HAVANA -- Natalia Revuelta Clews, the Cuban socialite who emptied her bank account and sold her diamond jewelry to support Fidel Castro when he was a little-known insurgent, has died. She was 89.
Revuelta, who first caught the eye of the young revolutionary in 1952, opened her home for Castro to plot a barracks assault the next year that is considered the start of the revolution. They later had an affair that produced a daughter, Alina, who as an adult became a harsh critic of the communist leader from exile in Florida.
Revuelta's caretaker, Carmen Garcia, said that Revuelta died Friday and had been cremated in a private family ceremony. Revuelta's longtime friend Natalia Bolivar, a renowned anthropologist, said Revuelta had been ill after a fall. Revuelta's family could not be reached for comment.
Castro, who was then married to Mirta Diaz-Balart, first laid eyes on Revuelta at a protest marking the anniversary of the 1871 slaying of independence-minded medical students by Spanish soldiers.
After Castro's forces toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista, Revuelta quietly began preparing for a role as Cuba's first lady -- but it was not meant to be, as Castro kept his distance.
She and her husband divorced in 1959. Revuelta never remarried, lost her home to nationalization and became active in Cuba's new civilian militias.
Metro on 03/03/2015