Changes

| deathnumber  =1,500,000 at home <br/>500-100,000 in Angola

| deathnumber  =1,500,000 at home <br/>500-100,000 in Angola

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}}

'''Fidel Castro''' (August 13, 1926 - ~2006 ) was the brutal [[communist]] [[dictator]] of [[Cuba]] from 1959 to 2006. Fidel Castro is an [[atheism|atheist]]. '''''He has not been seen publicly since July 2006, when he underwent surgery for a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding" in a communist hospital.'''''<ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>

'''Fidel Castro''' (August 13, 1926 - ) is the brutal [[communist]] [[dictator]] of [[Cuba]] from 1959 to 2006. Fidel Castro is an [[atheism|atheist]].  

He held the posts of [[Prime Minister|prime minister]] (1959-1976) and president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers (1976-2006).<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html#Govt</ref> His oppressive rule lasted almost 50 years and killed scores of thousands.  He has not been seen publicly since July 2006, when he underwent intestinal surgery, and is presumably no longer alive as of December 2009; the communists running Cuba have no incentive to risk challenge to their power by announcing that he passed away.<ref>''[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-215_162-1859015.html State Secret: Is Castro Dead?]'', Brian Goodman, ''CBS News'', September 22, 2009.</ref> After a long absence from the public eye, he was purportedly shown in photographs in June of 2010, released by the Cuban State News Agency. In August 2010, the Associated Press had a story of a purported Castro speech to the Cuban parliament. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/06/cuba-state-tv-fidel-castro-attend-parliament-meeting-time-years-1415326051/?test=latestnews</ref>  ''The fact remains there hasn't been a reputable, independent account of Castro being alive in nearly a year.'' Other authoritarian regimes, such as [[North Korea]] and [[Nazi Germany]] have engaged in "body-doubles" and actor/impersonators to hide the death or incapacitation of despots in the past. <ref>[http://www.mahalo.com/kim-jong-il-body-doubles Kim Jong Il Body Doubles]</ref> <ref>[http://www.blackraiser.com/nredoubt/identity.htm Hitler body-double]</ref> In April 2011, Castro allegedly stepped down as head of the Cuban communist Party, but it has not been confirmed that this was not a ruse. <ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=41125</ref>

He held the posts of [[Prime Minister|prime minister]] (1959-1976) and president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers (1976-2006).<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html#Govt</ref> His oppressive rule lasted almost 50 years and killed scores of thousands.  He has not been seen publicly since July 2006, when he underwent intestinal surgery, and is presumably no longer alive as of December 2009; the communists running Cuba have no incentive to risk challenge to their power by announcing that he passed away.<ref>''[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-215_162-1859015.html State Secret: Is Castro Dead?]'', Brian Goodman, ''CBS News'', September 22, 2009.</ref> After a long absence from the public eye, he was purportedly shown in photographs in June of 2010, released by the Cuban State News Agency. In August 2010, the Associated Press had a story of a purported Castro speech to the Cuban parliament. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/06/cuba-state-tv-fidel-castro-attend-parliament-meeting-time-years-1415326051/?test=latestnews</ref>  ''The fact remains there hasn't been a reputable, independent account of Castro being alive in nearly a year.'' Other authoritarian regimes, such as [[North Korea]] and [[Nazi Germany]] have engaged in "body-doubles" and actor/impersonators to hide the death or incapacitation of despots in the past. <ref>[http://www.mahalo.com/kim-jong-il-body-doubles Kim Jong Il Body Doubles]</ref> <ref>[http://www.blackraiser.com/nredoubt/identity.htm Hitler body-double]</ref> In April 2011, Castro allegedly stepped down as head of the Cuban communist Party, but it has not been confirmed that this was not a ruse. <ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=41125</ref>

The estimated number of deaths attributable to the Castro regime varies according to different sources—but not by much.  The number of named, documented victims (with 2 or more sources) established by recent scholarship is 86,000, excluding an estimated minimum<ref>http://www.cubaverdad.net/genocide.htm</ref> of 16,282 deaths in war and combat, for a conservative total of 112,000.<ref>http://cubaarchive.org/home/</ref>  R.J. Rummel, in his book ''Statistics of Democide'' estimates a range of 35-141,000 killed, which may underestimate the full toll by as much as 50%, since it only covers the years 1959-87.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/POSTWWII.HTM</ref>  The most comprehensive survey, by Armando Lago, puts the total at 116,730-119,730 killed.<ref>http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat6.htm#Cuba59</ref>  The majority (85,000) of these deaths were caused by drowning; the firing squads account for some 30,000.  Adding combat deaths to his calculations, we arrive at a total of some 136,000 Cubans killed by the Castro regime.  Little effort has been made to calculate boat people deaths in recent years.  Cuban exiles claim that as many as 200,000 have been murdered altogether.<ref>http://www.therealcuba.com/</ref>  The death toll from Cuban interventions abroad can be numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

The estimated number of deaths attributable to the Castro regime varies according to different sources—but not by much.  The number of named, documented victims (with 2 or more sources) established by recent scholarship is 86,000, excluding an estimated minimum<ref>http://www.cubaverdad.net/genocide.htm</ref> of 16,282 deaths in war and combat, for a conservative total of 112,000.<ref>http://cubaarchive.org/home/</ref>  R.J. Rummel, in his book ''Statistics of Democide'' estimates a range of 35-141,000 killed, which may underestimate the full toll by as much as 50%, since it only covers the years 1959-87.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/POSTWWII.HTM</ref>  The most comprehensive survey, by Armando Lago, puts the total at 116,730-119,730 killed.<ref>http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat6.htm#Cuba59</ref>  The majority (85,000) of these deaths were caused by drowning; the firing squads account for some 30,000.  Adding combat deaths to his calculations, we arrive at a total of some 136,000 Cubans killed by the Castro regime.  Little effort has been made to calculate boat people deaths in recent years.  Cuban exiles claim that as many as 200,000 have been murdered altogether.<ref>http://www.therealcuba.com/</ref>  The death toll from Cuban interventions abroad can be numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

==Death and purported sightings==

==Health problems==

In August 2006, health problems led to the appointment of his younger brother, Raul, as temporarily president and head of the Communist Party in Cuba. Political analysts believe that the appointment marks the beginning of a transition designed to maintain Communist control over Cuba after Castro's death<ref>The Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080100647.html For Castro, a First Step In Calculated Transition ]</ref>. Castro's surgery was scheduled to repair a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding." <ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>

In August 2006, health problems led to the appointment of his younger brother, Raul, as temporarily president and head of the Communist Party in Cuba. Political analysts believe that the appointment marks the beginning of a transition designed to maintain Communist control over Cuba after Castro's death<ref>The Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080100647.html For Castro, a First Step In Calculated Transition ]</ref>. Castro's surgery was scheduled to repair a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding." <ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>

In February 2012 the mainstream media reported that Castro met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.  Predictably there have been no reports from the liberal media as to whether this was actually Castro or a lookalike <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/01/us-cuba-brazil-idUSTRE8100B620120201 Brazil's Rousseff meets with Fidel Castro in Cuba]</ref>.

In February 2012 the mainstream media reported that Castro met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.  Predictably there have been no reports from the liberal media as to whether this was actually Castro or a lookalike <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/01/us-cuba-brazil-idUSTRE8100B620120201 Brazil's Rousseff meets with Fidel Castro in Cuba]</ref>.

==References==

==References==