Raúl Castro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raúl Castro
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Castro in 2015
|
|
| First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba | |
| In office 19 April 2011 – 19 April 2021 |
|
| President | Himself Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| Prime Minister | Manuel Marrero (2019–2021) |
| Deputy | José Ramón Machado |
| Preceded by | Fidel Castro |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| 16th President of the Council of State and Ministers of Cuba | |
| In office 24 February 2008 – 19 April 2018 Acting: 31 July 2006 – 24 February 2008 |
|
| Vice President | José Ramón Machado Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| Preceded by | Fidel Castro |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba |
|
| In office 3 October 1965 – 19 April 2011 |
|
| First secretary | Fidel Castro |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | José Ramón Machado |
| First Vice President of Cuba | |
| In office 2 December 1976 – 24 February 2008 |
|
| President | Fidel Castro |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | José Ramón Machado |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 16 February 1959 – 24 February 2008 |
|
| Prime Minister | Fidel Castro |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Julio Casas Regueiro |
| Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement |
|
| In office 16 September 2006 – 16 July 2009 Acting: 16 September 2006 – 24 February 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Fidel Castro |
| Succeeded by | Hosni Mubarak |
| President pro tempore of CELAC | |
| In office 28 January 2013 – 28 January 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Sebastián Piñera |
| Succeeded by | Laura Chinchilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz
3 June 1931 Birán, Cuba |
| Political party | Popular Socialist Party (Before 1953) 26th of July Movement (1953–1965) Communist Party (1965–present) |
| Spouse |
Vilma Espín
(m. 1959; died 2007) |
| Children | 4, including Mariela and Alejandro |
| Parents | Lina Ruz (mother) Ángel Castro y Argiz (father) |
| Relatives | Fidel Castro (brother) Ramón Castro Ruz (brother) Juanita Castro (sister) |
| Signature |  |
| Nicknames | Musito, Muso |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Republic of Cuba |
| Branch/service | Revolutionary Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1953–1959 |
| Rank | Comandante en Jefe (as President) General de Ejército |
| Unit | 26th of July Movement |
| Battles/wars | Attack on the Moncada Barracks Cuban Revolution Bay of Pigs Invasion Cuban Missile Crisis |
| Awards | Hero of the Republic of Cuba Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise National Order of Mali Order Prince Daniel of Good Faith First Degree |
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (born 3 June 1931) is a Cuban retired politician and general. He was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 2011 to 2021. This was the highest position in Cuba's one-party communist state. He also served as President of Cuba from 2008 to 2018, taking over from his brother Fidel Castro.
Raúl Castro was a military leader during the Cuban Revolution. He served as the Minister of the Armed Forces from 1959 to 2008. This made him the longest-serving minister of the armed forces. He was also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, which is the top decision-making group, from 1965 until 2021.
Because his brother Fidel was ill, Raúl became the acting president of Cuba in 2006. He officially became president in 2008. He was re-elected in 2013. Raúl announced that his second term would be his last. He stepped down as president in 2018. His successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel, was then elected. Raúl remained the first secretary of the Communist Party until 2021. He was still seen as a very important leader. He announced his retirement in April 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Joining the Revolution
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz was born in Birán, Cuba, on June 3, 1931. His father, Ángel Castro y Argiz, was a Spanish immigrant. His mother, Lina Ruz, was Cuban with family from the Canary Islands. Raúl is the youngest of three brothers, including Fidel Castro. He also has four sisters.
As children, Raúl and his brothers were expelled from their first school. Raúl later attended Jesuit schools in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. He studied Public Administration at the University of Havana but did not finish. While Fidel was a great student, Raúl's grades were average. Raúl became a strong socialist and joined the Socialist Youth group. This group was linked to the Popular Socialist Party, Cuba's Communist party.
In 1953, Raúl was part of the 26th of July Movement. This group attacked the Moncada Barracks. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison and spent 22 months there. After his release, he went to Mexico. There, he helped plan the trip of the boat Granma to Cuba.
