FIDEL CASTRO
Politics
Born: August 13, 1926
Biran, Cuba

"I began the revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I'd do it with 10 or 15 men and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are, if you have faith and a plan of action."

The son of a landowner, educated by Jesuits, Fidel Castro married into one of Cuba's wealthiest families and could have used his law degree to secure a comfortable life among the islandŐs oligarchy, collecting some of the U.S. dollars that flowed into Havana's mob-controlled tourist economy. But Castro was always a rebel, and by 21, he was already becoming a legend, hoping to lead a mass movement for social change.

Fidel Castro has been Cuba's political leader since 1959, when he transformed his island nation into the first Communist state in the Western hemisphere. After graduating from law school in 1950, Castro joined the Ortodoxo Party and entered the race for Congress. However, three months before the elections, former president Batista overthrew the government of Carlos Prio Socarras.

On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro led a group of young revolutionaries in a suicidal attack on the Moncada army post. Most were killed, Castro ended up in prison until 1954, when he was released by the Batista regime. In December 1956, Castro waged a new propaganda war with more military activities, which brought him victory and led Batista to eventually flee Cuba.

On January 1, 1959 Castro, the undisputed revolutionary leader, took power. He promised to establish an honest government and restore the 1940 constitution. Instead, under Castro's leadership, Cuba was converted into a fortress, armed with weapons from Communist countries and a one-party government which wields dictatorial control over the nation's economy and political life.

The breakup of the Soviet Union and the failure of Communist regimes around the globe isolated Castro; his revolution now barely feeds the Cuban people and exiles in Miami have long predicted his imminent downfall. But Cubans remain independent and proud-testimony to Castro's survival tactics and remarkable political abilities.

Although the bearded one is old and grey, "Fidelismo" still holds great sway over many of his people, especially those who remember how it used to be.