Juanita Castro was an anti-communist activist and author who opposed her brothers, Cuban leaders Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro, and Cuban Revolution leader Ramón Castro.
- Died: December 4, 2023 (Who else died on December 4?)
- Details of death: Died in Miami at the age of 90.
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Juanita Castro’s legacy
One of seven siblings – she had three brothers and three sisters, among them future Cuban presidents Fidel and Raúl Castro – Castro played an active role in the Cuban Revolution against military dictator Fulgencio Batista, purchasing weapons in support of his ouster. However, the emergence of post-revolutionary power struggles – specifically her brothers’ reach for power and embrace of communism – led to her disillusionment with the movement.
In the early 1960s, Castro began collaborating with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), helping refugees leave the island. Castro herself fled in 1964, when Fidel denounced her as a “counterrevolutionary worm.” After seeking refuge in Mexico, she settled in Miami and eventually became a U.S. citizen in 1984. There, she became an outspoken opponent of her brother’s rule.
In 2009, Castro released “Fidel and Raúl, My Brothers: The Secret History,” a memoir about her life and times, and her opposition to what resulted from the Cuban Revolution. She continued to speak on behalf of Cuban people still in Cuba throughout her life. She told Reuters in 2009 that she wished for a de-escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, so that exiles could once again return without fear of retribution.
Notable quote
“I want there to be a true reconciliation between all the Cuban people, so that we are no longer separated by politics and hostile attitudes … I seek the freedom of my country above all other things.”—from a 2009 interview for Reuters
Tributes to Juanita Castro
Full obituary: The New York Times
