Raúl Castro

Raúl Castro
Castro in 2015
Raúl Castro
Born	Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz 3 6, 1931
Birthplace	Birán, Oriente, Republic of Cuba
Nationality	Cuban
Occupation	Politician, military officer
Known for	President of Cuba (2008–2018), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011–2021), Minister of the Armed Forces (1959–2008)
Children	4, including Mariela and Alejandro

Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (born 3 June 1931) is a Cuban politician and retired general who served as the President of Cuba from 2008 to 2018 and as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 2011 to 2021. The younger brother of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro played a central role in the Cuban Revolution and in the governance of Cuba for over six decades. He served as Minister of the Armed Forces from 1959 to 2008, making him the longest-serving minister of the armed forces in history. Castro first assumed presidential authority on a temporary basis in July 2006 when his brother fell ill, and was formally elected president by the National Assembly of People's Power in February 2008. During his presidency, Castro oversaw a series of economic reforms and the historic restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States in 2015. He stepped down from the presidency in April 2018 and retired from his position as first secretary of the Communist Party in April 2021, ceding both roles to his successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Early Life

Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz was born on 3 June 1931 in Birán, a small settlement in the Oriente province of eastern Cuba. He was the son of Ángel Castro y Argiz, a Spanish immigrant from Galicia who had become a prosperous sugarcane farmer, and Lina Ruz González, a Cuban woman of humble origins who had worked as a household servant for the elder Castro before becoming his second wife. Raúl was the youngest of several siblings, including his older brother Fidel, with whom he would share an enduring political partnership that shaped the course of Cuban history.

The Castro family estate in Birán, known as Finca Manacas, provided a relatively comfortable upbringing compared to the surrounding rural poverty of Oriente province. Ángel Castro had accumulated substantial landholdings and employed numerous workers on his sugar plantation. Despite the family's relative wealth, the children grew up in an area marked by deep socioeconomic inequality, a reality that would later inform the political consciousness of both Fidel and Raúl.

As a young man, Raúl Castro became politically active and developed leftist sympathies. He traveled to Eastern Europe in the early 1950s and attended youth communist gatherings, experiences that cemented his commitment to Marxist-Leninist ideology. These early political leanings distinguished him from his older brother Fidel, who at the time framed his opposition to the Batista regime in more broadly nationalist and democratic terms. Raúl's early ideological orientation would later become significant as Cuba moved closer to the Soviet Union in the years following the revolution.

Career

The Cuban Revolution

Raúl Castro's involvement in the revolutionary movement began alongside his brother Fidel in the early 1950s. On 26 July 1953, the brothers participated in the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, an armed assault against the military garrison of dictator Fulgencio Batista. The attack failed, and both brothers were captured, tried, and imprisoned. The date of the assault lent its name to the 26th of July Movement, which became the primary revolutionary organization opposing the Batista government.

After their release from prison, the Castro brothers went into exile in Mexico, where they organized a small expeditionary force. In December 1956, Raúl was among the 82 revolutionaries who sailed from Mexico aboard the yacht Granma and landed in eastern Cuba to launch a guerrilla campaign against the Batista regime. The initial landing was disastrous, and the group was nearly annihilated by government forces. The survivors, including both Castro brothers and Ernesto "Che" Guevara, retreated into the Sierra Maestra mountain range.

During the guerrilla war in the Sierra Maestra, Raúl Castro proved himself a capable military commander. He was given command of the "Second Front Frank País" in the Sierra Cristal mountains of northeastern Oriente province, where he operated a semi-autonomous guerrilla column. His command oversaw military operations, established rudimentary governance structures in liberated territory, and carried out agrarian reform measures. During this period, Raúl also oversaw military tribunals and the execution of captured enemies and suspected informants, actions that generated controversy.

The guerrilla campaign culminated in the fall of the Batista government on 1 January 1959, when the dictator fled the country. The revolutionary forces, led by the 26th of July Movement, assumed control of the Cuban government.

Minister of the Armed Forces (1959–2008)

Following the triumph of the revolution, Raúl Castro was appointed Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, or FAR) on 16 February 1959, a position he would hold for nearly five decades. In this role, he was responsible for building and overseeing Cuba's military establishment, transforming it from a ragtag guerrilla force into one of the most formidable armed forces in Latin America.

Under Raúl Castro's leadership, the Cuban military was reorganized along Soviet lines, reflecting Cuba's growing alliance with the Soviet Union. The FAR received substantial military aid from Moscow, including advanced weaponry, training, and advisory support. Castro oversaw the expansion of the armed forces and the creation of a comprehensive system of military reserves and civil defense. The Cuban military under his command participated in numerous international engagements, most notably in Africa, where Cuban troops were deployed to support allied governments and liberation movements in Angola and Ethiopia during the 1970s and 1980s.

