Fidel Castro Ruz dead at the age of 90.

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, state TV has announced.

It provided no further details.

Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century before handing over the powers to his brother Raul in 2008.

His supporters praised him as a man who had given Cuba back to the people. But his opponents accused him of brutally suppressing opposition.

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.

Fidel Castro's key dates

1926: Born in the south-eastern Oriente Province of Cuba

1953: Imprisoned after leading an unsuccessful rising against Batista's regime

1955: Released from prison under an amnesty deal

1956: With Che Guevara, begins a guerrilla war against the government

1959: Defeats Batista, sworn in as prime minister of Cuba

1960: Fights off CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles

1962: Sparks Cuban missile crisis by agreeing that USSR can deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba

1976: Elected president by Cuba's National Assembly

1992: Reaches an agreement with US over Cuban refugees

2008: Stands down as president of Cuba due to health issues

Communism is dead and now so is Fidel.

He did a lot of great things for the cuban people while managing to make a lot of bad things for the cuban people.

Well, Cuban is still a communist country, just not as strict anymore.

Wow. End of an era.

There's no way he could have died of natural causes at only 90. Obama must have had him poisoned.

Can't believe I'm going through an era. What a time must have been for those in the 60s.

Cool, lets end the embargo! Oops, I forgot Trump is president now. Never mind.

@eliminatorpaige: Why my friend? Don't be afraid to expand on a point you want to make. Obama was big on ending the embargo. Is Trump and the Republicans? Go ahead, use your words. It takes an act of congress. What do you think they will do? Or better yet, what do you want them to do?

"facepalm" is a comment that only impresses the dumbest and most impressionable people here.

I'm all against the dictatorship of any sort as the outcome would never be in favor of the ppl, but i do wonder why some ppl adore this guy... am i missing sth here?

Well, for various historical reasons. He was a constant thorn in America's side and an avatar of some of America's greatest foreign policy failures; whether it be the fall of the American-backed Batista regime, the subsequent disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, or the multiple CIA assassination attempts. That gave him a lot of cred among the so-called "anti-imperialists," and he was also a major figure in the Non-Aligned Movement.

He also spoke out against Apartheid and colonialism back in the 70s - this was back before Reagan saw South Africa as an anti-Communist bulwark and Thatcher called ANC a terrorist group. This earned him a lot of fans in Africa. He also exploited the 2000s leftist rise and general unpopularity of the Bush administration to improve his relationship with Latin America.

And of course, Cuba's healthcare system has a lot of left-leaning fans, even in the West.

That's off the top of my head. There are probably other reasons, if I bother to do some more research.

Didn't JFK tried to kill him?

@Storm_Marine said:

Are those Cubans?

I'm loving the irony with some here on the left and their response to this awful man's death. They freak out about what Trump will potentially do, yet they mourn someone who did worse than Trump ever could. **** Castro and it's a shame he managed to live this long in the first place.

good

.....and Trump tweets "Fidel Castro is dead!!".....I don't know guys, that just seems childish

@AFBrat77: no its not..Castro was a terrible person.. Im sure Obama will offer his deepest condolences to the passing of his fellow comrade, maybe even drop the flag to half-mast.

@Flubbbs:

I agree he was terrible, just the tweeting thing I don't get.....dude is gonna be president, he needs to keep shit like this to himself, could rub some people the wrong way. I don't think a president should say or uh tweet everything they think. Bad move.

This isn't about Obama, it's about respecting the office of the president. Obama will likely say or do little about it, the right move.

@AFBrat77:

Timely. Here's Obama's statement:

"At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.

‎For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.

Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America."

@madrocketeer:

The right response for a president.....cordial and thoughtful to the Cuban people.

Not "Fidel Castro is dead!" on a tweet.

@AFBrat77: I dont see whats wrong with it. Its shameful how much praise he is getting from the world leaders, i think Justin Trudeau's was the most embarrassing..It looks like Trump's response is the most appropriate.

@AFBrat77:

Maybe. He's been betting on a post-Fidel Cuba being more willing to take a different approach, especially with the sorry state of their economy. Sort of like what China did after Mao died. Hence the reason he didn't meet Fidel when he visited. This statement won't upset that apple cart.

Of course, it now all depends on the incoming administration.

@Flubbbs:

Obama didn't praise him, he remained neutral in a diplomatic way, while extending a hand to the Cuban people. Can you imagine Trump handling things so deftly, I can't see it without him offending someone.

@Flubbbs:

Trudeau's dad was a personal friend of Castro, who later attended his funeral.

