Havana, Feb 24 (Prensa Latina) Cuba´s National Assembly of People´s Power elected Raul Castro Ruz as president of the Council of State for the next five years.

Prensa Latina is now posting his biography.

As a university student, he participated actively in political actions against Carlos Prio Socarras's corrupt administration and the Batista tyranny.

In 1953, he attended an Internacional Youth Rights Conference in Vienna, and was invited to take part in a meeting to organize the 4th World Youth and Student Festival scheduled for Bucharest.

On July 26, 1953, he took part in the attack on the Moncada barracks, leading the group that took over the Palace of Justice, to back Fidel's main military action against the garrison. But the assault failed, and Raul was sentenced to 13 years in the former Isle of Pine's Model Prison.

In 1955, he was released alongside the rest of the Moncada attackers due to popular pressure on Fulgencio Batista's regime.

Political persecution forced him to seek refuge in Mexico, where he participated in the preparations of the Granma revolutionary expedition in 1956.

Following the Alegria de Pio baptism of fire, he commanded a small gruop of four expeditionaries until December 18, when they met again with Fidel at Cinco Palmas, in Purial de Vicana.

For his outstanding participation in the Sierra Maestra guerilla warfare campaign, Fidel made him commander in February 27, 1958. He was assigned the mission to cross the province of Oriente, to the northeast of that territory, leading a column of guerrillas to open the Estearn front Frank Pais.

After the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, he was appointed military chief of the province of Oriente. He was appointed Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces when the Ministry was founded in October 1959 and has served in that capacity ever since.

He was a member of the National Leadership of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations and of the United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba. He has been a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and its Second Secretary since the Party's formation in October 1965.

He has been a member of the National Assembly of the People's Power since the Parliament's formation in 1976, when he was also elected First Vice President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers.

In November 15, 1976, he became the nation's highest ranking general and on February 27, 1998, on the 40th anniversary of becoming a Rebel Army comandante, he was awarded the honor title of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and the Maximo Gomez order in its first degree.

These decorations were bestowed upon him for his oustanding revolutionary career and his dedication.

As a political leader, stateman and military chief, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz has made important contributions to our Revolution.

As minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, he has achieved outstanding results in the country's defense preparation and the implementation of the All the People's War concept.

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