Commander in the Cuban Revolution
When the Granma boat landed, government troops quickly found the 82 travelers. Raúl was one of only 12 fighters who made it to safety in the Sierra Maestra mountains. These fighters formed the start of the rebel army. Because he was Fidel's brother and a trusted helper, Raúl was given more and more important roles.
In February 1958, Raúl became a comandante. He was given the job of leading a group of guerrillas across the old Oriente province. His mission was to open the "Frank País Eastern Front" in the northeast.
During his "Eastern Front" operations, Raúl's forces grew. In June 1958, Raúl Castro's rebels took ten Americans and two Canadians hostage. They were taken from a mining company in Oriente Province. The next day, 24 U.S. servicemen were taken from the Guantanamo Bay naval base. This brought the total to 36 hostages.
The U.S. Ambassador believed the kidnappings had several goals. These included getting global attention and forcing the government to stop bombing rebel areas. The hostages were released in small groups. This helped the rebels get a lot of press attention. After their release, some hostages even said they supported the rebels.
Raúl Castro wrote in his war diaries that captured government soldiers were treated well. They were given food and told they would be released. In areas controlled by the guerrillas, Raúl helped set up hospitals and schools.
By October 1958, the Castro brothers had about 2,000 fighters. They were active throughout Oriente province. In December, their army captured Maffo. Their victorious army then headed to Santiago de Cuba.
The U.S.-backed President Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba on January 1, 1959. This happened after Che Guevara's victory at the Battle of Santa Clara. The Castro brothers arrived near Santiago de Cuba. They said their forces would attack the city if it did not surrender. The city surrendered without a fight. The war was over, and Fidel took power in Havana on January 8, 1959.
After Batista's fall, Raúl was in charge of trials for soldiers loyal to Batista. These soldiers were accused of serious crimes during the war.
Raúl Castro's Political Journey
Early Political Roles
Raúl Castro Ruz was a member of the national leadership of several revolutionary groups. He was also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. He became Second Secretary of its Politburo when the Party was formed in 1965. In 1976, he became First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State and Council of Ministers.
Taking Over as President
On July 31, 2006, Fidel Castro's secretary announced that Fidel would temporarily hand over his duties to Raúl. This was because Fidel needed surgery and time to recover. Raúl took over as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the Council of State of Cuba, President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Many people thought Raúl would keep the Communist Party's strong control. However, others believed he was more practical than his brother. They thought he might bring in some market-focused economic changes. Some thought he favored a system like China's or Vietnam's for Cuba. This would help keep parts of the socialist system.
Raúl is seen by some as less charismatic than Fidel. Fidel stayed out of public view during this time. Raúl's public appearances included hosting a meeting of Non-Aligned nations in September 2006. He also led the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Granma landing.
In a speech to university students, Raúl said that Cuba would remain a communist system. He stated that "Fidel is irreplaceable, unless we all replace him together."
Leading Cuba
After being the acting president since 2006, Raúl Castro was officially elected as the new President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers on February 24, 2008. His government then announced several economic changes. In March 2008, they removed limits on buying many products. These products, like DVD players and computers, were not available under Fidel's rule.
To help food production, the government let private farmers and groups lease unused state land. They also moved many decisions about land use from the national level to local levels. Between 2008 and 2010, all death sentences (about 30) were changed to other punishments. No one had been executed since 2003.
In mid-2008, the government changed how state-run companies paid their workers. This allowed harder-working employees to earn more. The government also removed limits on using cell phones. They also looked into removing travel limits for Cubans.
In April 2011, Raúl announced a plan of 300 economic changes. These changes aimed to encourage private businesses, reduce government spending, and bring in foreign investment. He also announced limits on presidential terms, including his own.
On February 24, 2013, Cuba's parliament named Raúl Castro for a new five-year term as president. Miguel Díaz-Canel was appointed as his first vice president. Castro announced that day that he would step down from power after his second term ended in 2018.
