'''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.'''''
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 (1976-20082006).<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>
{{cquote|'''I think its time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. Not too long ago two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a business man who had escaped from Castro. And in the midst of one of his stories, my friends turned to the other and said, ‘we don’t know how lucky ''we'' are.’ ''And the Cuban stopped and said, ‘How lucky YOU are, I had some place to escape to.’'' In that sentence he told us the entire story of Cuba, and Castro. <small>-- [[Ronald Reagan]]</small> <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY "A Time for Choosing" by Ronald Reagan]</ref>}}<br />
On May 1, 2007, Castro did not attend Cuba's annual celebration of May Day, leading many to believe that he had died. While Castro allegedly met with Brazilian President [[Lula da Silva|Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva]] on February 25, 2010, <ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghGthxqnYMWcICCnEkjH5ayqPamQD9E356IO1</ref> there is no independent confirmation that this was not in fact a body-double.
On February 18, 20082006, communist Cuba publicly recognized that Fidel Castro resigned as was no longer President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.<ref>http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2008/02/19/nacional/artic10.html</ref> He was succeeded by his brother, [[Raul Castro]].
In September of 2011, it was reported that a Venezuelan reporter had interviewed Castro <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/cubas-fidel-castro-breaks-long-silence-in-interview-with-venezuelan-television/2011/09/08/gIQA08FSCK_story.html</ref>, but independent media have not confirmed that this was not actually a doppelganger standing in for the long-deceased Castro.