Former first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Council of State, Fidel Castro died of Parkinson's disease brought on by natural causes in his sleep at 22:29 (CST) on the evening of 25 November 2016, at the age of 90. His brother, Raúl Castro, who was president of the Council of State at the time, announced Fidel's death on state television. One of the most controversial political leaders of his era, Castro both inspired and dismayed people across the world during his lifetime. The London Observer stated that the only thing that his "enemies and admirers" agreed upon was that he was "a towering figure" in world affairs who "transformed a small Caribbean island into a major force in world affairs". The Daily Telegraph noted that across the world he was "either praised as a brave champion of the people, or derided as a power-mad dictator." Castro's body was cremated and his ashes were interred in Santiago de Cuba on 4 December 2016, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans commemorated the event.
Background
Between 2006 and 2007, Castro had 3 intestinal surgeries for diverticulitis. In April 2016, Castro told the Communist Party: "I'll be 90 years old soon. Soon, I'll be like all the others. The time will come for all of us. Still, the ideas of the Cuban communists will remain as proof on this planet that if they are worked at with fervor and dignity, they can produce the material and cultural goods that human beings need, and we need to fight without a truce to obtain them." In February 2016, his older brother Ramón died at the age of 91.
Castro's death was anticipated in South Florida, with media and governments expecting and hoping that it would cause chaotic celebrations and regime change plans. The city of Miami had planned to open the Miami Orange Bowl for celebrations; schools might have dismissed early; and police and government officials might have blocked boat piers to prevent Cuban exile from trying to invade the island. The Miami Herald created a "Cuba plan" more than 20 years before Castro's death; as much as 60 pages in length, it included multiple newspaper extras and reporters joining the United States Coast Guard as it handled the expected large number of refugees fleeing the island. Its journalists prepared to enter Cuba surreptitiously; employees knew that Castro's death would interrupt any vacation or weekend. After Raúl Castro became the country's leader and visiting Cuba became easier, such plans became less important.
Death announcement President and first secretary of the Communist Party Raúl Castro somberly announced on national television: "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution had passed away peacefully at 22:29 (CST) this evening." He recalled at the end of his speech: "¡Hasta la victoria siempre!" ("Towards victory, always!")
The Council of State of the Republic of Cuba declared nine days of national mourning from 06:00 on 26 November until 12:00 on 4 December. A statement read: "During the mourning period, all public events and activities will cease, the national flag will fly at half-mast on public buildings and at military facilities and television and radio will broadcast informative, patriotic and historical programmes." This included the postponement of the grand military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the landing of the yacht Granma and Armed Forces Day in Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion by a month from 2 December to 2 January 2017. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla suspended a visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The Cuban Embassy in the United States made an announcement in writing: "Until forever, Commander! This No. 25, at 10:29 p.m. the Commander in Chief of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Ruz passed away." It also posted an image that read: "Hasta Siempre, Comandante."
Funeral
Following Castro's death, it was announced by his brother Raúl Castro, who also announced that Castro's body would be cremated. The cremation was a private affair, with only state and party officials attending together with Fidel's family and friends.
The casket carrying his ashes then lay in state for Cubans to pay homage to Castro at the José Martí Memorial in Havana on 28 and 29 November. A memorial rally then took place at the Plaza de la Revolución at 19:00 on 29 November in which President and first secretary of the Communist Party Raúl Castro, as well as various world leaders who were allies of Castro paid tribute, including the presidents of Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and South Africa, along with the prime minister of Greece and leaders of a host of smaller countries in Africa. From 29 November to 3 December the casket carrying his ashes travelled along a 900 kilometres route to Santiago de Cuba, tracing in reverse the route of the "Freedom Caravan" of January 1959 in which Castro and his rebels took power. At one point, the jeep broke down and had to be pushed by attending soldiers.
On 3 December at 19:00, another mass gathering took place at Plaza Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba, with Raúl and other foreign leaders and dignitaries. People waved the flag of Cuba and sang the national anthem. Raúl Castro said in a final speech that Castro showed it was "possible to firmly maintain the inalienable principles of our sovereignty without fear to the nuclear blackmail of the United States during those days of the missile crisis in October 1962." He further added that images and statues of Castro will not be displayed in public places and roads will not be named after him. "The leader of the revolution strongly opposed any manifestation of cult of personality." and again paid tribute to Fidel. The next day, 4 December at 7:00, the interment of Castro's ashes occurred in a private ceremony in Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, where Cuban national hero José Martí is also buried. As a camouflage-green hearse went to the cemetery, mourners lined the streets and cheered "Viva Fidel!" and "Yo Soy, Fidel!" A secretly constructed tomb was also at the venue. Final events occurred as a 21-gun salute was fired and the ashes, in a coffin wrapped in Cuban flag, disappeared from public view as television cameras and journalists were not allowed inside, save for cameramen from the Sistema Informativo de la Televisión, which provided the live coverage for television channels islandwide.
