Fidel Castro - End Of An Era

[Empedocles]

• Tweet

Cuba's Fidel Castro, former president, dies aged 90



Fidel Castro, Cuba's former president and leader of the Communist revolution, has died aged 90, his brother has said.

"The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening (03:29 GMT Saturday)," President Raul Castro said.

Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul took over in 2008.

His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition.

Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in an unexpected late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated on Saturday.

There would now be several days of national mourning on the island.

Raul Castro ended the announcement by shouting the revolutionary slogan: "Towards victory, always!"

Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for some time, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana reports.

In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress.

He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious".

"I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined".

"Soon I'll be like all the others, "to all our turn must come," Fidel Castro said.

Castro temporarily handed over the power to his brother in 2006 as he was recovering from an acute intestinal ailment.

Raul Castro officially became president two years later.

[Globalcitizen12]

RIP Fidel Castro. You have given third world countries a template in which to anchor political revolution and social progress. You stayed the course even when US empire vowed to take you out. The world and history has absolved you. You have lived a simple life and you were cremated immediately for I suspect you are a firm believer that once life ends no one should hold ceremonies for the dead. The reactionaries in Miami are celebrating your death but the poor peasants in Cuba who you rescued from the jaws of Batista will live to determine their own destiny.

Viva Cuba

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

RIP.  History will judge him favorably.

[RVtitem]

Uhuru seem to have acknowledged Castro for emancipating Cubans. It is however hypocritical as he runs a government that espouses the very vices that Castro fought against.

In a statement to news rooms, Uhuru said Castro's love for the people of Cuba was selfless and unshakable. He also pointed out the late Cuban leader's devotion to the idea of freedom and sovereignty of all peoples and all nations which spoke through his actions and solidarity.
"Fidel Castro successfully led a revolution inspired by his devout vision of a free, equitable and prosperous Cuba. His success did not stop at the revolution; his government proceeded to successfully implement social policies which have continued to bestow the benefits of the best social services for all Cubans," said Uhuru.

www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/11/26/president-kenyatta-pays-tribute-to-former-president-of-cuba-fidel_c1462814

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Uhuru seem to have acknowledged Castro for emancipating Cubans. It is however hypocritical as he runs a government that espouses the very vices that Castro fought against.

In a statement to news rooms, Uhuru said Castro's love for the people of Cuba was selfless and unshakable. He also pointed out the late Cuban leader's devotion to the idea of freedom and sovereignty of all peoples and all nations which spoke through his actions and solidarity.
"Fidel Castro successfully led a revolution inspired by his devout vision of a free, equitable and prosperous Cuba. His success did not stop at the revolution; his government proceeded to successfully implement social policies which have continued to bestow the benefits of the best social services for all Cubans," said Uhuru.

www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/11/26/president-kenyatta-pays-tribute-to-former-president-of-cuba-fidel_c1462814

In case you haven't noticed Kenya has since independence kept a studious distance from leftist figures like Fidel Castro, Samora Machel, Mandela, etc.  You just need to do a google search for images of any Kenyan leader with these figures.  They are extremely rare and in some cases purely incidental e.g. bumping into each other at a global meeting.  Pretty amazing for a country that recently, for a while at least, took to thumbing their nose at the west.

[Globalcitizen12]

It is like Moi During apartheid he would only give speeches about it but he would not directly support ANC Only Tanzania had the balls to support ANC materially.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

It is like Moi During apartheid he would only give speeches about it but he would not directly support ANC Only Tanzania had the balls to support ANC materially.

Yep.  Tiny TZ has its fingerprints all over the place.  Kamuzu Banda was the other sellout.

[hk]

He ruled cuba for over 40yrs and then bequeathed to his brother the leadership after he got ill, special guy. He overthrew a dictator only to turn up to be even worse than the dictator he replaced. Embargo, its only america that has an embargo against cuba. Cuba can trade with any other country in the world. Maybe the problem is the government controls everything. I wonder how many leftist who admire castrol would want to live in cuba and not travelling but living there.

[Real P]

He ruled cuba for over 40yrs and then bequeathed to his brother the leadership after he got ill, special guy. He overthrew a dictator only to turn up to be even worse than the dictator he replaced. Embargo, its only america that has an embargo against cuba. Cuba can trade with any other country in the world. Maybe the problem is the government controls everything. I wonder how many leftist who admire castrol would want to live in cuba and not travelling but living there.

There are a lot of trumped up accusations of human rights violations against Castro and his country, and if you consider the government of the United States was an avowed enemy of his I think it's hard to deny things would fall on that end of the propaganda spectrum. He freed his country from the rule of a dictator and an exploitative relationship with the United States and tried to establish a more egalitarian society. He supported Angola in its fight for independence from Portugal against the forces of apartheid South Africa, which was an ally of the United States. He was a thorn in the side of the American government for decades, and yet he survived more than 600 attempted assassination on his life.

[Globalcitizen12]