Batista was born in the town of Veguita, located in the municipality of Banes, province of Holguín, Cuba, in 1901, to Belisario Batista Palermo and Carmela Zaldívar González, who had fought in the Cuban War of Independence.
He was of Spanish, African, Taíno and Chinese descent.
His mother named him Rubén and gave him her last name, Zaldívar.
His father did not want to register him as a Batista.
In the registration records of the Banes courthouse, he was legally Rubén Zaldívar until 1939, when, as Fulgencio Batista, he became a presidential candidate and it was discovered that this name did not exist in the birth certificates; he thus had to postpone the presentation of his candidacy and pay 15,000 pesos to the local judge.

Both Batista's parents are believed to have been of mixed race and one may have had Indigenous Caribbean blood.
Batista was initially educated at a public school in Banes and later attended night classes at an American Quaker school.
He left home at age 14, after the death of his mother.
Coming from a humble background, he earned a living as a laborer in the cane fields, docks, and railroads.
He was a tailor, mechanic, charcoal vendor and fruit peddler.
In 1921, he traveled to Havana, and in April joined the army as a private.
After learning shorthand and typing, Batista left the army in 1923, working briefly as a teacher of stenography before enlisting in the Guardia Rural (rural police).
He transferred back to the army as a corporal, becoming secretary to a regimental colonel.
In September 1933, he held the rank of sergeant stenographer and as such acted as the secretary of a group of non-commissioned officers who led a "sergeants' conspiracy" for better conditions and improved prospects of promotion.
Batista was born in the town of Veguita, located in the municipality of Banes, province of Holguín, Cuba, in 1901, to Belisario Batista Palermo and Carmela Zaldívar González, who had fought in the Cuban War of Independence. He was of Spanish, African, Taíno and Chinese descent. His mother named him Rubén and gave him her last name, Zaldívar. His father did not want to register him as a Batista. In the registration records of the Banes courthouse, he was legally Rubén Zaldívar until 1939, when, as Fulgencio Batista, he became a presidential candidate and it was discovered that this name did not exist in the birth certificates; he thus had to postpone the presentation of his candidacy and pay 15,000 pesos to the local judge.
Both Batista's parents are believed to have been of mixed race and one may have had Indigenous Caribbean blood. Batista was initially educated at a public school in Banes and later attended night classes at an American Quaker school. He left home at age 14, after the death of his mother. Coming from a humble background, he earned a living as a laborer in the cane fields, docks, and railroads. He was a tailor, mechanic, charcoal vendor and fruit peddler. In 1921, he traveled to Havana, and in April joined the army as a private. After learning shorthand and typing, Batista left the army in 1923, working briefly as a teacher of stenography before enlisting in the Guardia Rural (rural police). He transferred back to the army as a corporal, becoming secretary to a regimental colonel. In September 1933, he held the rank of sergeant stenographer and as such acted as the secretary of a group of non-commissioned officers who led a "sergeants' conspiracy" for better conditions and improved prospects of promotion.
Fulgencio Batista