Juanita Castro Ruz was a Cuban-American activist and writer, and also the younger sister of Fidel and Raúl, both former presidents of Cuba, and Ramón, a prominent figure of the Cuban Revolution.

Juanita Castro Ruz was a Cuban-American activist and writer, and also the younger sister of Fidel and Raúl, both former presidents of Cuba, and Ramón, a prominent figure of the Cuban Revolution. She passed away on 4 December, 2023 in Miami at 90. Here's everything you need to know about Juanita Castro. Juanita Castro's Early Life Born in Birán near Mayarí on 6 May 1933, Juanita Castro was the fourth child of Ángel Castro y Argiz and Lina Ruz González. She had three brothers, Ramón, Fidel, and Raúl, and three sisters, Angelita, Emma, and Agustina. Castro had six other half-siblings. Juanita Castro's Political Life Juanita Castro actively participated in the Cuban revolution. In 1958, she went to the United States to raise funds to support the rebellious movement. However, she felt betrayed by the growing influence of Cuban communists in the government once the revolution was over. Initially, she supported her brothers' efforts to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista. However, Fidel and Raúl's government policies clashed with family interests, as after taking power in 1959, Fidel Castro became a hard-line communist and pushed those who disagreed with the government. WATCH | News anchor slams body shamer on live TV who asked if she’s pregnant, criticised her appearance In this climate, Juanita Castro, a staunch anti-communist, became a CIA double agent under the codename Donna to oppose her brothers' policies. In her book, Juanita wrote about how she collaborated with the CIA briefly after the US blew up the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Juanita told the CIA agent that she didn't want the money. She did not support any violence against her brothers or others. However, she smuggled messages and documents back into Cuba inside tinned goods. The CIA communicated with her using shortwave radio. When she fled to the US, she helped find a CIA-backed non-profit organisation that worked against the Castro government. Juanita Castro's Later Life After her mother's death, she fled the island, went to the US and never saw her brothers again. In her later stages, she settled into a quiet life in Little Havana. In 1973, she opened a pharmacy, Mini Price, which she later sold to CVS Pharmacy. She became a US citizen in 1984. In 2009, she co-wrote her autobiography with Mexican journalist Antonieta Collins, The Secret History. She died in Miami, Florida, on 4 December, 2023, at 90. (With inputs from agencies)

Who was Juanita Castro, younger sister of former presidents of Cuba who worked for CIA?

Former Cuban president and leader of the island's Communist Party Raul Castro on Tuesday urged the nation to strengthen its defenses and prepare "for the worst scenarios" vis-a-vis the US, the government of which he accused of having resumed the policy of "confrontation."

In a speech in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on the 60th anniversary of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the 87-year-old leader said that it is the duty of all Cubans to prepare themselves "meticulously for all scenarios, including the worst ... (and) not to leave room for uncertainty and improvisation."

"We will continue prioritizing the work of preparing (our) defense" with the aim of "preserving sovereignty and peace," said Castro, who served as Cuba's president from February 2008 until last April, when he handed over the office to his chosen successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Castro also expressed his "certainty" that the new Cuban Constitution that will be submitted to a popular referendum on February&nbsp;24 will receive "majority support" as the public demonstrates its backing for the "Revolution and socialism."

Cuba's National Assembly on December&nbsp;22 unanimously approved the new charter, which will replace the one in force since 1976 and will ratify the island's choice of communism as its governing model while simultaneously recognizing private property and foreign investment as necessary.

Castro headed the Constitutional Commission that prepared the document and said that the text of the document will begin to be distributed to the public for their perusal and comments "in a few days."

Former Cuban president and leader of the island's Communist Party Raul Castro on Tuesday urged the nation to strengthen its defenses and prepare "for the worst scenarios" vis-a-vis the US, the government of which he accused of having resumed the policy of "confrontation.

Former Cuban president and leader of the island's Communist Party Raul Castro on Tuesday urged the nation to strengthen its defenses and prepare "for the worst scenarios" vis-a-vis the US, the government of which he accused of having resumed the policy of "confrontation." In a speech in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on the 60th anniversary of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the 87-year-old leader said that it is the duty of all Cubans to prepare themselves "meticulously for all scenarios, including the worst ... (and) not to leave room for uncertainty and improvisation." "We will continue prioritizing the work of preparing (our) defense" with the aim of "preserving sovereignty and peace," said Castro, who served as Cuba's president from February 2008 until last April, when he handed over the office to his chosen successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel. Castro also expressed his "certainty" that the new Cuban Constitution that will be submitted to a popular referendum on February 24 will receive "majority support" as the public demonstrates its backing for the "Revolution and socialism." Cuba's National Assembly on December 22 unanimously approved the new charter, which will replace the one in force since 1976 and will ratify the island's choice of communism as its governing model while simultaneously recognizing private property and foreign investment as necessary. Castro headed the Constitutional Commission that prepared the document and said that the text of the document will begin to be distributed to the public for their perusal and comments "in a few days."

