Juanita Castro, the sister of former Cuban Presidents Fidel and Raul Castro, died in Miami, AFP reported, citing a journalist close to her family.
Juanita Castro, the sister of former Cuban Presidents Fidel and Raul Castro, died in Miami, AFP reported, citing a journalist close to her family. "Today Juanita Castro, an exceptional woman (and) tireless fighter for the cause of the Cuba she loved so much, passed away," Maria Antonieta Collins, coauthor of Castro's autobiography, posted on Instagram. 🌹🙇
A Tumultuous Sibling Relationship
Ninety years old when she passed away, Juanita Castro had left Cuba in 1964, having split from her brothers Fidel and Raul during the 1959 Cuban Revolution. 🇨🇺
She went into exile in Miami, where she publicly admitted to constantly belittling her brothers and even working with the CIA under the alias Donna to overthrow the Castro administration. 🕵️♀️
As she detailed in her memoir, "My Brothers Fidel and Raul, the Secret History," she found it difficult to reconcile her twin positions as a member of the exile community and the sister of the Castros.
"Undoubtedly, I have suffered more than the rest of the exiles because nowhere along the Straits of Florida do they give me respite and few are those who understand the paradox of my life," she wrote. "For those in Cuba I am a deserter because I left and denounced the regime in place. For many in Miami I am 'persona non grata' because I am the sister of Fidel and Raul." 📖
When Fidel Castro passed away in 2016, Miami streets erupted in spontaneous celebrations, as many saw him as a despot who had killed innocent people and forced countless Cubans to escape the island. 🎉
Despite having not spoken to her brother in 52 years and viewing him as a traitor, Juanita Castro voiced contempt for the hundreds of people who celebrated her brother's passing by dancing and cheering, the New York Times had reported.
Ms. Castro had initially backed her brother's concept of social justice for the island nation, like so many other Cubans. But when Mr. Castro pledged his allegiance to Communism, she became disillusioned, just like hundreds of thousands of other Cubans who ultimately fled the country. 🚶♀️✈️
