Chinese citizens honor former Cuban leader Fidel Castro

Asked on CNN’s State of the Union about Obama’s statement and that issued by Pope Francis, who expressed sorrow regarding Castro’s death, Rubio said that as a Catholic he looked to the pope for spiritual guidance, not political.

Instead, Trump tore into the newly-deceased dictator in perhaps the clearest example since this month’s election of the two men’s sharply different world views.

In a sign of changing times, US President Barack Obama visited the plaza during his historic visit to Havana in March, when he became the first US leader since 1928 to step foot in Cuba.

Castro led the Cuban Revolution against the government of Fulgencio Batista, which triggered a bitter stand-off between the United States and Cuba that resulted in the USA imposing a trade embargo on Cuba.

On Wednesday, Castro’s ashes will begin traveling eastward across Cuba following in reverse the route taken by his rebels from the Sierra Maestra mountains to the capital, Havana. And while he took a lower profile after officially retiring in 2008, Castro never stopped warning Cubans that the American government was not to be trusted. Indeed, Obama extended his condolences to Castro’s family.

“(Fidel Castro) certainly was a polarizing figure and there certainly were concerns around human rights. Indeed, Sri Lanka has also lost a honest friend in the passing away of this remarkable leader and we join the people of Cuba in mourning this irreplaceable loss. He was a relentless dictator who imprisoned thousands, killed and tortured many Cubans, ‘ he wrote on Saturday. The Republican told Fox News he hoped the administration would not send anyone to Castro’s funeral.

He survived more than 600 assassination attempts, according to aides, as well as the failed 1961 US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion.

“Let’s not forget that this is an exile community that has suffered a lot, over 50 years”, Frau said.

Gross was released in December of 2014 as part of a broader exchange in which three Cubans convicted for spying were released from American prisons. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute, calling Castro a “remarkable leader” and “legendary revolutionary” who made “significant improvements” to his country.

Fidel Castro “was the bearer of an ideal of courage” which he knew how to convey to his people, also admirable.

“We need a new chapter here”, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a Democrat who has introduced bipartisan legislation to lift the embargo, said in an interview.

“What can I say?”

“Saying goodbye to Fidel will be lovely”, she said. “It’s time to change it”.