And as I've already alluded to, Fidel has many admirers in Africa, where they see him as an anti-Apartheid and anti-colonialist hero, and Latin America, where they see him as the David who took on the American Goliath and, for example, forced Kennedy to promise to never invade Cuba.

Quite frankly, I agree. Ask yourself why our government has always viewed the Castro Brothers and Cuba as evil. Is it because the United States was never able to impose its will on the country and out government hates when people and nations push back?

Wonder how much longer it will be for communism to collapse in Cuba. There are already privately owned businesses such as restaurants, that offer a far higher quality experience than government owned restaurants. Which of the government one's I've seen, may as well be sandwich stands as that's all they were selling. As the government chooses what they can sell.

There is also an unofficial Cuban internet that links cuban households together. Where they share information that would be deemed illegal in Cuba. So the people certainly want a lot of reform to come their way. And idk if Raul will be open to deliver on those demands. As not only does Raul not have his brother's level of charisma and symbolic figure. He's 85, and will need a replacement eventually.

i see, thanks for the explanation.

Spot on.

I have no idea why any leader of the free world would consider making any other statement then. A dictator is dead and the world is one shithead less.

Castro has cost thousands of innocent families their loved ones, and both Obama and the canadian PM should remember those and not the man who took their life.

Thank god Castro is finally no longer on this earth, the world is now a tiny bit better then it was yesterday. Even tho a Castro is still in the lead and destroying many cubans lives.

If you agree and that is your opinion. You need to educate yourself a bit more as to the horrible dictator the castro´s was and still is.

Just because they have mellowed out a bit in the last decade, their history is no different the Saddam or Gaddafi´s rule. Not to mention that if it wasn't for JFK's cool head , Castro would have begun a 3rd world war.

So you remember him and mourn a horrible person, i for one will be glad this creep is dead and instead mourn the countless innocent lives lost to and by the castros.

I really dislike Castro and am glad he is dead but it seems Jacanuk shares that opinion as well. I am now very conflicted about my own views.

You weren´t born poor in the Cuba of the late 50´s, that´s why you don´t understand why most cubans adored him.

So you are conflicted because i share that opinion?

What about looking at the facts instead and look at who Castro was and what he did and then make your own informed decision. But i guess being canadian, you may share your PM´s view that he is a great leader who was loved and worshipped by his people, so much that free elections is not needed and anyone killed or jailed was only because they deserved it. Particular those sharing the opinion with me that Castro was a horrible person.

@jak42:

That depends on many questions. Keep in mind, any attempt at reform on Raul Castro's part will be for the intention of saving the Cuban regime, not overhauling it. This, then, would be similar to the Chinese model; aggressive economic reform paired with minimal political reform. Would that be enough to continue their détente with America? Or would the Republicans follow through on their statements so far, take a hard line and seek a precipitous collapse of the Cuban regime?

If it's the latter, then two possibilities exist. If Castro is truly desperate to patch things up with America, he may offer concessions, such as releasing political prisoners and loosening some media restrictions, while keeping the Cuban system fundamentally intact. Would that be enough for the Republicans to soften their stance and seek a more gradualist approach?

The other possibility is Castro may ignore America altogether and pivot to China. Recently, China have expressed intent in changing and expanding their investment strategy in Latin America. If Cuba reforms to make themselves an attractive destination for Chinese investors, they could be in line for some desperately needed Chinese money. After all, this is what this whole Cuba-America détente is really all about; Cuba's economy is in bad shape and they really need someone to give them some cash flow.

And all of this, of course, depends on internal Cuban politics. Fidel may be dead, but many "Fidelistas" remain. Will they go along with these reforms, or will they seek to block them or slow them down?

So many questions, so few answers at the moment.

Whether or not he was horrible is 110% irrelevant. The United States has sided with dictators before and the only reason Cuba is looked at differently is because Cuba essentially has told the United States to F off for decades. If he were kissing the ass of our government things would be different but he was always the one who got away. Save the b.s about the third world war because the United States was an equal contributor leading up to the crisis. I know the proper line of thinking is to believe the U.S.S.R. and Cuba were the bullies when in fact The United States was doing the same damned thing in Europe.

If you want to talk about such a fascinating topic, I'm happy to engage but please eliminate the bullshit.

@madrocketeer: I definitely agree any reforms will at first, be to maintain the current power of the regime. With minimum affect at the political level.

