Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro (1926–2016) was a Cuban revolutionary leader and politician who governed Cuba for decades. Born in Birán, Oriente Province, he studied law at the University of Havana and became active in opposition politics. After leading the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks, he was imprisoned and later went into exile in Mexico, where he helped organize the 26th of July Movement. Castro returned to Cuba in 1956 and, with guerrilla forces including Ernesto “Che” Guevara, helped overthrow Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He served as Cuba’s prime minister and later president, and was known for extensive speeches and political writings, including “History Will Absolve Me.”