S. relations, Castro wrote, Nobody should be under the illusion that the people of this dignified and selfless country will renounce the glory, the rights, or the spiritual wealth they have gained with the development of education, science and culture. In April a frail soon-to-be-90-year-old Castro told the Communist Party Congress that he would be dying soon, and he implored party members to work to fulfill his communist vision for Cuba. [229], Castro's increasing role on the world stage strained his relationship with the USSR, now under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev. [458] His security was provided by Department 1 of the Personal Security Directorate of MININT (Ministry of the Interior). He presented these demands to U Thant, visiting Secretary-General of the United Nations, but the US ignored them. [115] By this time the great majority of Cuban people had turned against the Batista regime. [317] In August 1994, Havana witnessed the largest anti-Castro demonstration in Cuban history, as 200 to 300 young men threw stones at police, demanding that they be allowed to emigrate to Miami. 6 Interesting Facts About Fidel Castro | Britannica Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida dies at age 95 - ABC News Wayne S. Smith, US Interests Section in Havana Chief from 1979 to 1982, in 2007[399], Juan Reynaldo Snchez, Castro's former bodyguard, detailed much of his personal and private life in his book The Double Life of Fidel Castro. Metadata. Around 200 policemen were on the scene, but the protesters continued to chant slogans and throw pennies in support of Fidel Castro's socialist movement. [122] Heading toward Havana, he greeted cheering crowds at every town, giving press conferences and interviews. [102] Batista's government often resorted to brutal methods to keep Cuba's cities under control. [4] He had become financially successful by growing sugarcane at Las Manacas farm in Birn, then in Oriente Province (now Holgun Province). [106] Reporters from CBS and Paris Match soon followed. His personal needs for absolute control seems to have changed little over the years. Some politicians suggested an amnesty would be good publicity, and the Congress and Batista agreed. Photo: Office of Historical Affairs Fernandez's book created a rift even among Castro relatives in exile: Juana filed suit in Spain in 1998 arguing the book defamed her and Fidel's parents. Castro was convinced that he was right, and that his system was for the good of the people. He was named Havanas outstanding schoolboy sportsman in 194344, and he excelled in track and field (in the high jump and middle-distance running), baseball, basketball, and table tennis. [186] Fearing invasion, he ordered the arrest of between 20,000 and 100,000 suspected counter-revolutionaries,[187] publicly proclaiming, "What the imperialists cannot forgive us, is that we have made a Socialist revolution under their noses", his first announcement that the government was socialist. [281] The event destabilized Carter's administration, and later, in 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected US president. Carter continued criticizing Cuba's human rights abuses, but adopted a respectful approach which gained Castro's attention. [295] The cost of Cuba's wars in Africa were paid for with Soviet subsidies at a time when the Soviet economy was badly hurt by low oil prices while the apartheid government of South Africa had by the 1980s become a very awkward American ally as much of the American population, especially black Americans, objected to apartheid. [100] The MR-26-7 members operating in urban areas continued agitation, sending supplies to Castro, and on 16 February 1957, he met with other senior members to discuss tactics; here he met Celia Snchez, who would become a close friend. [527], Following Castro's death, Cuba's government announced that it would be passing a law prohibiting the naming of "institutions, streets, parks or other public sites, or erecting busts, statues or other forms of tribute" in honour of the late Cuban leader in keeping with his wishes to prevent an extensive cult of personality from developing around him. [59] The attack took place on 26 July 1953, but ran into trouble; 3 of the 16 cars that had set out from Santiago failed to get there. Imprisoned with 25 comrades, Castro renamed his group the "26th of July Movement" (MR-26-7) in memory of the Moncada attack's date, and formed a school for prisoners. [438] The house itself was decorated in a classical Caribbean style, with local wicker and wood furniture, porcelain plates, watercolor paintings, and art books. Moncada Like many socialists, Ral was disgusted by the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. In March of that year, however, the former