On January 8, 1959, Fidel Castro rolled into Havana, Cuba on a U.S.-made Sherman tank to the triumphant welcoming shouts of at least 1 million Cubans, thus beginning a Communist dictatorial regime that has lasted for over 40 years. Castro was born into a large, prosperous farming family on August 13, 1926 or 1927 (CNN.com, 2000). He attended Jesuit schools and studied law. While a student, Castro was also a political activist. And after he received his degree in 1950, he established a private law practice and joined the reformist Cuban People's Party (CNN.com, 2000).
In 1952, Castro's plan to run for a parliamentary seat was foiled when General Batista overthrew the government and canceled the election. After unsuccessfully challenging the regime in court, Castro organized an unsuccessful coup attempt in 1953. He was jailed until 1955 when he went to Mexico to organize the force that became known as the 26 of July Movement (CNN.com, 2000). This group launched another unsuccessful coup attempt in 1956. Then, finally, after a three-year guerrilla war against the corrupt and by now very unpopular Batista regime, Castro triumphantly seized power on January 1, 1959 (CNN.com, 2000).
Reporter Jack Skelly argues that there are many reasons why Castro has lasted 40 years untouched as an enemy of the United States (Skelly, 31). However, he claims that one reason for Castro's survival is his penchant for lying. Skelly claims that as a student at the Jesuit-operated Belen High School, Castro was asked by counselor Reverent Armando Llorente: "Fidel, I notice that you tell many lies. Why is that?" According to Llorente, who lives in exile in Miami, Castro's answer was "I don't know, Father; it's just that I'm in the habit of lying" (Skelly, 31).
Whatever the truth of Llorente's anecdote, Castro's actions after 1959 support a belief in his tendency to mislead Cuba's people about his true intentions. CNN.com maintains that despit...