Who was the Cuban socialist leader who overthrew a dictator in 1959 and established a Marxist state?

• A. Che Guevara
• B. Nikita Khrushchev
• C. Fidel Castro
• D. John F. Kennedy

Answer: (C)

Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution that toppled Batista in 1959 and then became the country’s leader, guiding Cuba onto a socialist path. He implemented reforms that nationalized industries and redistriboted land, and he aligned Cuba with the Soviet Union, signaling the shift to a Marxist state in the early 1960s. Che Guevara was a key revolutionary ally and an important figure in the movement, but he did not serve as the head of government. Khrushchev was the Soviet leader who supported Cuba from abroad, while Kennedy was the U.S. president dealing with Cuba during those years. This combination of overthrow and the move toward a socialist state is what defines Castro in this context.