Former president Raul Castro urges Cubans to prepare for worst with US

Some comments made by Fidel Castro&#39;s allies and enemies over the years.&nbsp;

&quot;Castro is not just another Latin American dictator, a petty tyrant bent merely on personal power and gain. His ambitions extend far beyond his own shores.&quot; - former US president John F. Kennedy, from &quot;The Quotable Mr. Kennedy,&quot; edited by Gerald C. Gardner, 1962.

&quot;Fidel, for me, is a grand master. A wise man should never die; a man like Fidel will never die, because he will always be part of the people.&quot; - former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, in a January 2007 speech.

&quot;Fidel Castro had Americans murdered illegally, and that was wrong, too. And I&#39;m proud that we have a blockade against people who kill innocent Americans.&quot; - former US president Bill Clinton, in 1996, after Cuba killed four US citizens when it shot down two civilian planes belonging to a Cuban-American group that had agitated against the Castro government and had repeatedly flown into Cuban air space.

&quot;From its earliest days, the Cuban revolution has been a source of inspiration for all those who value freedom. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist and orchestrated campaign to destroy the awesome force of the Cuban revolution. Long live the Cuban Revolution! Long live comrade Fidel Castro!&quot; - former South African president Nelson Mandela, in a July 1991 speech.

&quot;I remember Herbert Matthews&#39; reports on Castro before he came to power, calling him a democrat and the hope of Cuba. And to some of you who are really too young to remember this, even people around our country were calling him the George Washington of Cuba, and George rolled over in his grave.&quot; - former US president Ronald Reagan, on March 5, 1986.

&quot;Fidel Castro is there to win. His attitude in the face of defeat, even in the most minimal actions of everyday life, would seem to obey a private logic: he does not even admit it, and does not have a minute&#39;s peace until he succeeds in inverting the terms and converting it into victory.&quot; - Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez, writing in Granma on the eve of Castro&#39;s 80th birthday.

&quot;The best thing that Fidel Castro left us is the lesson that we don&#39;t want any more Fidel Castros in Cuba. The lesson is that a man like that ends up absorbing the whole nation, ends up seeing himself as the embodiment of the homeland, and ends up simply taking away our nationality. The lesson of Fidel Castro is no more Fidel Castros. Some people admire him, but they admire him for what they think he was, not for who he really was. Staying in power that long is no merit.&quot; - Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez, to Reuters in May 2014.

&quot;Whatever we may think of him, he is going to be a great factor in the development of Cuba and very possibly in Latin American affairs generally. He seems to be sincere. He is either incredibly naive about communism or under communist discipline -- my guess is the former, and as I have already implied his ideas as to how to run a government or an economy are less developed than those of almost any figure I have met in 50 countries.&quot; - Richard Nixon, who was then the US vice president, in a memorandum following a three-hour meeting with Castro on April 19, 1959.

&quot;On December 18, 1956, Fidel and I were in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra, in a place called Cinco Palmas. After our first hug his first question was: &#39;How many rifles do you have?&#39; I answered five. And he said, &#39;I have two. That makes seven. Now we can win the war.&quot; - Raul Castro, quoted in the 2009 book &quot;This is Fidel,&quot; by Luis Baez.

&quot;It didn&#39;t take much to prompt me to join any revolution against a tyrant, but Fidel struck me as an extraordinary man ... He had exceptional faith that once we left for Cuba (from Mexico) we would arrive. That once we arrived we would fight. And once we fought we would win. I shared his optimism. I had to, to fight, to achieve. Stop crying and fight.&quot; -- Ernesto &quot;Che&quot; Guevara, in a letter to his parents, 1955.

&quot;A man of great charisma. He&#39;s brave, Fidel Castro. A politician, with an iron fist. He stays strong. He put his close friend in front of the firing squad. I would have given him a life sentence or expelled him from the country, but he had him shot.&quot; - former Chilean military dictator General Augusto Pinochet, regarding Castro&#39;s treatment of General Arnaldo Ochoa, executed for treason in July 1989.

&quot;He would tell us to place a canon here, move a tank over there. Where to attack, how to do it, with how many men, et cetera. He had it all at his fingertips. And most of the time he was right.&quot; - Defense Minister Leopoldo Cintra Frias, regarding Fidel&#39;s instructions in the Angola war, in Havana, 1996.

