Mirta Diaz-Balart
Encyclopedia
Mirta Francisca de la Caridad Díaz-Balart y Gutiérrez (born September 30, 1928) was Fidel Castro
's first wife, the daughter of Rafael José Díaz-Balart, a prominent Cuban politician and mayor of the town of Banes, and wife América Gutiérrez. She was a fellow student at the University of Havana
, studying Philosophy
, when Fidel married her.
They married on October 11, 1948 and divorced seven years later (while Castro was in exile
) in 1955. They had one child, a son, Fidel Ángel "Fidelito" Castro Díaz-Balart, born on September 1, 1949. After the divorce, Castro was not granted custody of their son, instead he kidnapped Fidel Jr. when his son visited Castro in Mexico prior to his return to Cuba. There is a documented story of the rescue of Mirta's son from the captors of Fidel Jr. Mirta remarried to Dr. Emilio Núñez Blanco, the son of a former Cuban Ambassador to the UN, Emilio Núñez Portuondo
. A story in the October 8, 2000 edition of the Miami Herald claimed that she was then living in Spain and that occasional visits to Cuba had been arranged by Raúl Castro
, her former brother-in-law.
Díaz-Balart lived in Spain with her son after 1959; while in Cuba to visit and endorse Fidel Castro, Mirta was deprived for many years of the company of her son.
Mirta Díaz-Balart is the aunt of current Republican and anti-Castro former U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
and his brother Mario Diaz-Balart
(R-FL) and sister of the painter Waldo Diaz-Balart
and the late Rafael Diaz-Balart
. She has two daughters by her second husband, Mirta and América Silvia Núñez Díaz-Balart, both residing in Spain with their families. She has numerous grandchildren.
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's first wife, the daughter of Rafael José Díaz-Balart, a prominent Cuban politician and mayor of the town of Banes, and wife América Gutiérrez. She was a fellow student at the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
, studying Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, when Fidel married her.
They married on October 11, 1948 and divorced seven years later (while Castro was in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
) in 1955. They had one child, a son, Fidel Ángel "Fidelito" Castro Díaz-Balart, born on September 1, 1949. After the divorce, Castro was not granted custody of their son, instead he kidnapped Fidel Jr. when his son visited Castro in Mexico prior to his return to Cuba. There is a documented story of the rescue of Mirta's son from the captors of Fidel Jr. Mirta remarried to Dr. Emilio Núñez Blanco, the son of a former Cuban Ambassador to the UN, Emilio Núñez Portuondo
Emilio Núñez Portuondo
Emilio Núñez Portuondo was a Cuban politician, lawyer, and diplomat. He was Prime Minister of Cuba in 1958....
. A story in the October 8, 2000 edition of the Miami Herald claimed that she was then living in Spain and that occasional visits to Cuba had been arranged by Raúl Castro
Raúl Castro
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...
, her former brother-in-law.
Díaz-Balart lived in Spain with her son after 1959; while in Cuba to visit and endorse Fidel Castro, Mirta was deprived for many years of the company of her son.
Mirta Díaz-Balart is the aunt of current Republican and anti-Castro former U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart was the U.S. Representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate...
and his brother Mario Diaz-Balart
Mario Diaz-Balart
Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart Caballero is the current U.S. Representative for , serving since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2010 to succeed his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart. The district includes the city of Hialeah, along with several of Miami's southwestern suburbs...
(R-FL) and sister of the painter Waldo Diaz-Balart
Waldo Diaz-Balart
Waldo Díaz-Balart is a Cuban painter living in Madrid, Spain.Díaz-Balart studied accounting and political science and economics in Havana before moving to New York to pursue art studies in 1959. From 1959 to 1962 studied art in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA...
and the late Rafael Diaz-Balart
Rafael Diaz-Balart
Rafael Lincoln Díaz-Balart y Gutiérrez was a Cuban politician. Díaz-Balart served as Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives and Minister of the Interior during the presidency of Fulgencio Batista....
. She has two daughters by her second husband, Mirta and América Silvia Núñez Díaz-Balart, both residing in Spain with their families. She has numerous grandchildren.