Raul Castro Ruz was born on June 3, 1931. While studying social sciences, he joined Socialist Youth, a Communist – affiliated movement. Along with his brother Fidel, Raul took part in the failed revolt against the dictator Fulgencio Batista at Moncada Barracks on that fateful day of July 26, 1953. After two years being held prisoners, both Fidel & Raul were released as part of the general amnesty.

In 1955, Raul and Fidel fled to Mexico. While there, they reorganized the 26th of July Movement into a discipline guerilla force. On December 2, 1956, the Castro brothers sailed to Cuba from Mexico in the yacht named ‘Granma’, together with 80 other rebels. The revolt attempt was unsuccessful and the remaining rebels waged guerilla war from the mountains.

The year 1958 saw Raul led a column of guerillas to open a second front in northeast Cuba. Eventually, Batista was defeated in 1959 and he left Cuba. Castro’s army entered triumphantly into Havana. Raul was appointed the first Vice President of Cuba, and the head of Armed Forces, which made him world’s longest – serving defence minister.

1962, Raul visited the USSR and he was promised supply of missiles. This move caused Cuban Missile Crisis which almost triggered a worldwide scale of nuclear war. Besides Throughout the 70s, Raul played a key role in Cuba’s military involvement in Angola and Ethiopia. He was also involved in efforts to rescue Cuba’s economy after the collapse of Soviet Union.

Maybe out of brotherly (or comradely) love, in 1997, Fidel made it official that Raul would be his successor. Remember Elian Gonzalez? Raul was briefly in the limelight while fighting for seven months to bring that boy back from Florida to Cuba. On a brighter note, in the year 2001, Raul made some efforts to encourage US to make peace with Cuba while his brother is still alive. Well, with Castro having serious health problems and all, that peace offer is speedily approaching its deadline. On July 31, 2006, Fidel underwent a surgery for intestinal bleeding and handed over Cuba temporarily to Raul.

Following this recent development, G’ Dubya has urged Cubans to work for democratic change and warned that the United States would watch for Cuban officials who stand in the way. To quote G’ Dubya own words, “We will support you in your effort to build a transitional government in Cuba committed to democracy, and we will take note of those, in the current Cuban regime, who obstruct your desire for a free Cuba.”

So, better watch out Raul. You could be G' Dubya's next target.Or maybe you have already been.