Castro's tenure as defense minister also encompassed periods of acute crisis, including the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, when a CIA-backed force of Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow the revolutionary government, and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, during which the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuban soil, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Beyond his military role, Raúl Castro served as First Vice President of Cuba from 2 December 1976, when the position was established under the new Cuban constitution, until 24 February 2008. He was also the Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 3 October 1965, when the party was formally established, until 2011. These positions made him the second most powerful figure in the Cuban government, subordinate only to his brother Fidel. He was a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, the highest decision-making body, from 1965 until 2021.

In the 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the severe economic crisis known as the "Special Period," Raúl Castro played a role in the limited economic reforms that allowed the Cuban military to enter into commercial enterprises. The FAR became involved in tourism, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy, a development that gave the military a significant economic role and further consolidated Raúl's institutional power base.

Acting President and Transfer of Power (2006–2008)

On 31 July 2006, the Cuban government announced that Fidel Castro had undergone intestinal surgery and had temporarily delegated presidential authority to Raúl Castro. This marked the first time since 1959 that someone other than Fidel Castro exercised executive authority in Cuba. The announcement was made through a proclamation read on state television, which specified that the transfer was temporary and that Fidel intended to resume his duties after recovery.

Fidel Castro's illness generated intense international speculation about the future of Cuba's political system. Raúl Castro assumed the duties of head of state while maintaining a notably low public profile in the initial months of his acting presidency. He did not make a public appearance for several weeks after assuming temporary power, fueling further speculation about the situation within the Cuban leadership.

During his tenure as acting president, Raúl Castro also served as Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from September 2006 to July 2009, a position Cuba held on a rotating basis.

As months passed and Fidel Castro's health did not improve sufficiently for him to return to active governance, it became increasingly clear that the transfer of power would become permanent. On 19 February 2008, Fidel Castro published a letter in the state newspaper Granma announcing that he would not stand for re-election as president of the Council of State. On 24 February 2008, the National Assembly of People's Power formally elected Raúl Castro as President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, officially confirming him as head of state and head of government.

Presidency (2008–2018)

Upon assuming the presidency, Raúl Castro signaled an interest in introducing economic reforms and improving government efficiency. In one of his early speeches as president, he acknowledged the need for structural changes to the Cuban economy and called for open debate about the country's problems.

In the initial years of his presidency, Castro implemented a series of incremental reforms. He lifted restrictions on the purchase of consumer electronics, mobile phones, and computers by ordinary Cubans. He also permitted Cubans to stay in hotels previously reserved for foreign tourists. While modest in scope, these measures represented a departure from the more restrictive policies of his brother's tenure.

More substantive economic reforms followed. Castro expanded opportunities for private self-employment (cuentapropismo), allowed the buying and selling of real estate and automobiles, and reduced the bloated state payroll by encouraging Cubans to pursue private enterprise. He also restructured the agricultural sector to give farmers greater autonomy and incentivize increased production.

Castro was re-elected president by the National Assembly on 24 February 2013. Shortly after his re-election, he made the notable announcement that his second term would be his final term and that he would not seek re-election in 2018. This announcement was significant, as it represented the first time a Cuban leader had publicly committed to a voluntary departure from office since the revolution.

During his second term, Castro also served as President pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) from January 2013 to January 2014.

Restoration of U.S.-Cuba Diplomatic Relations

The most consequential diplomatic achievement of Raúl Castro's presidency was the normalization of relations with the United States. On 17 December 2014, Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama simultaneously announced that the two countries would begin the process of restoring full diplomatic ties, ending over five decades of hostility. The agreement included the release of political prisoners, the reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana, and the easing of certain trade and travel restrictions.

On 1 July 2015, the United States and Cuba officially restored full diplomatic relations, and embassies were reopened in both capitals. The rapprochement was facilitated by secret negotiations brokered in part by Canada and the Vatican. Castro and Obama met on several occasions, including at the Summit of the Americas in Panama in April 2015 and during Obama's historic visit to Havana in March 2016, the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

The normalization process was met with criticism from some quarters of the Cuban exile community in the United States, who argued that the agreement did not require sufficient concessions from the Cuban government on human rights. Within Cuba, the government maintained that the rapprochement must be based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.

The diplomatic opening was partially reversed under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who reimposed many of the restrictions that had been eased under Obama.

First Secretary of the Communist Party (2011–2021)

At the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April 2011, Raúl Castro was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party, succeeding his brother Fidel, who had held the position since the party's founding in 1965. The position of first secretary was considered the most powerful political office in Cuba's one-party system, and Castro's assumption of the role consolidated his authority over both the state and party apparatuses.

