Arizonans react to the death of Fidel Castro

Former President Fidel Castro, who led a rebel army to improbable victory in Cuba, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 USA presidents during his half century rule, has died at age 90.

“No words can express what Fidel’s death means”.

After Castro’s death, Obama issued a statement of condolences.

Castro died late Friday at the age of 90.

“The name of this outstanding statesman is considered to be a symbol of an entire era in modern world history”.

Havana resident and father of five Rafael Urbay, 60, said: “For me, it’s my mother first, my children, my father, then Fidel”.

Another Trump primary challenger, Florida Senator Marco Rubio – who is also Cuban-American – called Castro an “evil, murderous dictator who inflicted misery and suffering on his own people” and turned Cuba into an “impoverished island prison”.

Thousands of Cubans believed that Castro was the leadership change their country needed. His unwavering support for the freedom of South Africa and his stance against the apartheid regime, will ensure that his name is recorded in our history books as one of the foremost global supporters of our liberation struggle. That image made him both a symbol of revolution throughout the world and an inspiration to many imitators.

He called Castro “larger than life” and “a legendary revolutionary and orator”.

The President-elect had earlier taken to Twitter to publish this triumphant-sounding tweet+. “A great man is gone”.

Obama used his executive powers on a series of steps to ease trade, travel and financial restrictions against Cuba, arguing it was time to try diplomacy after the half-century-long economic embargo against Cuba had failed to shake the regime. He exported revolution to Central and South America.

“However, despite these achievements in areas of social policy, Fidel Castro’s 49-year reign was characterized by a ruthless suppression of freedom of expression”.

Higgins’ statement said Castro will be “remembered as a giant among global leaders whose view was not only one of freedom for his people but for all of the oppressed and excluded peoples on the planet”. He was imprisoned for a year for helping the revolutionaries, but eventually made it to Cuba to celebrate with his friends.

His vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, also took a hard line.

In 2015, McGovern helped launch a bipartisan Cuban working group to maintain the momentum that Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in 2014 after a year of secret negotiations.

The Soviet Union’s last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, said: “Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him”.

Without giving any specifics, Trump said on Saturday that his administration would “do all it can” once he takes office on January 20 to help increase freedom and prosperity for Cuban people after the death Castro.

Mexico City gun dealer Antonio del Conde, nicknamed “The Friend”, met Castro in the 1950s and bought him Granma, the boat he used to sail from Mexico to start the insurgency that toppled US -backed dictator Fulgencio Batista two years later.

According to Jhonny Garcia, coordinator of the Cuba-Venezuela Solidarity Movement, “the Cuban people. will know how to honor the effort, the bravery and courage, the dignity and morals, of a man of Fidel’s stature”.

“Losing Fidel is like losing a father – the guide, the beacon of this revolution”, said Michel Rodriguez, a 42-year-old baker.