Fidel Castro

(1926- )
His bearded face is famous around the world. For 50 years, Fidel Castro has
been the symbol of the country of Cuba.
Castros father was a fairly rich man, so the boys early life was easy. When
Castro was a young man, he went to school in the city of Havana. There, he saw
many poor people. It upset him to see so many people suffering while people with
money, like his family, had little to worry about. He believed that big changes were
necessary to improve Cubans lives.
Castro became a communist. Communists believe that all property and
services should belong to the government. And the government belongs to
everyone.
In 1953, Castro led a revolt against the Cuban government. At first he did
not succeed. Castro was put in jail. After he got out, he tried again. In 1959, Castro
and his supporters won. They threw out the old government. They took over
Cuba.
Cuba became a communist country. Castro made agreements with the
Soviet Union, the worlds largest communist country at that time. Most leaders in
the United States were not happy that Cuba now had a communist government.
The U.S. government broke off relations with Cuba in 1961. People in the United
States were discouraged from visiting Cuba or buying things that were made there.
Since that time, many Cubans have moved to the United States.
In February 2008, after almost 50 years of political power, Fidel Castro
resigned as president. His brother, Raul Castro, took over.

Copyright 2010 by Teachers' Curriculum Institute