&quot;At a time when almost the entire communist world marches towards democracy, Fidel Castro has gone against public opinion and refuses to accept any kind of change or anything that suggests perestroika or democracy ... A profound philosopher, he has made it clear that material things are transient, to such a degree that there are virtually no material things in Cuba.&quot; - Cuban dissident writer Reinaldo Arenas, in an essay written before his death in 1990 and published by Spanish newspaper El Pais in 2006.

(Reuters)

Former Cuban President and revolutionary Fidel Castro was a key figure in the Cold war crisis

Some comments made by Fidel Castro's allies and enemies over the years. "Castro is not just another Latin American dictator, a petty tyrant bent merely on personal power and gain. His ambitions extend far beyond his own shores." - former US president John F. Kennedy, from "The Quotable Mr. Kennedy," edited by Gerald C. Gardner, 1962. "Fidel, for me, is a grand master. A wise man should never die; a man like Fidel will never die, because he will always be part of the people." - former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, in a January 2007 speech. "Fidel Castro had Americans murdered illegally, and that was wrong, too. And I'm proud that we have a blockade against people who kill innocent Americans." - former US president Bill Clinton, in 1996, after Cuba killed four US citizens when it shot down two civilian planes belonging to a Cuban-American group that had agitated against the Castro government and had repeatedly flown into Cuban air space. "From its earliest days, the Cuban revolution has been a source of inspiration for all those who value freedom. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist and orchestrated campaign to destroy the awesome force of the Cuban revolution. Long live the Cuban Revolution! Long live comrade Fidel Castro!" - former South African president Nelson Mandela, in a July 1991 speech. "I remember Herbert Matthews' reports on Castro before he came to power, calling him a democrat and the hope of Cuba. And to some of you who are really too young to remember this, even people around our country were calling him the George Washington of Cuba, and George rolled over in his grave." - former US president Ronald Reagan, on March 5, 1986. "Fidel Castro is there to win. His attitude in the face of defeat, even in the most minimal actions of everyday life, would seem to obey a private logic: he does not even admit it, and does not have a minute's peace until he succeeds in inverting the terms and converting it into victory." - Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez, writing in Granma on the eve of Castro's 80th birthday. "The best thing that Fidel Castro left us is the lesson that we don't want any more Fidel Castros in Cuba. The lesson is that a man like that ends up absorbing the whole nation, ends up seeing himself as the embodiment of the homeland, and ends up simply taking away our nationality. The lesson of Fidel Castro is no more Fidel Castros. Some people admire him, but they admire him for what they think he was, not for who he really was. Staying in power that long is no merit." - Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez, to Reuters in May 2014. "Whatever we may think of him, he is going to be a great factor in the development of Cuba and very possibly in Latin American affairs generally. He seems to be sincere. He is either incredibly naive about communism or under communist discipline -- my guess is the former, and as I have already implied his ideas as to how to run a government or an economy are less developed than those of almost any figure I have met in 50 countries." - Richard Nixon, who was then the US vice president, in a memorandum following a three-hour meeting with Castro on April 19, 1959. "On December 18, 1956, Fidel and I were in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra, in a place called Cinco Palmas. After our first hug his first question was: 'How many rifles do you have?' I answered five. And he said, 'I have two. That makes seven. Now we can win the war." - Raul Castro, quoted in the 2009 book "This is Fidel," by Luis Baez. "It didn't take much to prompt me to join any revolution against a tyrant, but Fidel struck me as an extraordinary man ... He had exceptional faith that once we left for Cuba (from Mexico) we would arrive. That once we arrived we would fight. And once we fought we would win. I shared his optimism. I had to, to fight, to achieve. Stop crying and fight." -- Ernesto "Che" Guevara, in a letter to his parents, 1955. "A man of great charisma. He's brave, Fidel Castro. A politician, with an iron fist. He stays strong. He put his close friend in front of the firing squad. I would have given him a life sentence or expelled him from the country, but he had him shot." - former Chilean military dictator General Augusto Pinochet, regarding Castro's treatment of General Arnaldo Ochoa, executed for treason in July 1989. "He would tell us to place a canon here, move a tank over there. Where to attack, how to do it, with how many men, et cetera. He had it all at his fingertips. And most of the time he was right." - Defense Minister Leopoldo Cintra Frias, regarding Fidel's instructions in the Angola war, in Havana, 1996. "At a time when almost the entire communist world marches towards democracy, Fidel Castro has gone against public opinion and refuses to accept any kind of change or anything that suggests perestroika or democracy ... A profound philosopher, he has made it clear that material things are transient, to such a degree that there are virtually no material things in Cuba." - Cuban dissident writer Reinaldo Arenas, in an essay written before his death in 1990 and published by Spanish newspaper El Pais in 2006. (Reuters)

Fidel Castro, as seen by allies and enemies