February 16: Fidel Castro Becomes Prime Minister of Cuba (1959)
Prayer Idea
Pray for the government and people of Cuba.
History Note
After the Spanish-American War (1898), the U.S. military occupied the island of Cuba, which is 90 miles south of Florida. Though this occupation ended in 1902, the U.S. government remained closely involved in Cuban politics for decades.
Fidel Castro was born on the island in 1926. As a young man, he excelled as an athlete, participating in track and field, baseball, basketball, and table tennis. He studied to become a lawyer and became involved in political movements in Cuba and other countries.
In the 1950s, Castro and a small army waged a guerrilla campaign against the dictator ruling the country at the time. The dictator fled Cuba in January of 1959. Castro became prime minister on February 16, 1959. He eliminated or exiled opponents, took control of land and businesses, and created an alliance with the Soviet Union.
When Castro assumed power, many Cubans fled to the United States. Tensions were high between the U.S. and Cuba during the Cold War. Cubans living in the U.S. attempted a military invasion of Cuba in 1961 at the Bay of Pigs, which failed. The Soviet Union installed long-range missiles in Cuba, which led to a standoff known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States government imposed strict travel and trade restrictions on Cuba.
Fidel Castro remained in power for decades, seeking to implement his Communist vision. Due to declining health, in 2006 Fidel Castro turned over authority to his brother Raúl Castro. In 2016 Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge did in 1928. Fidel Castro died later that year at the age of 90.
Cuba remains the only Communist country in the Western Hemisphere (North and South America). Regular citizens there continue to suffer because of economic problems and political persecution. As they have since 1959, many Cubans continue to leave the country seeking new opportunities elsewhere.
This 1963 photo shows Fidel Castro visiting Uzbekistan, then part of the Soviet Union.
Photo by emkaplin / Shutterstock.com
Learn More
Watch a short biography of Fidel Castro.
Please Note: It includes footage of military activity.
Learn more about Cuba at Homeschool History.