Foreign dignitaries attending the state funeral Most states sent delegations led by high or mid-ranking officials to the funeral; many African and Latin American states sent delegations led by presidents or prime ministers. The funeral was attended by 30 heads of state and government, two multilateral leaders and eight former leaders.
Heads of multilateral organizations President Nkosazana Dlamini ZumaWorld Federation of Trade Unions Secretary-General George Mavrikos Heads of state and government Prime Minister Gaston Browne Prime Minister Perry Christie President Evo Morales Governor General David Johnston President Jorge Carlos Fonseca President Juan Manuel Santos President Denis Sassou Nguesso Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit President Rafael Correa President Salvador Sánchez Cerén President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo PresidentMulatu Teshome Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo PresidentJocelerme Privert President Juan Orlando Hernández Prime MinisterAndrew Holness President Uhuru Kenyatta President Enrique Peña Nieto President Hage Geingob President Daniel Ortega President Juan Carlos Varela Prime Minister Allen Chastanet Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves President Jacob Zuma President Dési Bouterse Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda President Nicolás Maduro President Robert Mugabe Government representatives and others President of the Council of the Nation Abdelkader Bensalah Vice PresidentMPLA Secretary Manuel VicentePaulo Kassoma Minister of Foreign Relations Susana Malcorra Chief of the Presidential Administration Viktor Sheiman Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber Minister of Foreign RelationsMinister of CultureFormer presidentFormer presidentJosé SerraRoberto FreireLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaDilma Rousseff Minister of Culture Abraão Vicente Vice-President and member of the Politburo Li Yuanchao President of the SenatePresident of the Chamber of DeputiesMinister of Social Development Ricardo Lagos WeberOsvaldo AndradeMarcos Barraza Delegation of the Colombian governmentRepresentatives of the FARC VariousVarious Minister of EcologyPresidential envoy for Latin America Ségolène RoyalJean-Pierre Bel President of the Senate Lucie Milebou Aubusson Former chancellor Gerhard Schröder Former General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Choummaly Sayasone Home MinisterLok Sabha Deputy SpeakerBJP MP INC MPCPI (M) General-SecretaryCPI SecretaryBJD MPSamajwadi Party MP Rajnath SinghM. ThambiduraiRamen DekaAnand SharmaSitaram YechuryD. RajaJhina HikakaJaved Ali Khan Delegation of the Cambodian governmentVarious Mexico-based AmbassadorPresident of Sinn Féin Sonja HylandGerry Adams TD Leader of the Opposition, Former prime minister Portia Simpson-Miller Member of the House of Representatives Keiji Furuya Ambassador to Cuba Khairi Omar Former president Armando Guebuza Member of the Politburo Standing Committee Choe Ryong-hae Minister AssistantEduardo Cabrita Former presidentDemetris Christofias Chairman of the State DumaDeputy Prime Minister Vyacheslav VolodinDmitry Rogozin Minister of Foreign Relations Mohamed Salem Ould Salek Former King Juan Carlos I of Spain Minister of State for Europe and the AmericasShadow Foreign Secretary (Labour) Alan DuncanEmily Thornberry Deputy National Security AdvisorAmbassador-designate Ben RhodesJeffrey DeLaurentis Vice-PresidentFormer president Raúl Fernando SendicJosé Mujica Chairperson of the National Assembly and member of the Politburo Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân
UK Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn was scheduled to attend as part of his country's delegation. However, his attendance was later denied. U.S. preacher and civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at a memorial for Castro in Havana. Others in attendance included actor Danny Glover and Argentine football player Diego Maradona, who said: "I feel Cuban."
Other memorials Memorials in Castro's names were conducted in places outside Cuba:
Algeria declared eight days of mourning; Bolivia decreed seven days of national mourning; Equatorial Guinea decreed three days of national mourning; Nicaragua decreed nine days of national mourning; North Korea declared a period of mourning for three days; and Venezuela decreed three days of national mourning., Namibia declared a period of mourning for three days Uruguay, Vietnam, Angola decreed one day of national mourning; Trinidad and Tobago decreed that the national flag be flown at half-mast for one day; while Haiti decreed three days of mourning; and Dominica declared national mourning for Castro. The Sahrawi Republic government declared three days of mourning.