Cuban Leader Raúl Castro Celebrates 95th Birthday

Raúl Castro turned 95 years old on Wednesday. He is one of Cuba's most important leaders. Castro helped lead the revolution that changed Cuba in 1959. He later served as Cuba's president for 12 years.

Castro was born in 1931 in eastern Cuba. He was one of seven children in his family. As a young man, he studied law and became interested in politics. He opposed the dictator who ruled Cuba at the time.

In 1959, Castro and his brother Fidel led a successful revolution in Cuba. After the revolution, Raúl became a military leader. He helped lead battles in other countries in Africa and Latin America. Many Cubans praised him for fighting for their freedom.

When his brother Fidel became sick in 2006, Raúl took over as Cuba's leader. He officially became president in 2008. As president, he made changes that improved Cuba's relationship with the United States. The two countries reopened their embassies in 2015.

Castro retired from being president in 2018 and from politics in 2021. However, he still has some power in Cuba's government. Recently, the United States charged him with crimes from 1996. Many Cubans still honor him as an important leader who helped shape their country.