On November 25, many Cubans went into mourning over the death of Fidel Castro, but many also went into celebration over his death due to his controversial ruling of Cuba.

Castro had a fascinating early life in which many events occurred that led him to the person he was when he died. For starters, Castro was born into a wealthy family and grew up with five other siblings. His parents, who were illiterate, sent him to a Jesuit boarding school for a top-notch education. He was a smart but a rebellious child. So much so that he organized a strike in his father’s plantation as a youth. His passion to help the poor class led him to become a lawyer that took on cases for people who often couldn’t pay him. This caused him to be short of money and more aware of inequalities, particularly when it came to wealth in Cuba.

As Castro grew older he joined the Cuban People’s Party and was a candidate for congress through this party. However, Fulgencio Batista took control of the country as a dictator and Castro decided that revolution was his answer.

Castro planned to overthrow Batista and his armies but failed terribly, was charged and jailed, fled to Mexico after the Cuban population pressed Batista for his release, came back leading another army, and eventually won control of Cuba.

Problems started to arise, however, when he refused to let any of the old members of the Cuban government into his newly formed circle of power. Instead, he entrusted the jobs to many of his close friends and allies, including his brother, Raúl Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara, both of whom supported communism. It only got worse from there. Driven by revenge, Castro began to execute high-ranking officers from Batista’s ruling. These executions quickly turned into public hangings, and even minor accusations led to an execution. Soon, men, women, and even children were being hanged. Overall, it is said at least 3,000 people were executed in this time frame under Castro’s ruling.

Even though Castro stressed that he did not want a communist government and considered himself the prime minister of Cuba, he radically led Cuba as if it was a communist state. The U.S., who had previously supported Batista, was wary of Castro and his radical actions; therefore, the U.S. cut off most of their trade with Cuba. In response, Castro allied with Russia, the U.S.’s sworn enemy at the time. The agreement was the Soviet Union would support and aid Cuba, and Cuba would store nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union. This was a pivotal moment in the Cold War and enraged the U.S. even more.

Castro continued to raise controversy and create problems with his one-party state, which included the jailing of those who opposed him and innocent homosexuals, controlling all forms of media, continuing to avenge the hundreds of people hurt or killed by the Batista government, and ruining the Cuban economy with his socialist ideas. He didn’t have free elections, like he had promised, and continued to replace government officials with inexperienced youths. In 2006, he handed his power to his younger brother Raúl Castro, due to his failing health.

Raúl Castro continues to govern Cuba, following Fidel’s example. He announced his brother’s death in a televised statement. Fidel Castro’s governing remains controversial, commemorated by the millions of under-privileged Cubans he helped and celebrated by the hundreds of Cubans he sent into exile.