Fidel Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (Spanish: Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz; August 13, 1926 - November 25, 2016) was a Cuban politician and strategist, the leader of the Cuban revolution, the main founder of the Cuban Communist Party, socialist Cuba and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. He served as the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Chairman of the Cuban Council of State and Chairman of the Cuban Council of Ministers. In June 2005, Castro was hospitalized due to illness, and his brother Raul Castro, who had long served as deputy and then first vice president, temporarily took over as chairman of the Council of State. Raul Castro officially assumed the post of President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers in 2008. Fidel Castro publicly stated on February 19, 2008 that he would no longer seek the position of President of Cuba's Council of State, but in fact he had transferred power to Raúl two years earlier. Fidel Castro published a public article in 2011 stating that he had resigned from all positions five years ago, that is, he had handed over power in 2006. The Sixth National Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, held at the International Conference Palace in Havana from April 16 to 19, 2011, elected a new leadership body of the Communist Party of Cuba. Raul Castro was officially elected as the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and José Machado was the second secretary. Fidel Castro officially retired. Fidel Castro passed away at 22:29 on November 25, 2016, Cuba time (11:29 on November 26 in the East 8th District) at the age of 90. His political ideology became known as Castroism.