Local immigrants react to Fidel Castro’s death

Cuban Americans celebrate news of Fidel Castro’s death in Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida on November 26, 2016.

“Fidel Castro was a larger-than-life leader who served his people for nearly half a century”, Trudeau said in a statement.

Castro – who defied 10 hostile US Presidents and survived multiple assassination attempts by the Central Intelligence Agency – ruled Cuba as a one-party state for five decades. For numerous 8,800 people of Cuban descent living in Washington state, Saturday was a day to reflect on Fidel Castro’s reign.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, tweeted: “The death of tyrant Castro does not mark end to tyranny in Cuba”.

NBC 4 NY arrived in Havana late Saturday as the country prepared memorial services and national mourning for the revolutionary who died Friday at 90 years old.

Her daughter has married outside the Cuban community, but says she wants to bring some Cuban pride to the next generation. Castro has died at age 90.

A month later, Cuba was removed from the U.S. list of “State Sponsors of Terror” and within a year, President Obama travelled to Cuba – the first visit by a USA president while in office in 88 years.

The Canadian prime minister’s oddly warm remembrance of Fidel Castro set social media aflame Saturday as Castro’s many critics pilloried Justin Trudeau’s statement calling the dead dictator a controversial and “larger than life leader” but stopping far short of condemning his actions.

President Barack Obama offered his condolences to Fidel Castro’s family on Saturday. Moakley and Castro first met in 1995 at the United Nations, then again in 1996 on more volatile terms after Cuba downed two American planes that were releasing leaflets over Cuban territory.

“As I told you, I documented 18,000 political assassinations and that’s but a fraction of the murders he’s committed to maintain himself in power”, said Fowler.

Cuba mourned revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Sunday as the communist island prepared to say its last goodbyes to the towering giant of its modern history with mass memorials and a four-day funeral procession.

A few dozen demonstrators gathered in Echo Park Saturday morning to celebrate the passing of Fidel Castro, waving Cuban and US flags at passing cars.

Instead, Alonso-Rodriguez, 60, said he felt a sense of loss for what transpired during Castro’s rule, from how his family was severed, to how others were barred from leaving, and in many cases, risked their lives to do so anyway.

“We try to keep the Cuban culture with books, and the language, and the food”, said Lora Williams Gerhardt.

In Cuba, alcohol sales have been suspended, flags are being flown at half-mast, and shows and concerts have been cancelled.

Police blocked off streets leading to Cafe Versailles, the quintessential Cuban American hotspot where strong cafecitos – sweetened espresso – were as common as a harsh word about Fidel Castro.