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| Fidel Castro: world reacts to death of Cuban leader – live updates | Fidel Castro: world reacts to death of Cuban leader – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.45am GMT | |
| 07:45 | |
| Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Cuban-American elected to Congress, says Castro’s death is an opportunity to “write a new chapter in the history of Cuba”: | |
| The day that the people, both inside the island and out, have waited for has arrived: A tyrant is dead and a new beginning can dawn on the last remaining communist bastion of the Western hemisphere… | |
| Those who still rule Cuba with an iron grip may attempt to delay the island’s liberation, but they cannot stop it. | |
| Tyrant + thug #FidelCastro is dead. We must work for a #Cuba that is free, democratic, and prosperous. My statement: https://t.co/04CCqZErTA | |
| 7.33am GMT | |
| 07:33 | |
| Raúl Castro, brother of Fidel Castro and his successor as president, appeared on Cuban state television late on Friday night to break the news of his death. | |
| Wearing green military uniform, Raúl Castro announced: | |
| At 10.29 at night, the chief commander of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, died. | |
| He did not give a cause of death but ended with a revolutionary slogan: | |
| Ever onward, to victory! | |
| 7.27am GMT | |
| 07:27 | |
| Associated Press in Havana has some reaction from Cubans to the breaking news: | |
| Carlos Rodriguez, 15, was sitting in Havana’s Miramar neighbourhood when he heard that Fidel Castro had died. | |
| “Fidel? Fidel?” he said, slapping his head in shock. “That’s not what I was expecting. One always thought that he would last forever. It doesn’t seem true.” | |
| “It’s a tragedy,” said 22-year-old nurse Dayan Montalvo. “We all grew up with him. I feel really hurt by the news that we just heard.” | |
| 7.15am GMT | 7.15am GMT |
| 07:15 | 07:15 |
| India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has tweeted his condolences on the death of Castro, whom he called “one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century” and “a great friend”: | India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has tweeted his condolences on the death of Castro, whom he called “one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century” and “a great friend”: |
| I extend my deepest condolences to the Government & people of Cuba on the sad demise of Fidel Castro. May his soul rest in peace. | I extend my deepest condolences to the Government & people of Cuba on the sad demise of Fidel Castro. May his soul rest in peace. |
| We stand in support with the Cuban Government and people in this tragic hour. | We stand in support with the Cuban Government and people in this tragic hour. |
| Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century. India mourns the loss of a great friend. | Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century. India mourns the loss of a great friend. |
| 7.10am GMT | 7.10am GMT |
| 07:10 | 07:10 |
| In March this year, Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since the revolution of 1959 and Castro’s ascent. | In March this year, Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since the revolution of 1959 and Castro’s ascent. |
| ¿Que bolá Cuba? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people. | ¿Que bolá Cuba? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people. |
| He did not see or speak to Fidel Castro, but did hold a number of meetings with Raúl Castro. | He did not see or speak to Fidel Castro, but did hold a number of meetings with Raúl Castro. |
| After the complicated visit, Fidel Castro published a dismissive response to Obama’s overtures, calling them “honey-coated” and arguing that Cubans would not forget “a ruthless blockade that has now lasted for almost 60 years”: | After the complicated visit, Fidel Castro published a dismissive response to Obama’s overtures, calling them “honey-coated” and arguing that Cubans would not forget “a ruthless blockade that has now lasted for almost 60 years”: |
| No one should be under the illusion that the people of this noble and selfless country will renounce its glory and its rights, and the spiritual wealth that is has gained with the development of education, science and culture. | No one should be under the illusion that the people of this noble and selfless country will renounce its glory and its rights, and the spiritual wealth that is has gained with the development of education, science and culture. |
| 6.58am GMT | 6.58am GMT |
