Fidel Castro, the current president of Cuba, has been very vocal about his issues with the United States’ corporate and political influence in Cuba. Over the years he has gained both praise and criticism for his type of dictatorship. He has been accused of gross human right violations which includes the execution of several political opponents. Castro does have a following, however, that hail him as a charismatic liberator.
Since Castro’s assumption of power it was estimated that there have been 638 assassination attempts by the CIA against him. They included an exploding cigar, a fungal infected scuba diving suit, and a mafia style shooting. There was even a book written about it called “638 Ways to Kill Castro”. Many people have condemned Castro for humanitarian reasons because he has put Cuba in so many desperate situations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba was left bankrupt and isolated by the collapse of the Soviet federation. 85% of Cuba’s markets had disappeared along with the subsidies and trade agreements that it needed to survive. The situation became horrible because there were power outages, water and gas outages, and dwindling food supplies. Several people blame Castro for the reason so many have fled the country. Even up until 2004 Castro had to shut down 118 factories including steel plants, sugar mills, and paper processors to help deal with a fuel crisis. Cuba has never really been able to bounce back. After Hurricane Michelle damaged Cuba in 2001, Castro offered a one time cash purchase of food to the United States after he refused a humanitarian aid offer from the States.
In June 2006, the spokesman for Castro announced a temporary transfer of Castro’s duties to his brother due to “an acute intestinal crisis”. When Fidel Castro dies, one thing is for sure, many will be relieved that his long assumed dictatorship is no longer. However, his brother who will be given presidency will immediately continue the legacy of Fidel Castro.
