Cuba’s hero, Fidel Castro, is dead, aged ninety

Cuba's former President Fidel Castro (R) and Vietnam's former President Tran Dai Quang meet in Havana, Cuba November 15, 2016, in this handout photo provided by Granma. Alex Castro/Courtesy of Granma/Handout via Reuters .

Cuba’s former President Fidel Castro, died in Havana at the age of 90 late on Friday night, confirmed his brother, President Raul Castro.

‘The Supreme Commander of the Cuban Revolution died at 22.29 tonight’, announced President Raul Castro on state television.

President Castro said that his older brother would be cremated ‘according to his wish’.

All information about ‘posthumous tributes’ and the funeral arrangements would be given on Saturday judged Cuba’s sitting president.

Fidel Castro was president of Cuba until 2006, when for health reasons, he handed over power to his brother.

Farewell Speech

In April this year, Castro held a ‘farewell speech’ at the Congress of the Communist Party. The televised speech was the most far-reaching Castro had given for several years, and was one of the high-points and last events of the program during the party congress.

Castro asked the party, which he led to power during the Cuban revolution over half a century ago, to continue following the ideas he struggled with after he is dead.

‘Soon I will be 90 years old. Soon, I will become like everyone else. The time will come for us all. But the ideas of Cuba’s communists will continue to be a proof that, if we work with fervour and dignity, we can produce the material and cultural goods that people need; and we must fight without truce to obtain them’, said Castro.

Celebrated birthday

He celebrated his 90th birthday in Cuba’s capital city of Havana in August, making a rare public appearance. 90-year-old ex-President and revolutionary leader celebrated with a televised gala performance in the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana.

The last time Fidel Castro was seen in an official capacity was two weeks ago.

On November 15, he met with Vietnam’s President, Tran Dai Quang, at his home.

Castro is the Cuban revolution’s father, and one of the 20th century’s most iconic heroes in Latin America. Castro led the revolution in the late 1950s, which transformed the Caribbean island nation into a communist country. Under Castro’s command, Cuba also played a vital role in international liberation struggles, for instance the Angolan war of independence and the fight against apartheid in South Africa.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today