| 06:58 | 06:58 |
| Celebrations in Little Havana | Celebrations in Little Havana |
| Little Havana, the Miami neighbourhood home to many Cubans in exile in the US, is celebrating tonight (it’s around 2am there now). | Little Havana, the Miami neighbourhood home to many Cubans in exile in the US, is celebrating tonight (it’s around 2am there now). |
| Starting to be a real crowd outside Versailles in Little Havana, cars stopping to honk and cheer "Cuba Libre!" (And "el viejo murió!") pic.twitter.com/pzBvC4fdNV | Starting to be a real crowd outside Versailles in Little Havana, cars stopping to honk and cheer "Cuba Libre!" (And "el viejo murió!") pic.twitter.com/pzBvC4fdNV |
| Hundreds gathering in Little Havana at Versailles, honking horns, banging pots and pans, waving Cuban and U.S. flags. Cheers. #FidelCastro pic.twitter.com/QUnJI6KnT1 | Hundreds gathering in Little Havana at Versailles, honking horns, banging pots and pans, waving Cuban and U.S. flags. Cheers. #FidelCastro pic.twitter.com/QUnJI6KnT1 |
| 6.51am GMT | 6.51am GMT |
| 06:51 | 06:51 |
| Here’s how the Guardian (the Manchester Guardian, as it then was) reported the arrival of Fidel Castro into Havana on 8 January 1959. | Here’s how the Guardian (the Manchester Guardian, as it then was) reported the arrival of Fidel Castro into Havana on 8 January 1959. |
| Alistair Cooke reported: | Alistair Cooke reported: |
| Cuba is unlikely to recognise the Soviet Union “or any other dictatorship” as long as it is busy, which it seemed to be to-day, creating a provisional dictatorship of its own. It was Fidel Castro, the conquering rebel, who passed the snubbing remark about the Communists to-day, while his appointed president, Judge Manuel Urrutia Lleo, was dissolving the Congress and the courts and having his Cabinet draft decrees that will abolish all political parties and ban from future office all candidates in the 1954 and 1958 elections held under the auspices of the departed President Batista. | Cuba is unlikely to recognise the Soviet Union “or any other dictatorship” as long as it is busy, which it seemed to be to-day, creating a provisional dictatorship of its own. It was Fidel Castro, the conquering rebel, who passed the snubbing remark about the Communists to-day, while his appointed president, Judge Manuel Urrutia Lleo, was dissolving the Congress and the courts and having his Cabinet draft decrees that will abolish all political parties and ban from future office all candidates in the 1954 and 1958 elections held under the auspices of the departed President Batista. |
| The Cabinet announced yesterday that the country will be ruled by decree for 18 months or two years, by which time – it hopes – Cuba will be ready for free elections and a go at democracy … | The Cabinet announced yesterday that the country will be ruled by decree for 18 months or two years, by which time – it hopes – Cuba will be ready for free elections and a go at democracy … |
| Meanwhile the hero himself, who has renounced all desire for “power” and is content to be the armed forces Chief of Staff, was enjoying a slow approach to Havana as thousands cheered. | Meanwhile the hero himself, who has renounced all desire for “power” and is content to be the armed forces Chief of Staff, was enjoying a slow approach to Havana as thousands cheered. |
| For the moment, Castro is the living symbol of release from an interminably brutal and corrupt dictatorship, which was all the more dolorous in that its leader had appeared, not too many years ago, in the liberating image of Castro himself. The press and people of the United States defer only to the Cubans in their excessive celebration of a new Latin American hero; possibly because Castro looks so young and modern, and talks so gallantly: probably because on its face his victory represents the straightforward triumph of truth and heroism in a complicated world. | For the moment, Castro is the living symbol of release from an interminably brutal and corrupt dictatorship, which was all the more dolorous in that its leader had appeared, not too many years ago, in the liberating image of Castro himself. The press and people of the United States defer only to the Cubans in their excessive celebration of a new Latin American hero; possibly because Castro looks so young and modern, and talks so gallantly: probably because on its face his victory represents the straightforward triumph of truth and heroism in a complicated world. |
| 6.39am GMT | 6.39am GMT |
| 06:39 | 06:39 |
