(born 1926). The long-time leader of the island nation of Cuba, Fidel Castro was the first ruler to install a Communist regime in the Western Hemisphere. He came to power after leading a rebellion that forced the dictator Fulgencio Batista to step down in 1959.

Early life

Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926, near Birán, which is located in the Oriente Province of eastern Cuba. He grew up on his family's sugar plantation and as a young boy worked in the fields.

As a young man, Castro attended Roman Catholic boarding schools in Santiago de Cuba and Catholic high school in Havana, Cuba, where he was an outstanding athlete. He earned a law degree in 1950.

Entry into politics

As a Havana lawyer, Castro defended the poor, the oppressed, and people with political problems. In 1952 he was nominated as a candidate for the Cuban Congress. The elections, however, were cancelled when General Fulgencio Batista overthrew the government of President Carlos Prío Socarrás.

Soon afterward Castro and his brother Raúl formed a political group in opposition to Batista. On July 26, 1953, the group led an attack on a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. Castro and his group hoped that the attack would start a popular uprising against Batista. Instead, the mission failed and the Castros were imprisoned. The brothers were released from prison in 1955, at which time they fled the country. In Mexico and, later, New York City, the brothers renewed their efforts to overthrow Batista.

Revolution

In 1956 the Castros and their rebel group, which they called the 26th of July movement, landed in Oriente Province. Batista's forces attacked the rebels and killed most of them. The survivors, including the Castros, escaped into the mountains. For the next two years they waged war against the government. Finally, in January of 1959, Batista fled from Cuba, and Castro and his army entered Havana. Soon afterward Castro assumed power of the country.

As premier, and then president, Castro quickly took control of Cuba and established himself as dictator. He also began to enact sweeping political and economic reforms that were heavily influenced by Communist ideas. Within months of assuming control of Cuba, Castro took control of the country's private commerce and industry, enacted sweeping land reforms, and took over lands and businesses owned by American companies.

Leader of Cuba

These policies, as well as Castro's friendly negotiations with the Soviet Union, soon alarmed the United States. In 1960 the United States cut most economic ties with Cuba, and in 1961 they broke diplomatic relations.

Castro exercised control over political, economic, and cultural life in Cuba. In addition, he suppressed all political dissent and opposition. He also enacted a number of positive reforms. As president, Castro vastly expanded the country's social services and provided basic services, such as education and health care to all citizens free of charge.

The Cuban economy, however, did not fare well. The country is heavily dependent on sugar production. For many years, Cuba traded sugar with the Soviet Union, who provided them with oil and was their main source of support. It lost this support in 1991 when the Soviet Union ceased to exist. To make up for the loss of Soviet support Castro allowed some economic reform.

Long-standing economic problems, as well as political dissent, prompted thousands of Cubans to flee the island since Castro took office. In 1980 Castro released a flood of immigrants to the United States when he opened the port of Mariel for five months. During that period 125,000 Cubans immigrated to the United States.

Beginning in the late 1990s, Castro began to ease his control over the country slightly. In addition, Castro allowed Pope John Paul II to visit the island nation in 1998—a measure that proved extremely popular with the Cuban public. Castro remained in firm control of the country, however, into the 21st century.