Cuban president, Gen. Fulgencio Batista, overthrew the government of Pres. She had character, she was brave and self-sacrificing. [5] After the collapse of his first marriage he took his household servant, Lina Ruz Gonzlez (19031963)of Canarian ancestryas his mistress and later second wife; together they had seven children, among them Fidel. Fidel and Raul's parents, ngel Castro and Lina Ruz Gonzlez, are laid to rest at the Birn plantation. In their view, he should be "applauded" for his regime's "substantial improvements" to healthcare and education, but criticized for its "ruthless suppression of freedom of expression. ", "Fidel Castro's Cuba full of his offspring after years of womanising by El Commandante", "Las dispares vidas de los otros hijos de Fidel Castro", "Cuba's first family not immune to political rift", "Fidel Castro: leader proves as divisive in death as he was in life", "Fidel Castro: As Divisive in Death as he was in Life", "The international dimension of authoritarian regime legitimation: insights from the Cuban case", "Social Revolution and Authoritarian Durability", "The Absolution of History: Uses of the Past in Castro's Cuba", "Communicating authoritarian elite cohesion", "Still Stuck on Castro - How the press handled a tyrant's farewell", "Donald Trump calls Fidel Castro 'brutal dictator', "Trump and Obama offer divergent responses to death of Fidel Castro", "Fidel Castro: A progressive but deeply flawed leader", "Cuba: Fidel Castro's Abusive Machinery Remains Intact", "O Canada: Trudeau's Castro tribute raises eyebrows", "Czech, Slovak MEPs 'shocked' by EU comments on Castro", "Castro ends state-visit to South Africa", "Cuba bans naming monuments after Fidel Castro", "A Deeper Shade of Green: The Evolution of Cuban Environmental Law and Policy", "Protecting Cuba's Environment: Efforts to Design and Implement Effective Environmental Laws and Policies in Cuba", Fidel Castro: From Rebel to El Presidente, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fidel_Castro&oldid=1152147438. The dictator had a rapacious sexual appetite, according to a former Castro insider. The protesters held up signs that read, "Mr. Kennedy, Cuba is Not For Sale. [156], Castro used radio and television to develop a "dialogue with the people", posing questions and making provocative statements. Anyone who attempted to convince him that he was wrong or even making a suggestion that it could be improved slightly was making a "fatal error". The unlikely affair between the atheist and devout Catholic lasted 40 years. In the west of Cuba, he had three residences: Casa Americana (confiscated from an American businessman connected to Batista); Rancho la Tranquilidad in the locality of Mil Cumbres; and La Deseada, a hunting lodge utilized in the winter for duck hunting and fishing trips. President Urrutia increasingly expressed concern with the rising influence of Marxism. Fidel Castro - Wikipedia We Investigated Those Damning Rumours About Fidel Castro Being Justin . [444] He arrived here from his inaccessible private marina located near the Bay of Pigs, La Caleta del Rosario, which also housed another residence and guesthouse. [65] Believing Castro incapable of planning the attack alone, the government accused Ortodoxo and PSP politicians of involvement, putting 122 defendants on trial on 21 September at the Palace of Justice, Santiago. What was Fidel Castros personal life like? Reaching the barracks, the alarm was raised, with most of the rebels pinned down by machine gun fire. It was long believed that his birth was in 1956, but Snchez and another defector uncovered that he was in fact born earlier than Fidelito. We are not executing innocent people or political opponents. Castro's parents had not planned to send their young son to school, but he was so set on getting an education that he talked them into letting him go when he was only six or seven years old. [28] Castro joined the Liberal cause by stealing guns from a police station, but subsequent police investigations concluded that he had not been involved in any killings. [231] The Cuban Revolution nevertheless did not meet the Marxist assumption that socialism would be achieved through proletariat revolution, for most of the forces involved in Batista's overthrow were led by members of the Cuban middle-class. [491] The Daily Telegraph noted that around the world he was "either praised as a brave champion of the people, or derided as a power-mad dictator. Declaring himself president, Batista cancelled the planned presidential elections, describing his new system as "disciplined democracy"; Castro was deprived of being elected in his run for office by Batista's move, and like many others, considered it a one-man dictatorship.

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