Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Castro y Argiz, Ángel
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationNonpartisan   
NameÁngel Castro y Argiz
Address
, , Cuba
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born December 05, 1875
DiedOctober 21, 1956 (80 years)
ContributorThomas Walker
Last ModifedThomas Walker
Jun 03, 2010 10:44am
Tags
InfoÁngel María Bautista Castro y Argiz (Láncara, Lugo Province, Spain, December 5, 1875—October 21, 1956) was the father of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro.

He was the son of Manuel de Castro y Núñez (Lugo Province, Láncara, c. 1853 – Lugo Province, Láncara, June 12, 1903) and wife (m. Lugo Province, Láncara, August 16, 1873) Antonia Argiz y Fernández (Lugo Province, Láncara, 1857 – Lugo Province, Láncara, November 16, 1887).

Ángel Castro was born in Láncara, Galicia in a small fieldstone house typical of the poor Galician campesinos of that time. When he was sixteen or seventeen, he was recruited into the Spanish military, and came to Cuba during the second War of Independence. He was stationed in the tract of land between Júcaro and Morón. Juanita Castro, Ángel's daughter, has contradicted this claim to assert that their father was merely an economic migrant to Cuba.

Following the defeat of Spain, Ángel Castro returned to Spain in 1898, but returned to Cuba through the port of Havana the following year. He ended up in the Oriente province, working as a labourer for the American United Fruit Company. At this time, American plantations were spreading throughout Cuba, and workers were being hired to cut down the hardwood forests and plant sugar cane. Castro organized a group of men and hired them out to United Fruit to perform this type of labour. According to his son Fidel, Castro once had 300 men working for him. Castro prospered and was eventually able to buy and lease a total of 11,000 hectares of land which yielded pine wood, livestock, and sugar cane in the northern part of what was then Oriente province.

Ángel Castro married on March 25, 1911 María Argota y Reyes, by whom he had five children: Manuel Castro Argota (1913-1914), María Lila Perfidia Castro Argota, Pedro Emilio Castro Argota (b. 1914), Antonia María Dolores Castro Argota (b. 1915) and Georgina de la Caridad Castro Argota (b. 1918).

He also had seven more children, including Fidel, by his cook, Lina Ruz González, born in Las Catalinas on September 23, 1903 and daughter of Francisco Ruz Vázquez and wife Dominga González Ramos, whom he later married on April 26, 1943: Ángela María Castro Ruz (b. Birán, April 2, 1923), Ramón Eusebio Castro Ruz (b. Birán, October 14, 1924), Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (b. Birán, August 13, 1926), Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (b. June 3, 1931), Juana de la Caridad (Juanita) Castro Ruz (b. May 6, 1933), Emma de la Concepción Castro Ruz (b. January 2, 1935) and Agustina del Carmen Castro Ruz (August 28, 1938).

Castro y Argiz died in the town of Birán, 42 days before his son Fidel landed in Los Cayuelos on December 2, 1956. He died of an intestinal hemorrhage at the age of 80. Fidel Castro is said to have received the news of his father's death in stoic silence.

[Link]

JOB APPROVAL POLLS

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION
Importance? 0.00000 Average

FAMILY
Son Fidel Castro 1926-2016
Son Raúl Castro 1931-

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
ENDORSEMENTS