Fidel Castro was a dictator in Cuba.
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz ( [ fiˈðel aleˈhandɾo ˈkastɾo ˈrus ] ; August 13 , 1926 -- November 25 , 2016 ) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008 . Critics view him as a dictator whose administration oversaw human-rights abuses , the exodus of a large number of Cubans , and the impoverishment of the country 's economy .