| Imran Khan, former cricketer turned leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, has tweeted a tribute to Castro: | Imran Khan, former cricketer turned leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, has tweeted a tribute to Castro: |
| 1. Today the world lost an iconic revolutionary leader Fidel Castro who liberated his nation from all vestiges of imperialism. | 1. Today the world lost an iconic revolutionary leader Fidel Castro who liberated his nation from all vestiges of imperialism. |
| 2. Castro reasserted the Cuban nation's dignity & self worth that withstood US aggression & became a global ldr for anti colonial struggles | 2. Castro reasserted the Cuban nation's dignity & self worth that withstood US aggression & became a global ldr for anti colonial struggles |
| 3. We in Pakistan will always remember with gratitude Cuba's support on the ground in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake | 3. We in Pakistan will always remember with gratitude Cuba's support on the ground in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.44am GMT | at 6.44am GMT |
| 6.33am GMT | 6.33am GMT |
| 06:33 | 06:33 |
| As news of Castro’s death broke late on Friday night in the Americas, reactions from across the globe are expected to roll in over the coming hours. | As news of Castro’s death broke late on Friday night in the Americas, reactions from across the globe are expected to roll in over the coming hours. |
| But verdicts on the man who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century have long been sharply divided. | But verdicts on the man who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century have long been sharply divided. |
| Here are just a sample of what other world leaders have said about him over the years: | Here are just a sample of what other world leaders have said about him over the years: |
| John F Kennedy, 1962 | John F Kennedy, 1962 |
| Castro is not just another Latin American dictator, a petty tyrant bent merely on personal power and gain. His ambitions extend far beyond his own shores. | Castro is not just another Latin American dictator, a petty tyrant bent merely on personal power and gain. His ambitions extend far beyond his own shores. |
| Hugo Chavez, 2007 | Hugo Chavez, 2007 |
| Fidel, for me, is a grand master. A wise man should never die; a man like Fidel will never die, because he will always be part of the people. | Fidel, for me, is a grand master. A wise man should never die; a man like Fidel will never die, because he will always be part of the people. |
| Nelson Mandela, 2001 | Nelson Mandela, 2001 |
| From its earliest days, the Cuban revolution has been a source of inspiration for all those who value freedom. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist and orchestrated campaign to destroy the awesome force of the Cuban revolution. | From its earliest days, the Cuban revolution has been a source of inspiration for all those who value freedom. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist and orchestrated campaign to destroy the awesome force of the Cuban revolution. |
| Long live the Cuban Revolution! Long live comrade Fidel Castro! | Long live the Cuban Revolution! Long live comrade Fidel Castro! |
| Ronald Reagan, 1986 | Ronald Reagan, 1986 |
| I remember Herbert Matthews’ reports on Castro before he came to power, calling him a democrat and the hope of Cuba. And to some of you who are really too young to remember this, even people around our country were calling him the George Washington of Cuba, and George rolled over in his grave. | I remember Herbert Matthews’ reports on Castro before he came to power, calling him a democrat and the hope of Cuba. And to some of you who are really too young to remember this, even people around our country were calling him the George Washington of Cuba, and George rolled over in his grave. |
| General Augusto Pinochet | General Augusto Pinochet |
| A man of great charisma. He’s brave, Fidel Castro. A politician, with an iron fist. He stays strong. He put his close friend [General Arnaldo Ochoa, executed for treason in July 1989] in front of the firing squad. | A man of great charisma. He’s brave, Fidel Castro. A politician, with an iron fist. He stays strong. He put his close friend [General Arnaldo Ochoa, executed for treason in July 1989] in front of the firing squad. |
| I would have given him a life sentence or expelled him from the country, but he had him shot. | I would have given him a life sentence or expelled him from the country, but he had him shot. |
| 6.26am GMT | 6.26am GMT |
| 06:26 | 06:26 |
| Rory Carroll | Rory Carroll |
