[November 29, 2016] Late last week marked the end of Fidel Castro, who governed the Republic of Cuba from its revolution in 1959 to 2006. Many senior politicians across the world have marked his death with comments branding Castro as either an enlightened statesman or evil dictator. But, there are some personal characteristics that can be attributed to Castro.
Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 after a successful revolution to oust the dictator Batista and his government. Castro promised to bring riches to the poor who had suffered under Batista and remove the capitalists who had “ruined Cuba.” He also promised to live off a meager salary and in a modest home like everyone else. How the poor were treated and how he lived diverged greatly from those promises.
“I am a Marxist-Leninist, and I will be a Marxist-Leninist until the last day of my life.” – Fidel Castro
Below are some of the known key leadership traits of Fidel Castro that can account for his success as a senior leader:
- Charismatic, Intelligent and Quick Witted
- Dedicated Marxist-Leninist
- Adept at keeping his Communist government running
- Ruthless against any opponent
- Willingness to use any means (including force) to spread Communism
- Risk Taker
- Understood the psychology of politicians and ordinary people
During Castro’s rule, hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled the country because he ruled with an iron fist. The largest exoduses occurred in 1980 when Castro opened up the port of Mariel to allow exiled Cubans living in Miami to come claim their relatives.1 In addition, tens of thousands were murdered by the Cuban government on orders from Castro. Despite being a hero to many, Castro was nonetheless a ruthless dictator.
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