A look at Raul Castro’s life

TITLE: First Vice President of Council of State and Council of Ministers, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Second Secretary of Communist Party of Cuba.

BORN: June 3, 1931, in Cuba’s Oriente province, fourth of seven children.

EDUCATION: Attended Roman Catholic schools and studied administration at University of Havana.

BEFORE THE REVOLUTION: Raul joined older brother Fidel in efforts to topple then-President Fulgencio Batista in an unsuccessful raid on a military barracks. Both arrested, later freed in general amnesty. Surviving members of band formed rebel army in Mexico, then returned to Cuba in 1958 where Raul established second front in eastern mountains and eventually led 4,000 men.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION: Raul named head of armed forces late in 1959. In 1962 became deputy prime minister and in 1972 first deputy prime minister, behind Fidel. When prime minister post was eliminated, Raul named First Vice President, putting him first in line of succession. Heavily involved in Cuba’s military alliance with Soviet Union and dispatch of hundreds of thousands of troops to Africa in 1970s. When Soviet Union collapsed, Raul oversaw military’s switch to new domestic and economic missions.

FAMILY: Married to Vilma Espin, who fought alongside him. She eventually became, and remains, head of Communist Party-linked women’s organisation and often serves as Cuba’s First Lady. Together they had four children and numerous grandchildren.

QUOTE: “I am among those who believe that it would be in imperialism’s interest to try, with our irreconcilable differences, to normalise relations as much as possible during Fidel’s life.” — From January 2001 interview with Cuba’s state television.