Fidel Castro was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008. He was a revolutionary and Marxist-Leninist politician who served as Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. His brother, Raul Castro, succeeded him as President in 2008 and has held the position since then. Fidel Castro was known for his nationalization of industry and land reform, as well as his close relationship with the Soviet Union.