Spy story

Revolutionary lover: Fidel Castro’s clandestine affairs & secret CIA liaison

In what sounds like an incredible spy movie plot, one of the most controversial women in Fidel’s life was a CIA informant. Thought to have been sent by the US government to kill Castro, Marita Lorenz allegedly couldn’t pull the trigger because of her love for him.

Marita Lorenz reportedly had an affair with Castro in 1959. The Cuban revolutionary leader survived more than 600 assassination attempts – one of which was believed to have been from Lorenz in 1960. She reportedly tried to feed poisoned pills hidden inside a pot of cold cream to El Comandante.

The potentially fatal trick was busted by Castro himself.

“I thought he was going to shoot me, but he gave me the gun and asked, 'did you come to kill me?'” she recalled, as cited by the Daily Mail. “Then he took a puff on his cigar and closed his eyes. He made himself vulnerable because he knew I couldn't do it. He still loved me and I still loved him.”

She reportedly dropped the gun, unable to shoot her lover.