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Fidel Castro

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Fidel Castro’s Influence on the Cuban Revolution, 1953-1959
The year was 1953 and Fidel Castro was a dashing and daring reformer that was determined to make a impact in a country that was ruled by an unjust president. With the Movement strong and confident, Castro delivered these strong words to his group of men:
“In a few hours you will be victorious or defeated, but regardless of the outcome – listen well, friends – this Movement will triumph. If you win tomorrow, the aspirations of Martí will be fulfilled sooner. If we fail, our action will nevertheless set an example for the Cuban people, and from the people will arise fresh new men willing to die for Cuba. They will pick up our banner and move forward... The people will back us in Oriente and in the whole island. As in '68 and '92, here in Oriente we will give the first cry of Liberty or Death!”
These words by Castro illustrates what type of leader he was and still is to this day.
Castro is one of the most polarizing figures in Cuban history, with many natives of Cuba arguing that he was the central cause of the destruction of Cuba, while others consider him to be the visionary that saved Cuba from the destruction that would have come about if a capitalist system had been instituted instead of a communist one. Actions taken by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution shaped Cuba politically and socially to what we know it to be today. Fidel Castro was born in southeast Cuba, in the Oriente Province on August 13, 1926. Castro’s father was Angelo Castro y Argiz, who was an immigrant from Spain who had made a living in Cuba as a sugarcane farmer. Castro’s father had five illegitimate children with Lina Ruz Gonzalez, who was his household maid, even though he was married to Maria Luisa Argota at the time. For most of his early life, Castro led a typical life on his father’s farm, engaging in various

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