| The man who famously declared “history will absolve me” leaves a divided legacy. Older Cubans who remember brutal times under Batista tend to emphasise the revolution’s accomplishments. Younger Cubans are more likely to rail against gerontocracy, repression and lost opportunity. But even they refer to Castro by the more intimate name of Fidel. | The man who famously declared “history will absolve me” leaves a divided legacy. Older Cubans who remember brutal times under Batista tend to emphasise the revolution’s accomplishments. Younger Cubans are more likely to rail against gerontocracy, repression and lost opportunity. But even they refer to Castro by the more intimate name of Fidel. |
| Since largely vanishing from public view he has been a spectral presence, occasionally surfacing in what became a trademark tracksuit, to urge faith in the revolution. It was a long goodbye which accustomed Cubans to his mortality. | Since largely vanishing from public view he has been a spectral presence, occasionally surfacing in what became a trademark tracksuit, to urge faith in the revolution. It was a long goodbye which accustomed Cubans to his mortality. |
| Exiles in Florida, the heart of the diaspora which fled communist rule, are expected to celebrate. Previous false reports of Castro’s death triggered cavalcades of cheering, flag-waving revellers. | Exiles in Florida, the heart of the diaspora which fled communist rule, are expected to celebrate. Previous false reports of Castro’s death triggered cavalcades of cheering, flag-waving revellers. |
| Latin America’s leftist leaders, in contrast, will mourn the passing of a figure who was perceived less as a communist and more as a nationalist symbol of regional pride and defiance against the gringo superpower. | Latin America’s leftist leaders, in contrast, will mourn the passing of a figure who was perceived less as a communist and more as a nationalist symbol of regional pride and defiance against the gringo superpower. |
| 6.20am GMT | 6.20am GMT |
| 06:20 | 06:20 |
| Here is video of that announcement on Cuban TV of the death of Fidel Castro. | Here is video of that announcement on Cuban TV of the death of Fidel Castro. |
| His brother, President Raúl Castro, said the former revolutionary leader had died at 10.29pm on Friday. | His brother, President Raúl Castro, said the former revolutionary leader had died at 10.29pm on Friday. |
| Información de Raúl Castro sobre el fallecimiento del líder de la Revolución Cubana #FidelCastro #Cuba pic.twitter.com/vSwWY3gdiH | Información de Raúl Castro sobre el fallecimiento del líder de la Revolución Cubana #FidelCastro #Cuba pic.twitter.com/vSwWY3gdiH |
| 6.15am GMT | 6.15am GMT |
| 06:15 | 06:15 |
| AFP reports that Castro’s body will be cremated on Saturday, citing Raúl Castro. | AFP reports that Castro’s body will be cremated on Saturday, citing Raúl Castro. |
| This image shows Raúl Castro – who succeeded his brother as Cuba’s president in 2008 – announcing news of the death on national TV: | This image shows Raúl Castro – who succeeded his brother as Cuba’s president in 2008 – announcing news of the death on national TV: |
| Raúl Castro announces the death of his brother #FidelCastro on Cuban national TV (via @franceinfo) pic.twitter.com/I3zOuu0A12 | Raúl Castro announces the death of his brother #FidelCastro on Cuban national TV (via @franceinfo) pic.twitter.com/I3zOuu0A12 |
| 6.08am GMT | 6.08am GMT |
| 06:08 | 06:08 |
| Some reaction from Florida, home of many Cubans in exile. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, senior Republican representative for the state, tweeted: | Some reaction from Florida, home of many Cubans in exile. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, senior Republican representative for the state, tweeted: |
| We must seize the moment and help write a new chapter in the history of #Cuba; that of a Cuba that is free, democratic, and prosperous. | We must seize the moment and help write a new chapter in the history of #Cuba; that of a Cuba that is free, democratic, and prosperous. |
| While Castro’s brother remains in charge in Cuba, little can change, she added: | While Castro’s brother remains in charge in Cuba, little can change, she added: |
| Un día tenía q pasar. Pero la muerte de un dictador mientras que su hermano mantiene la misma opresión contra el pueblo cubano no es cambio | Un día tenía q pasar. Pero la muerte de un dictador mientras que su hermano mantiene la misma opresión contra el pueblo cubano no es cambio |
| And Cuban-born former baseball player José Canseco tweeted: | And Cuban-born former baseball player José Canseco tweeted: |
