638 assassinations, nine American presidents from Truman to Obama, and 35,000 lovers-this is not a movie script, but the real life of Fidel Castro.
On October 20, 2004, at the graduation ceremony of the Santa Clara Academy of Art in Cuba, Castro was speaking with passion. In the corner, a sniper had locked the target and pulled the trigger as soon as he walked down the stage.
There was a sudden scream and the crowd was in chaos-the sniper was stunned. He hadn't fired yet? Looking closely, it turned out that 79-year-old Castro had fallen while walking down the steps. By the time the bodyguards helped him up, the crowd had already gathered and escorted him out of the scene. The best opportunity to assassinate was ruined by an accidental wrestling.
This is Castro's daily life. According to the statistics of the Cuban Security Bureau, he suffered 638 assassinations in his life, setting a Guinness World Record. What's even more legendary is that he is not only the number one enemy of the United States, but also witnessed the resignation of nine American presidents from Truman to Obama, and is known as "the hardest man on earth".
01 Born extraordinary: From rich children to revolutionary fire
On August 13, 1926, Castro was born weighing 5.4 kilograms, 1.5 times as much as an ordinary baby, as if predicting his unusual life.
His father, a veteran of the Spanish army, grows candy on Cuba and became a famous farmer in the country.Friendly family conditions have given Castro access to a variety of books from an early age,** he is obsessed with the stories of ancient Roman mythology and the heroes of Cuba’s independence**. Liberators like José Martí, Bolívar, Saint Martin and others have become his childhood idols.
In 1945, at the age of 19, Castro was admitted to the Law Department of Havana University. At that time, Cuba was essentially a colony of the United States, and the people were in poverty under the dictatorship. The strong political atmosphere in the university ignited his revolutionary enthusiasm. Because of his outstanding leadership ability, he was elected president of the student union and organized many anti-dictatorship student movements.
From a wealthy son to a revolutionary, Castro completed his first transformation in life and later recalled: “I saw the suffering of the people and knew what I had to do.”
The Road of Revolution: From Moncada to Havana
In 1952, Castro became the candidate for Congress of the Cuban People's Party. But rival Batista usurped power through a coup and cancelled the constitution, cutting off the possibility of peaceful change.
Castro decided firmly that “democracy can only be achieved by armed struggle.” A year later, he led over a hundred people to attack the Moncada camp. Even though the operation failed, his generous statements in court “History will condemn me innocent” made him a symbol of Cuba’s freedom.
After his release in 1955, Castro travelled to Mexico, where he met revolutionary friend Che Guevara.In November of the following year, he led 82 revolutionaries back to Cuba to fight guerrillas.
After three years of arduous struggle, in January 1959, the revolutionary army successfully entered Havana and established the first socialist country in the Americas. Castro promoted land reform and nationalized U.S. land in Cuba, and his diplomacy leaned towards socialist countries such as the Soviet Union.
03,638 assassinations: A life-and-death game with the CIA
The change in Cuba angered the United States. In 1960, mikoyan, a senior Soviet official, visited Cuba; In September of the same year, China established diplomatic relations with Cuba. This series of events led to the economic blockade and trade embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.
More dangerously, the CIA has been carrying out more than 50 years of assassination operations against Castro, with no means at all:
Toxic ice cream conspiracy: In March 1962, when the CIA learned that Castro loved to eat ice cream at a hotel in Havana, he poisoned himself in the ice cream.
Shell Bomb Plan: The CIA made a colored shell bomb that planned to explode while Castro was diving, but it did so because the shell was not large enough.
The beauty trap reversed: In 1966, the CIA trained female agent Batty to assassinate Castro. Unexpectedly, Batti fell in love at first sight after meeting Castro, voluntarily surrendered himself and assisted Cuba in arresting other agents.
Assassination after assassination, saving the day again and again. Castro once said humorously, "If the number of assassinations can compete in the Olympic Games, I will definitely be a gold medalist."
Legendary Private Life: The Charming Leader of 35,000 Lovers
Castro is not only known for his hard life, but his personal charm is equally legendary. It is said that he had more than 35000 lovers in his lifetime, making him one of the most romantic leaders in modern history.
He is 186 centimeters tall, elegant, humorous, especially popular with women. During his visit to the United States, there were beautiful women who were invited to dance, and even the 19-year-old beauty champion spoke with him.
In addition to his three open wives, he has many lovers. According to some statistics, during his more than 40 years as a leader, he spent an average of two to three women every day. When asked about the number of children, he joked: "I'm afraid there are as many as a tribe."
This personal charm even became his "talisman". Many honey trap assassinations eventually failed because the agent was conquered by his charm.
On November 25th, 2016, 90-year-old Castro passed away in Havana, and a legendary era came to an end.
He once said, “I’m destined not to die normally, everyone thinks I’ll be shot, poisoned, or executed.”
Castro’s whole life was a revolutionary life and a survivor’s life.He grew up from a rich son to a revolutionary leader, stood up against the enclosures of superpowers and rewrote the history of Cuba in his own unique way.
His story tells us: Sometimes, personal charm and luck can really change the course of history. The record of not being killed in 638 assassinations will probably be broken by no one for a long time to come.