Castro (Ruz), Fidel

Castro (Ruz), Fidel (1927– ) Cuban revolutionary and statesman. Son of an immigrant sugar planter, he joined the Cuban People's Party in 1947 and led a revolution in Santiago in 1953, for which he was imprisoned. His self-defence at this trial, known by its concluding words, History Will Absolve Me, was to become his major policy statement at the time. Exiled in 1955 he went to Mexico and in 1956 landed on the Cuban coast with 82 men, including Ché GUEVARA, but only 12 men survived the landing. He conducted successful guerrilla operations from the Sierra Maestra mountains and in December 1958 led a march on Havana. The ruthless and corrupt dictator, General BATISTA, fled, and on 1 January 1959 Castro proclaimed the Cuban Revolution, ordering the arrest and execution of many of Batista's supporters. Castro declared himself Prime Minister and, unable to establish diplomatic or commercial agreements with the USA, negotiated credit, arms, and food supplies with the former Soviet Union. He expropriated foreign industry and collectivized agriculture. The USA cancelled all trade agreements (1960) and from 1961 Castro was openly aligned with the Soviet Union, emerging more and more strongly as a Marxist. The abortive US and Cuban invasion (April 1961) of the BAY OF PIGS boosted his popularity, as did his successful survival of the CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS (October 1962) and of several assassination plots. A keen promoter of revolution in other Latin American countries and of liberation movements in Africa, he achieved considerable status in developing countries through his leadership of the NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and of COMECON in 1990, his government faced severe problems. He introduced economic austerity measures in 1991 and some degree of liberalization of Cuba's economy.