Ángel Castro y Argiz

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Ángel María Bautista Castro y Argiz (December 5, 1875—October 21, 1956) is the father of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Angel Castro had two children by his first wife and six more children, including Fidel, by his cook, Lina Ruz González.

Various authors have said Ángel Castro was a Spanish soldier, of Galician origins, who fought against the Mambi independence fighters (Geyer, 2002; Fuentes, 2004). Some authors have gone so far as to state Ángel Castro was part of a group of Valeriano Weyler's [1], [2] soldiers (Guerrilleros) who participated in the surprise attack that killed Mambi general Antonio Maceo [3]. The data on this which should be in Spanish Archives either does not exist or has been removed. However, there is little doubt that Weyler employed "rough tactics" for he is best known for his policy of "reconcentracion" in which up to 400,000 died of disease and starvation [4],[5]. During the Cuban Republic, Ángel Castro prospered while farming in the northern part of what was then Oriente province [6], [7]. It is said that this prosperity was due in part to harsh treatment of his mostly Haitian workers, and various illegal exploits. Although perhaps slightly inaccurate in detail, there is a vivid description of late 1920s life, especially in reference to the plight of Haitian contract labor, at Antilla and Banes in Bancroft (1983-pp.36-44).

The Castro property at Birán was close to Banes which was Fulgencio Batista's birth place and it seems that both families interacted in a friendly fashion, yet perhaps Batista's father Belisario Batista and Ángel Castro were on opposite sides of the 1895-1898 last Cuban War of Independence.

Belisario Batista Cruz, son of Miguel and Salomé, who enlisted on the to be significant date of March 10, 1895 was in the 2.3.2.CR1 [8] (Roloff y Mialofsky and Forrest, 1901) was under the orders of to be Mambí Brigadier General Calixto Enamorado 2.3.2 HQ, [9] who strangely enough enlisted one day earlier. General Enamorado towards the end of that war operated close to the general area of northern Oriente where he ordered Lieutenant Colonel Cornelio Rojas to take Gibara [10]. Ángel Castro according to Norberto Fuentes was with the Spanish forces near by close to Banes, Birán, and the Bay of Nipes.

Castro y Argiz died in the town of Birán, 42 days before Castro landed in Los Cayuelos on December 2, 1956. Castro is said to have received the news in stoic silence [11].

[edit] References

• Bancroft, Mary 1983. Autobiography of a spy. William Morrow and Company. Inc. New York. ISBN 0688020194

• Fuentes, Norberto 2004 La Autobiografia De Fidel Castro Editorial Planeta, Mexico D.F ISBN 8423336042, ISBN 9707490012

• Geyer, Georgie Anne 2002 Guerrilla Prince. Andrews McMeel Publishing Kansas City ISBN 0740720643

• Roloff y Mialofsky, Carlos and Gerardo Forrest 1901. Yndice Alfabetico y Difunctiones del Ejercito Libertador de Cuba. Edited under the official direction of Leonard Wood. Printed in Havana by Rambla y Bauza