Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar

Batista y Zaldívar, Fulgencio (1901–73), Cuban military dictator. Becoming army chief of staff after the overthrow of the Machado government in 1933, he appointed and deposed presidents at will. He was himself president 1940–44, and took the title permanently in 1952. After his overthrow by Fidel Castro in 1959 he lived in exile in Spain.

See also: Cuba.