For those in power and the upper classes before he came to power, Castro was indeed a barbaric monster. For the poor, however, he brought them education and healthcare that in some respects is much better than the poor in America are given even now.

The real tragedy is that American business was too well tied to the former dictator, and so instead of trying to work with Castro, pushing him in a positive direction, the US government helped turn him away from what might have been a good thing for all peoples.