Juanita Castro, the sister of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro, passed away in Miami at the age of 90. She had made Florida her home nearly six decades ago, shortly after fleeing Cuba. The news of her death was shared by journalist María Antonieta Collins, who co-authored Juanita Castro’s 2009 book, “Fidel and Raúl, My Brothers. The Secret History,” on Instagram.
In her post, Collins described Juanita Castro as an exceptional woman who was a tireless fighter for the cause of Cuba. Interestingly, as of Wednesday, the Cuban government and media had not acknowledged her death.
Juanita, a fervent anti-communist, detailed in her book that she began collaborating with the CIA following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Originally supporting her brothers’ efforts to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista, she became disenchanted with Fidel’s turn to hard-line communism after he assumed power in 1959. Her home in Cuba became a sanctuary for anti-communists in the early 1960s, leading to tensions with Fidel, who warned her against associating with those opposing the revolution.
According to Juanita’s account, it was the wife of Brazil’s ambassador to Cuba who persuaded her to meet with a CIA officer during a 1961 trip to Mexico City. She maintained that she neither sought money nor supported violence against her brothers. The CIA used her to smuggle messages, documents, and money into Cuba, concealed within canned goods. The communication with her handlers involved signals through shortwave radio, such as playing specific musical pieces.
Remaining on the island while their mother was alive provided some protection, but after her mother’s death in 1963, Juanita felt that everything became more complicated and dangerous. In 1964, with the help of Raúl, she fled Cuba and never saw her brothers again.
Upon arriving in Mexico, she expressed her concern about the situation in Cuba, describing it as an enormous prison surrounded by water due to the actions of her brothers Fidel and Raúl, who she claimed had imposed torment through international communism.
Initially facing suspicion from Cuban exiles in the US due to her clandestine CIA activities, Juanita later helped establish a CIA-backed non-profit organization working against the Castro government. Settling in Miami, she led a quiet life, running a Little Havana pharmacy, and became a respected member of the Cuban-American community. In 1984, she became a US citizen.
Despite her ideological differences and separation from her brothers for political reasons, Juanita expressed sadness when Fidel Castro faced health problems in 2006. She emphasized the importance of respecting differing perspectives on the matter. Fidel Castro passed away in 2016 at the age of 90, while Raúl, now 92, is living in retirement. The eldest brother, Ramon, passed away in 2016 at the age of 91.
