Rise to Power
He rose to power after founding the rebel group opposing the previous dictator, Gen. Fulgencio Batista, who rendered the legal system useless against himself.
Guerilla warfare ensued between Batista and Castro, with revolutionaries against Batistas.
Fidel won against the dictator who fled on Jan. 1, 1959
He then influenced the public through propaganda, and eventually became the head of the government
He remained at the top until 1976, when a new constitution created a National Assembly and Castro had to become president of the body’s State Council
Created the first communist country in the Western Hemisphere.
He was affiliated with communism for the rest of his life afterwards
Wealthy Life and Hypocrisy
Castro lived a wealthy life after being born into a rich family living off well profiting CAPITALIST VENTURES. Fidel was born on his father, Ángel’s, 25,000 acre sugar plantation, complete with 400 employees. His father Ángel was a prominent land owner and on their plantation he established other prosperous ventures including a hotel, pub, post office, market store, and cockfighting ring. Through 49 years of his rule he moved frequently to many of his top secret estates. The estates were luxurious and place in prime areas of Cuba with much privacy, some locales included Cayo Piedra, La Caleta del Rosario; which featured a private marina, La Desada, Pinar del Río; a famous duck hunting region and one of Castro’s favorite place to hunt himself. When Castro stepped down and gave power to his brother he retired to Punto Cero a pre-revolution golf course property set up by Castro in the 70s. According to one of Castro’s former bodyguards the estate complex includes orange, lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, and banana trees, as well as cows and six greenhouses to grow food.
Destroying Human rights
Castro maintained his rule over nearly five decades through a repressive system that punished all forms of dissent. Over 49 grueling thousands of Cuban citizens were imprisoned in “abysmal prisons” - Human Rights Watch. Fear was brought upon even more. Generations of people didn't have the rights they deserved as human beings.
“Castro’s draconian rule and the harsh punishments he meted out to dissidents kept his repressive system rooted firmly in place for decades” - Jośe Miguel Vivanco American Director of Human Rights Watch
Dissenters Corner
Even though Castro supported Communism, he had a good side… he used his power to achieve social welfare, universal education, increase employment, and a substantial health care. He abolished segregation in public places, and was opposed to addictions like drugs, alcohol, and gambling.
"I can assure you that my first and foremost interest is [Cuba]" - Fidel Castro
Works Cited
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fidel-Castro
https://www.forbes.com/sites/keithflamer/2016/11/26/10-surprises-about-castros-extravagant-life/#7213d3f76d76
https://powerstudy.wordpress.com/tag/fidel-castro/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/11/26/cuba-fidel-castros-record-repression
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/fidelcastr747033.html