As first secretary, Castro oversaw the formulation of economic guidelines (Lineamientos) that charted a path toward a more mixed economy while maintaining the primacy of state ownership and central planning. He also presided over the drafting and adoption of a new Cuban constitution in 2019, which introduced the offices of president and prime minister, established term limits for senior officials, and made other structural changes to the government.

Castro announced at the Eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, which began on 16 April 2021, that he was retiring from his position as first secretary. On 19 April 2021, Miguel Díaz-Canel was elected to succeed him as first secretary, completing the formal transfer of power to a new generation of Cuban leadership. Castro's retirement marked the end of over six decades of direct Castro family leadership in Cuba's government and party structures.

Personal Life

Raúl Castro's personal life has been the subject of relatively limited public disclosure, in keeping with the norms of Cuban political culture. He married Vilma Espín, a chemical engineer and fellow revolutionary who had fought in the Sierra Maestra during the guerrilla war. Espín became one of the most prominent women in the Cuban government, serving as head of the Federation of Cuban Women for decades and as a member of the Communist Party's Politburo. She died on 18 June 2007.

The couple had four children, including Mariela Castro Espín, who became director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) and a prominent advocate for LGBT rights in Cuba, and Alejandro Castro Espín, a colonel in Cuba's military intelligence who has been involved in national security affairs and diplomatic negotiations.

Raúl Castro's father, Ángel Castro y Argiz, was a Spanish immigrant who arrived in Cuba from Galicia and built a prosperous farming operation in the Oriente province. His mother, Lina Ruz González, was of Cuban origin. The family included several siblings, among them Fidel Castro and Ramón Castro, who managed the family farm.

Castro has been described in accounts of those who interacted with him as more pragmatic and organizationally minded than his brother Fidel, who was characterized by his charismatic oratory and ideological fervor. While Fidel Castro cultivated a highly public persona, Raúl was known for operating more behind the scenes, focusing on institutional management and military affairs.

Recognition

Raúl Castro held the rank of general in the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, the highest military rank in Cuba's armed forces. His service as Minister of the Armed Forces from 1959 to 2008 — a tenure of 49 years — made him the longest-serving defense minister in recorded history.

As president, Castro received numerous foreign dignitaries and heads of state and participated in major international forums. He served as Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 2006 to 2009 and as President pro tempore of CELAC in 2013–2014, positions that gave Cuba a prominent role in multilateral diplomacy.

Castro's role in the normalization of relations with the United States was recognized as a significant diplomatic development. The 17 December 2014 joint announcement with President Obama was covered extensively by international media and marked one of the most consequential shifts in Western Hemisphere diplomacy in the post-Cold War era.

Within Cuba, Castro is officially recognized as one of the Comandantes de la Revolución (Commanders of the Revolution), honoring his role in the guerrilla war against the Batista dictatorship. He has received various state honors and military decorations from both Cuba and allied nations throughout his career.

Legacy

Raúl Castro's legacy is defined by his dual role as a military leader who helped establish Cuba's revolutionary government and as the political leader who initiated a period of gradual reform after succeeding his brother. His nearly five decades as minister of the armed forces shaped Cuba's military into an institution that played a central role not only in national defense but also in economic management and governance.

As president, Castro introduced economic liberalizations that represented a significant departure from the more centralized model that had prevailed under Fidel Castro. The expansion of private enterprise, the legalization of property transactions, and the restructuring of the agricultural sector altered the Cuban economic landscape, though the state retained its dominant role in the economy. Critics both inside and outside Cuba debated whether these reforms were sufficient to address the country's economic challenges.

The restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States in 2015 stands as a major achievement of Castro's presidency, even as the subsequent reversal of some aspects of the rapprochement under the Trump administration underscored the fragility of the diplomatic opening.

Castro's decision to impose term limits for senior officials through the 2019 constitution and his own voluntary retirement from the position of first secretary in 2021 were seen as efforts to institutionalize a post-Castro political order. By facilitating the transfer of power to Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is not a member of the Castro family, Raúl Castro oversaw the formal end of direct Castro family rule that had defined Cuban politics since 1959.

However, assessments of Castro's legacy remain contested. Supporters credit him with modernizing Cuba's economic model and stabilizing the political system during a period of generational transition. Critics, including international human rights organizations and the Cuban exile community, point to the continuation of political repression, restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, and the lack of multiparty democracy as defining features of his tenure in power.

Raúl Castro continues to hold a seat representing Santiago de Cuba's Segundo Frente municipality in the National Assembly of People's Power, maintaining a formal connection to Cuba's political institutions even in retirement.