I saw Castro’s tanks roll into Havana

In January 1959 leftist rebels led by Fidel Castro took over Cuba, ending decades of rule of the US-backed dictator, Fulgencio Batista.

Castro's victory heralded a period of radical change for the island, and strained to breaking point relations with Cuba's powerful neighbour across the Florida Straits.

Carlos Alzugaray, then a 15-year-old schoolboy from a wealthy family, was among the crowds that turned out to watch Castro's triumphant entry into the capital, Havana, on 8 January 1959.

He spoke to Witness about his hopes and fears of the Cuban revolution.

Witness is a World Service programme of the stories of our times told by the people who were there.