The world would never forget the name Fidel Castro, the Cuban Prime Minister/dictator who ruled for almost 50 years. However one of the highly secretive issues in his life was his dalliance with Dalia Soto Del Valle. This Cuban lady who bore 5 sons for Fidel was not known for decades as he completely shut her out of the prying eyes of the public.
It was later known that Dalia met Fidel Castro through her passion for teaching when he was on a literacy campaign in Cienfuegos sometime in 1960. As the story goes, Fidel picked interest in the young teacher as soon as he met her and within a short while, they became secret lovers before settling for marriage in 1980.
Biography of Dalia Soto Del Valle
Dalia Soto Del Valle is a woman who has never lived an open life as it was only sometime in the year 2000 that her identity was made known to the world. There is, therefore, no information about her date of birth but it has been confirmed that her birthplace was in Trinidad, a town located in the province of Sancti Spíritus in Cuba.
Concerning her education, it was gathered that the Cuban lady received a standard education in her hometown, and upon completion of her studies, she decided to join the teaching profession. Sources have it that Dalia was in her teenage years when she started to teach and this was what paved the way for her entrance into the life of the past Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro.
In the 1960s, the Cuban government was very keen on improving the literacy level of its indigenes and Dalia Soto Del Valle who was very passionate about education joined the bandwagon to campaign for literacy. She was noticed at one of the literacy forums that was organized in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Dalia was then invited for a grand dinner where she found herself seated next to the Prime Minister and from then onwards, her life changed as she entered the socialite class in the country.
Dalia Soto Del Valle’s Parents & Kids
Dalia Soto Del Valle came from an affluent family as her dad, Fernando Soto Del Valle Guinart was the owner of lands and a massive farm. They also had a very comfortable home in Trinidad where Dalia is believed to have spent her formative years. However, not much has been said about her mother and no source has mentioned her name before.
The Cuban lady started a secret relationship with Fidel Castro and not too long after, they welcomed their first child named Alex Castro Soto. After the birth of her son, Dalia was asked by the Prime Minister to relocate to Havana where he got her an exquisite Spanish Mansion. Their relationship produced four other children namely: Antonio Castro-Soto, Alejandro Castro-Soto, Alexis Castro-Soto, and Angel Castro-Soto.
Fidel finally decided to tie nuptial knots with his lover in 1980 but he still kept her identity hidden from the public. The pair broke the secrecy in 2000 when Dalia was seen demanding the return of the young Elian Gonzalez – who was rescued after his mother drowned while fleeing to the United States. The next year, she was also sighted at the yearly Cigar Festival held in Cuba but her first appearance by the side of Fidel Castro was in 2010. Afterward, Dalia Soto Del Valle made a series of other appearances with Fidel Castro and attended interviews with him. She stayed by his side when his health was seriously deteriorating and when the dictator’s reign finally ended, Dalia was very supportive alongside her children. She was with Fidel Castro when he passed on in 2016 and she mourned his loss.
Facts About Fidel Castro’s Wife
Dalia Soto Del Valle is notable for her petite stature which contrasts her husband’s gallant height
Her sons were named after the Greek King, Alexander the Great whom Fidel strongly admires.
Dalia’s second son Antonio is a certified Orthopedic Surgeon who worked as the national physician for Cuba’s baseball team and later became the Vice-President of the country’s Baseball federations.
Her husband’s initial marriage was to Mirta Diaz whom he divorced sometime in the ’50s. The pair had a son named Fidelito whose custody became a heated issue as Mirta fled with him to the United States.
Her husband was notorious for his dalliance with several other ladies and sources have it that he has a number of other children apart from the ones she and Mirta bore him.
Both Dalia’s and Fidel’s relatives migrated to the United States during the reign of the dictator and it is known that his nephews Mario and Lincoln Diaz rose to become congressmen in Florida.
