Fidel Castro

The mastermind of the insurrectionary overthrow of the Batista regime and the consolidation of the revolutionary forces, Fidel Castro led Cuba for over forty years as the head of government, the head of state, and the first secretary of the communist party. He governed with charismatic authority, tremendous powers of persuasion, longwinded oratory, expansive interest in all aspects of the country’s affairs, photographic attention to detail, and a keen understanding and utilization of history.

Castro was instrumental in declaring Cuba’s nationalist revolution to be anti-imperialist and socialist in nature. Domestically, Castro was a unifier, a micromanager, an interpreter of consensus, and a moral arbiter. On the geopolitical stage, Castro’s strategic alliances and leadership of the third world allowed Cuba to obviate the US blockade and project disproportionate power across hemispheres.

Upon falling ill in 2006, Castro provisionally ceded his leadership duties, before deciding not to accept another term as president in 2008. Starting in 2007, Castro began to write political editorials, serving as an emeritus advisor to Cuban officials and visiting heads of state. Most Cubans respect Castro as having been a brilliant statesman and wise steward of the nation—even if they disagree with some of his economic policies and less democratic tendencies.