I don't know for sure just how fast any big political changes on the international level will happen. As while Fidel is dead, he long gave up his power. I also don't recall Trump intending to do away with improving Cuban relationships. As he's really the person the Republicans will follow now. And its not something he campaigned about. He may be open to it if America gets a favorable trade deal. Which may not be too difficult to do. As America has much to offer for Cuban consumers. In particular, basic necessities such as toilet paper.

And many of them despise him ... the opinions are so divided.

I know you speak out of nonsense hate towards anything american.

But in case you actually want to learn something

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/fidel-castro-en/article117186483.html

Just a small article on Castro's rule. And a thing to show just how hypocritical Obama and Trudeau is

@jak42:

Every leader has a constituent to please and keep happy. In Trump's case, his constituents are the Cuban-Americans who delivered him Florida, two Cuban-American Senators whose votes he will need to pass his agenda, plus other conservative hardliners who would not settle for anything short of the Cuban regime crashing down like a Jenga tower and Raul Castro's head on a pike.

I'd therefore keep any expectation of further progress on Cuba-United States relations, shall we say, "realistic."

If you were paying a little more attention to the current events of Cuba, Obama's efforts to end the embargo and the difficulty in doing that with Castro still alive as well as the fact Trump just won the election and his party and base favor keeping the embargo you would see why I mention Trump. He is very germane to the topic at hand and if you look you will see that I'm not the only person mentioning him in this thread. I would expect a Trump supporter to come out with strong views opposing the ending of the embargo and enforcing it further since that is what their vote is likely to do. What kills me is Trump supporters seem to often want the opposite of what he and his party stands for.

@AFBrat77: Yeah I thought that Trump's tweet was kind of childish too but I guess that's just par for the course.

The left is praising a dictator who abused his own people whereas the right condemns said dictator but elected an authoritarian populist who's keen on creating a registry and having stop-and-frisk as a national policy. What a world.

Castro ruled Cuba through an iron fist, abused his own people, and suppressed political and economic rights. I can understand where there's a lot of fake praise from leaders worldwide, probably to maintain diplomatic ties to Cuba to avoid pissing off the ruling party. He's not someone I would associate with liberty and equality nor would I ever celebrate his life. I can imagine Cubans are celebrating in the States but I am curious to how Cubans in Cuba are reacting towards Castro's death.

His character standing should not have (had) any bearing on whether or not people could travel, purchase goods, etc.., with Cuba since our people have been able to do such that with other nations being ruled by tyrants. Cuba was treated differently for decades because the United States could not control him and our government finds that problematic. What you've seen is strictly a pride issue.

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2016/11/26/statement-prime-minister-canada-death-former-cuban-president-fidel-castro

I've largely been indifferent to our PM but this is just fucking embarrassing.

@PSP107 said:

@Stesilaus said:

There's no way he could have died of natural causes at only 90. Obama must have had him poisoned.

Didn't JFK tried to kill him?

@Storm_Marine said:

Are those Cubans?

I'm sure Cubans are like

@gamingculture: Trump has talked about repealing Obama's more open policies with Cuba. And as with other issues let's look at who he is appointing.

President-elect Donald Trump Monday named Mauricio Claver-Carone, executive director of the most active pro-Cuba embargo group in Washington, to his transition team.

@Storm_Marine:

lol, good one.

Our people? are you Cuban? and if you are, i guess you are not actually in cuba since internet is not something freely had, so perhaps go home to Cuba and try living there?

But to be honest in regards to Castro, i could not give a flying fudge cake about how the US treated Cuba. Castro was a tyrant dictator, and had thousands killed and put in jail because all they did was speak out against his regime. And the only way to deal with a tyrant is to close them in by themselves and let them rot, yes the cuban people was hurt by it, but any other action would have been sick.

I am to be honest at a loss for words with the outpouring of condolences from some world leaders like Obama and Trudeau, particular the latter must have gone insane and he is pissing on the grave of every cuban who has lost family members or friends and on the cubans who lost their life.

Castro is and never will be a great leader or a great human being, and it´s funny to think just a decade ago he jailed gays and other misfits for being nothing other than a misfit or gay, not to mention he had americans killed, and now suddenly all that is forgotten and he is a great leader.

Not to bring Trump into the picture but his and Rubio's response is the only way anyone should respond to his death, and so what if the other castro gets pissed,

Castro's legacy is an odd one. He was a terrible person and a ruthless dictator, but he highlighted the violent and controlling attitude of the American government. Unfortunately a lot of people will ignore the former because of the latter and vice versa.

He hasn't been in power for several years now so not sure if his death will actually change anything. The embargo on travel was already lifted to progress was already being made, it's really just a matter of time (unless someone manages to mess it up)