| I was born in Cuba and Fidel Castro was our leader. Came to the USA because of him. | I was born in Cuba and Fidel Castro was our leader. Came to the USA because of him. |
| 6.02am GMT | 6.02am GMT |
| 06:02 | 06:02 |
| No further details were given on Cuban state TV, beyond the news that Fidel Castro – for so long the country’s defining figure – had died on Friday evening. | No further details were given on Cuban state TV, beyond the news that Fidel Castro – for so long the country’s defining figure – had died on Friday evening. |
| In April this year, Castro appeared at the close of the Communist party congress in Havana and alluded to the fact he would not be around for ever: | In April this year, Castro appeared at the close of the Communist party congress in Havana and alluded to the fact he would not be around for ever: |
| I’ll be 90 years old soon. Soon I’ll be like all the others. | I’ll be 90 years old soon. Soon I’ll be like all the others. |
| The time will come for all of us, but the ideas of the Cuban communists will remain as proof on this planet that if they are worked at with fervour and dignity, they can produce the material and cultural goods that human beings need, and we need to fight without truce to obtain them. | The time will come for all of us, but the ideas of the Cuban communists will remain as proof on this planet that if they are worked at with fervour and dignity, they can produce the material and cultural goods that human beings need, and we need to fight without truce to obtain them. |
| 5.53am GMT | 5.53am GMT |
| 05:53 | 05:53 |
| Rory Carroll | Rory Carroll |
| The announcement was long expected, given the former president’s age and health problems, but when it came it was still a shock: the comandante – a figurehead for armed struggle across the developing world – was no more. It was news that friends and foes had long dreaded and yearned for respectively. | The announcement was long expected, given the former president’s age and health problems, but when it came it was still a shock: the comandante – a figurehead for armed struggle across the developing world – was no more. It was news that friends and foes had long dreaded and yearned for respectively. |
| The Communist party and state apparatus has prepared for this moment since July 2006 when Castro underwent emergency intestinal surgery and ceded power to his brother, Raúl, who remains in charge. | The Communist party and state apparatus has prepared for this moment since July 2006 when Castro underwent emergency intestinal surgery and ceded power to his brother, Raúl, who remains in charge. |
| Fidel wrote occasional columns for the party paper, Granma, and made very occasional public appearances – most recently at the 2016 Communist party congress – but otherwise remained invisible. | Fidel wrote occasional columns for the party paper, Granma, and made very occasional public appearances – most recently at the 2016 Communist party congress – but otherwise remained invisible. |
| Confirmation of his death will trigger celebrations in Miami, the centre of Cuba’s exile community, and mourning among leftwing admirers around the world. For many Cubans on the island who grew up in his shadow, simultaneously respecting and resenting him, it will be a moment of profound ambivalence. | Confirmation of his death will trigger celebrations in Miami, the centre of Cuba’s exile community, and mourning among leftwing admirers around the world. For many Cubans on the island who grew up in his shadow, simultaneously respecting and resenting him, it will be a moment of profound ambivalence. |
| 5.50am GMT | 5.50am GMT |
| 05:50 | 05:50 |
| Castro died on Friday evening, his brother Raúl announced on national television. | Castro died on Friday evening, his brother Raúl announced on national television. |
| The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died 10.29pm tonight. | The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died 10.29pm tonight. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.53am GMT | at 5.53am GMT |
| 5.37am GMT | 5.37am GMT |
| 05:37 | 05:37 |
| Fidel Castro has died at the age of 90, Cuban state television has announced, ending an era for the country. | Fidel Castro has died at the age of 90, Cuban state television has announced, ending an era for the country. |
| We will have all the reaction and fallout as Cuba, Latin America and the wider world learns of the death of a revolutionary and controversial figure. | We will have all the reaction and fallout as Cuba, Latin America and the wider world learns of the death of a revolutionary and controversial figure. |