Miguel Díaz-Canel became President of Cuba on April 19, 2018. However, Raúl Castro remained First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He was still seen as the main leader of Cuba until he resigned on April 19, 2021.
Improving Relations with the United States
In a 2008 interview, Raúl Castro said: "The American people are among our closest neighbors. We should respect each other." He added that good relations would benefit both sides.
On December 10, 2013, Castro shook hands with U.S. President Barack Obama. This happened at the Nelson Mandela memorial service in South Africa. This was a very important moment.
On December 17, 2014, Castro and Obama announced that they would work to normalize relations. This included re-opening embassies in Havana and Washington. Direct diplomatic relations had stopped in 1961.
Pope Francis helped bring the U.S. and Cuba closer. The Vatican was used for secret talks. On July 20, 2015, Cuba and the United States officially started full diplomatic relations again. Their "interests sections" were upgraded to embassies.
On March 20, 2016, Obama visited Cuba to meet with Castro. This was the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to Cuba in 88 years.
In 2017, Castro criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's ideas. He spoke against Trump's plan for a wall on the Mexican border and his trade policies. Castro called Trump's plans selfish and "irrational." He said, "You can't contain poverty, catastrophes, and migrants with walls, but with cooperation, understanding, and peace."
In September 2019, the United States placed sanctions on Castro. He was barred from entering the U.S. This was due to Cuba's support for the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela and claims of human rights issues.
Retirement
On April 16, 2021, the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba met. This marked the start of Castro's final transfer of leadership and retirement from politics. Miguel Díaz-Canel was elected as Castro's successor as First Secretary of the Communist Party on April 19, 2021.
Raúl Castro still makes occasional public appearances and speeches. He keeps a seat in the National Assembly and the title of Army General. Many believe he still has a lot of influence on state matters.
Public and Personal Life
Castro married Vilma Espín on January 26, 1959. Vilma was a chemical engineering student and the daughter of a wealthy lawyer. She became president of the Cuban Federation of Women. They had three daughters (Déborah, Mariela, and Nilsa) and one son (Alejandro). Vilma Espín passed away on June 18, 2007.
Alejandro Castro Espín is a Colonel in the Ministry of the Interior. He is seen as a key advisor to Raúl. Their daughter Mariela Castro leads the Cuban National Center for Sex Education. Déborah is married to Colonel Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, who leads GAESA. This is the Armed Forces' economic division.
In a 2006 interview, Raúl Castro spoke about his public image. He said, "I am not used to making frequent appearances in public... I have always been discreet, that is my way, and in passing I will clarify that I am thinking of continuing in that way."
After meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City on May 10, 2015, Castro said he would think about returning to the Roman Catholic Church. He said, "I read all the speeches of the pope... if the pope continues this way, I will go back to praying and go back to the [Roman Catholic] church. I am not joking." The pope visited Cuba before his September 2015 visit to the United States. Castro said he would attend all the Pope's Masses in Cuba. Castro also said he thought Christ was a communist. He stated, "I think that's why they killed Jesus, for being a communist, for doing what Fidel defined as revolution... changing the situation."
Honours and Awards
Cuba:
Hero of the Republic of Cuba
Order of Playa Girón
Order of Cienfuegos
Angola:
Dr António Agostinho Neto Order
China:
- Order of Friendship (18 September 2019)
Czechoslovakia:
Military Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion (13 July 1960)
Mali:
Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali
North Korea:
Order of the National Flag, 1st class
Polish People's Republic:
Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class
Russia:
Order of Friendship- Order of the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 1st class (Russian Orthodox Church)
Soviet Union:
Order of Lenin
Order of the October Revolution
Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"
Ukraine:
First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (26 March 2010)
Venezuela:
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator
Vietnam:
Gold Star Order
.png){kind=small}
Images for kids
-
East German Minister of National Defense Heinz Hoffmann and Raúl Castro in Cuba, 1977
-
Manmohan Singh with Castro at the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Cuba, 2006
-
Raúl Castro with Hugo Chávez, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Raúl Castro para niños
