Fidel Castro

3. In the government of revolutionary Cuba (1959-1965)

· After the victory of the revolution, Che Guevara occupied key positions: head of the Department of Industry, president of the National Bank, and then Minister of Industry. · Together with Castro, they tried to carry out rapid industrialization of Cuba and built a new economy based on moral rather than material incentives (“Socialism and Man in Cuba” is Che’s famous work). · However, their approaches began to diverge: Che Guevara was an orthodox Marxist internationalist. He believed in immediate world revolution and the export of guerrilla warfare ("create two, three... many Vietnams"). Fidel Castro was, above all, a Cuban nationalist and pragmatist. His primary goal was to defend and strengthen the Cuban Revolution. He depended on the support of the USSR, whose model of "real socialism" was more bureaucratic and less revolutionary than Che desired.

4. Che's breakup and departure (1965)

· Disillusioned with the Soviet model and growing bureaucracy, and wanting to personally continue the fight for world revolution, Che Guevara decided to leave Cuba. In 1965, he wrote a farewell letter to Fidel, which was read publicly. In it, he renounced all his posts and Cuban citizenship. · The letter contained the famous words: "Other lands of the world require my humble efforts... I leave here the purest of my hopes as a builder and the people dearest to me... Other lands call for my humble participation. I can do what you cannot afford, and the time has come for us to part." It wasn't a conflict, but a tactical disagreement. Castro, though painfully, accepted his decision.

5. Che's Death and Legacy (1967)

· After an unsuccessful operation in Congo, Che Guevara went to Bolivia, where he was captured and executed in 1967 with the participation of the CIA. · Fidel Castro declared mourning in Cuba and turned Che into a national and world hero, a martyr of the revolution.

Key aspects of their relationship:

1. Meeting and beginning of cooperation (1955)

· They met in Mexico in 1955, where Castro emigrated after being released from prison. · The young Argentine doctor Ernesto Guevara, who was traveling through Latin America and wanted to fight against imperialism, was introduced to Fidel by his brother, Raul. According to legend, after a long night-long conversation with Fidel about revolutionary plans for Cuba, Che (who had originally planned to go to Guatemala) said, "I'm with you." This meeting sealed his fate.

2. Revolution in Cuba (1956-1959)

· Che Guevara was one of 82 men who sailed on the yacht Granma to start the guerrilla war in Cuba in 1956. He proved himself to be a brilliant yet tough partisan commander. His discipline and fearlessness earned him enormous respect. Castro appointed him comandante (the highest rank in the guerrilla army). Che was more than just a soldier; he became the revolution's closest ally and ideologist. · It was the column led by Che Guevara that took the city of Santa Clara, which became a decisive victory after which the Batista regime fell.

About personal habits and lifestyle

1. He quit smoking for propaganda. Despite his iconic image with a Cohiba cigar, he publicly quit smoking in 1985. He stated that he was doing so to set an example for other Cubans in the fight for a healthy lifestyle. He hasn't smoked since.
2. Nocturnal lifestyle. Castro was a famous "night owl." He often worked until dawn, and his meetings and speeches could begin late at night. His famous "night vigils" lasted for many hours.
3. A love of milkshakes. He had a weakness for thick milkshakes. It was said that he could drink them several times a day.
4. Watch collector. Despite his public modesty and asceticism, Castro was a well-known collector of expensive Swiss watches (such as Patek Philippe). This was one of his few personal luxuries.

On state activities

1. Longest-serving leader. When he left office in 2008, he was the oldest head of state in the world and one of the longest-serving leaders (49 years).
2. Author of a children's book. In 2010, he published "Fidel Castro: Child Leaders," his first children's book about his childhood.
3. Postal "vandal." One day, while visiting a post office, he saw stamps with Che Guevara's image, which he didn't like. He demanded their immediate withdrawal and personally tore several stamps to remove them from circulation.

Other interesting facts

1. He loved animals. He had several dogs, and a pet crocodile named El Señor lived in his residence.
2. His daughter is a fierce opponent of the regime. His daughter, Alina Fernandez, born from one of his extramarital affairs, fled Cuba in 1993 with a false passport and became a fierce critic of her father and his policies while living in exile in the United States.

About his stamina and health

1. Record-Breaking Orator. Castro is officially listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most fiery orator. His speech at a conference in 1960 lasted 4 hours and 29 minutes. But that's far from the limit: he's also been known to deliver speeches lasting 5, 7, and even 9 hours!
2. An amateur athlete. He was an avid baseball fan and, in his youth, was considered a talented pitcher. Legend has it that in the 1950s, he was offered a contract by the American team, the New York Giants, but he declined to devote himself to the revolution. Historians dispute this fact, but his love for sports remained unwavering.
3. The CIA's "favorite" terrorist. During his reign, American intelligence agencies devised and attempted to carry out over 600 assassination attempts on his life. The plans were highly sophisticated: · Exploding cigar: was supposed to explode when he lit it. · Poisoned diving suit. · A shell with explosives at the site of his underwater hunting. · Ballpoint pen with a poisoned needle. · Putting poison in his shoes while he was abroad. Castro said ironically that surviving so many assassination attempts was an achievement any intelligence agency could be proud of.

