Tell me something about Fidel Castro?

Question

I really don't know much about him and would like to know a few little morsels before I start to research him properly.

Or if someone can recommend a book about him (not hugely concise) that would be great. Thanks.

Answer 1

He invented the cat

Answer 2

Fidel Castro has been the communist leader of Cuba since 1959 and has had some attempts on his life in the past. There have also been attempts and "rumblings" to over-throw his power without success. Castro turned 80 yrs. old in November, was thrown a party, but, reportedly, was too ill to make an appearance. His government leaders say all is well--there is nothing major going on. Prapaganda, as communist nations are known to spread or truth? If he were as fit as Cuba is trying to make the world believe, why would anyone miss his own party? As the expression goes, "hes grown too old to care." From what I've observed in the footage, past and present, of Castro he's like Sadam Hussein--they never want their name or face out of the spotlight.

Answer 3

He could have been America's best friend but they refused him assistance so Fidel had to turn to Moscow and found that getting assistance from the old Soviet Union came with a heavy price

Answer 4

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926) is the 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 ("Commander in Chief") of the Cuban armed forces. On July 31, 2006, Castro, after undergoing intestinal surgery, transferred his responsibilities to the vice-president, his younger 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.

Answer 5

He has had 638 attempted assassinations on his life and has been ruler of Cuba for 47 years. He celebrated his 80th birthday last week.

Answer 6

why don't you type in fidel castro's name into the web and read all about his fascinating life there. There are several websites that you can explore and learn all about his background etc....

Answer 7

He lives in Cuba,
Smokes cigars,
and wears a funny hat

Answer 8

He smokes huge Havana cigars, which have be rolled on the thighs of beautiful Cuban women. (honestly !)

Answer 9

hes got a beard and he wears a cap and he lives in cuba, by all accounts hes not a very nice chap, dont take that for gospel, i dont want any trouble

Answer 10

He didn't like Che Guevara