<p>Former President Fidel Castro of Cuba has passed away at age 90. The longstanding dictator lead a rebellion in Cuba and came to power in 1959 at age 32. He formed a Soviet-style socialist government and proceeded to lead Cuba until 2008, when, for health reasons, he handed the reigns to his brother Raul Castro.</p>
<p>Castro&#8217;s alliance with the Soviet Union was a dire concern for the U.S. The 1961 Bay of Pigs attack was a CIA attempt to overthrow Castro using ex-patriot Cubans. It notably failed after President Kennedy withdrew air support and the small counter revolutionary force was wiped out.</p>
<p>Castro was a dictator who treated his opponents and his people brutally. While Castro has not actively held power in Cuba for many years, he is a symbol of emnity and betrayal in the United States, especially to the Cuban population in Miami. Thousands of Cubans fled Castro by boat, and many died in the process.</p>
<p>This is end of an era. ;With Fidel Castro gone, it is a possibility that relations can improve. While Raul Castro is a secondary symbol of this same enmity, the the door could be open for a thawing of relations.</p>
<p><strong>Author&#8217;s note</strong>: I&#8217;m my own view, Castro was a substantial detriment to the Cuban people. He kept them economically depressed for over 50 years, and was the catalyst in nearly bringing about world wide conflict several times.  ;I don&#8217;t think of this man with reverence. I think of him in the same vein as Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Saddam Hussein.</p>
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