4. Management (since 1959):

· Having consolidated his power, Castro began building a socialist state in Cuba, nationalizing private property, including that belonging to American companies. · This led to a sharp deterioration in relations with the United States, the severance of diplomatic relations and the introduction of an American trade embargo, which is still in effect. · In 1961, the Cuban army under Castro's leadership defeated the CIA-organized landing of Cuban emigrants in the Bay of Pigs. In 1962, the world found itself on the brink of nuclear war due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the USSR deployed nuclear missiles on the island. The crisis was resolved diplomatically. Castro was the undisputed leader of Cuba for nearly 50 years, serving as Prime Minister (1959-2008) and Chairman of the Council of State (1976-2008). He was the leader of the Communist Party of Cuba. His reign was characterized by significant social achievements (free health care and education, the eradication of illiteracy), but also by a lack of political freedoms, the suppression of dissent, and the country's dire economic situation.

Fidel Castro Ruz (1926 - 2016)

1. Early years and education:

· Born on August 13, 1926 in the Oriente province of Cuba into a wealthy landowning family. · He received an excellent education at Jesuit colleges and then graduated with a law degree from the University of Havana in 1950, where he became acquainted with revolutionary ideas.

2. The beginning of the political struggle:

· After Fulgencio Batista's coup d'état in 1952, which overthrew the democratic government, Castro abandoned legal methods of struggle. On July 26, 1953, he led the assault on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. The assault failed, Castro was arrested, and at his trial, he delivered his famous speech, "History Will Absolve Me," in which he outlined his political program.

3. Revolution and coming to power:

After the amnesty, he emigrated to Mexico, where, together with his brother Raul and the Argentine Ernesto Che Guevara, he prepared a revolutionary detachment. On December 2, 1956, he landed from the yacht Granma in Cuba and began a guerrilla war in the Sierra Maestra mountains. The guerrilla war against the Batista regime lasted two years and ended in victory for the revolutionaries. On January 1, 1959, Batista fled Cuba, and Castro, leading his army, triumphantly entered Havana.

Height and build

Height: Fidel Castro was a very tall man, standing approximately 194 cm (6'3") tall. This made him an imposing and dominant figure in any room or on a podium. Build: In his youth, he was slender and wiry, which helped him survive the harsh conditions of guerrilla warfare in the mountains. With age and a less active lifestyle, he became heavier, but always retained a powerful, imposing physique.

The most famous features are the "calling card"

1. Military uniform (olive green): Castro almost always appeared in public in military uniform. This was not just a style statement, but a powerful symbol: · A reminder of his role as Comandante of the Cuban Revolution. · A sign that he is the commander-in-chief and the country is in a state of constant readiness for defense against the United States. · A symbol of asceticism and equality with the people and the army.
2. Beard: His thick beard became one of the most recognizable symbols of the revolution in the world. · It had a practical origin: in the Sierra Maestra mountains, the guerrillas had no razors and they vowed not to shave until the victory of the revolution. · Later, it became known as "barbudos" (bearded men), and Castro turned it into an ideological symbol, contrasting himself with clean-shaven American politicians.
3. Cigar: For much of his life, Castro was an avid cigar smoker, especially the famous Cuban Cohiba. A cigar in his hand or mouth was an integral part of his image as a romantic revolutionary.

Face and details

· Face: He had an expressive, energetic face with bright eyes. Eyes: Brown, lively, and very penetrating. Many who interacted with him remarked on his "hypnotic" gaze. · Eyebrows: Thick and dark. Hair: In his youth, he had thick, dark hair. In his later years, he often wore his hair cut short or slicked back. · Voice: Although not an outward feature, his voice—loud, deep, and passionate—was inseparable from his overall image.

A sense of humor and charm. In informal settings and in interviews, he could be witty, self-deprecating, and charming. Even his ideological opponents noted this.

A passion for sports (baseball), good food, and cigars. These hobbies humanized his image in the eyes of Cubans.

He was a liberator, a romantic revolutionary who defied the American colossus and defended Cuba's sovereignty. He created one of the world's finest healthcare and education systems, eradicating illiteracy and racial segregation. He was a symbol of resilience and hope for the world's oppressed peoples.

He was a liberator, a romantic revolutionary who defied the American colossus and defended Cuba's sovereignty. He created one of the world's finest healthcare and education systems, eradicating illiteracy and racial segregation. He was a symbol of resilience and hope for the world's oppressed peoples.

A brilliant intellect and phenomenal erudition, Castro was a highly educated man (a lawyer by training), well-read in history, philosophy, political science, and military strategy. He could speak for hours extemporaneously, quoting classics and drawing on vast amounts of data.

Unwavering will and iron discipline. This is perhaps his defining characteristic. His motto could have been "¡Hasta la victoria siempre!"—"Always until victory!" He possessed an incredible determination that helped him survive in the Sierra Maestra mountains, defeat Baptista, and resist the United States for decades.

Castro was a master of words. His speeches lasted four, five, and sometimes seven hours, but he knew how to capture the audience's attention, sense their mood, and lead them. For many Cubans, he was "Maximo Lieder"—the father of the nation.

His faith in Marxism-Leninism and the anti-imperialist struggle was unwavering. He didn't simply come to power; he wanted to radically change society, to create a "New Man" in the image of Che Guevara.

Unlike many dictators, Castro did not seek personal enrichment. He had no fortune abroad and lived relatively modestly (by the standards of a national leader). His image—the military uniform and cigars—was that of a people's leader, not a flamboyant monarch.

Realizing he was surrounded by a powerful enemy (the United States), he created a totalitarian system of security and control. The suppression of dissent, censorship, the existence of labor camps, and the execution of political opponents—this is the dark side of his rule that cannot be ignored.

Castro personally delved into the smallest details of governing the country, from agricultural matters to military tactics. This demonstrated his immense capacity for work.

He could radically change economic policy (for example, allowing private enterprise during times of crisis and then banning it again), which often destabilized the economy. His famous "Speeches from the Tribune" were often acts of political improvisation.