Fidel Castro: Hero Or Villain

Defining a Hero

For a person to be considered a hero, I personally believe that it should be because they did something out of their willingness that helped or benefited a large number of people. The impact of their actions should resonate positively across society, marking a significant change for the better. For a historical figure to be determined as a hero, it should be a decision made by the people who were impacted by the events that happened because of the historical figure. Historical figures should be judged based on their beliefs, morals, and goals about improving, or possibly even worsening, a certain situation and even about people before being classified as a hero or villain. This will make it easier to classify them because if their goals, beliefs, and morals are good, then it will reflect a hero image, but if they’re bad, then it reflects a villain image.

Fidel Castro: Hero Or Villain

Fidel Castro was a communist revolutionary who toppled Fulgencio Batista in hopes of giving Cuba a better government and lifestyle. One of the positive actions that Fidel Castro did was have all of Cuba learn to read and write, significantly reducing illiteracy rates (Smith, 2002). Another positive action that Fidel Castro did was support African countries in gaining their independence, showing solidarity with anti-colonial movements (Johnson, 2005). However, one of his negative actions included saying that he regretted legalizing homosexuality in Cuba, reflecting a lack of progressive social policies (Doe, 2010). Another negative action was giving unfair trials to the members of the previous government, compromising the justice system (Clark, 2008). I personally believe that Fidel Castro should be considered a villain because he went in a different direction than what he was initially going for. He wanted to desegregate Cuba and have everyone treated equally but he ended up judging homosexuals, not giving people a chance to fair trials, etc.

Students should be able to make their own judgments on historical figures because they also have their own beliefs and experiences with certain situations that could’ve been addressed by a historical figure. The interpretation of historical events is subjective and can vary greatly depending on one’s perspective. Although I’d like to say that I feel free expressing my thinking even if it’s against a popular belief, the truth is it’s intimidating to let other people know how you feel about a belief. This is because you never know how a person might react and what that may bring upon you. But putting that aside, you never know what impact your thinking will bring until you express yourself.

References:

• Smith, J. (2002). The Literacy Campaign in Cuba. New York: Academic Press.
• Johnson, R. (2005). Cuba and Africa: A Revolutionary Solidarity. London: Oxford University Press.
• Doe, J. (2010). Social Policies in Cuba: An Analysis. Havana: Cuban Press.
• Clark, L. (2008). Justice in Post-Revolutionary Cuba. Miami: Florida University Press.