Castro Ruz, Raúl

Born June 3, 1931, in Birán, Oriente Province. Statesman, politician, and military figure of Cuba. Lieutenant general of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba. Brother of Fidel Castro.

Castro became active in the youth movement at an early age. On July 26, 1953, he participated in the armed attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. Arrested and imprisoned, he was amnestied in 1955 and emigrated to Mexico. On Dec. 2, 1956, Castro was among the 82 young patriots who landed in Oriente Province on the Granma, a small yacht. During the struggle against the Batista dictatorship he commanded the second partisan column. After the victory of the revolution in January 1959, Castro headed the military and civil administration in Oriente Province and in the same year became minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba. He was a leader of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations and a leader of the United Party of the Socialist Revolution from its inception. A member of the Politburo and second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba since October 1965, Castro has been first deputy prime minister of the revolutionary government of the Republic of Cuba since 1962.