Definition
Fidel Castro (1926–2016) is often seen as the “apostle” of anti-imperialism in Latin America. Due to his unrelenting spat with the United States, the leader of the Cuban Revolution appears as the most charismatic figure from the Latin American left. His legendary struggle in the Sierra Maestra, his unbending position with regard to “American imperialism,” and his apparent independence from Havana’s closest ally – the Soviet Union – have made Castro a beacon of resistance and independence in Latin America and beyond.
After meeting Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestrain February 1957, 2 years prior to his revolutionary triumph, the American journalist Herbert Matthews sketched a revealing portrait of the insurgent leader: Castro was not a Marxist, and his political agenda, although “vague and couched in generalities,” amounted to a radical and democratic “new deal” for...
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Pedemonte, R. (2019). Castro, Fidel (1926–2016). In: Ness, I., Cope, Z. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91206-6_5-1
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