 Castro in 2009 | |
| Death date | 25 November 2016 at 22:29 (UTC−05:00) |
|---|---|
| Cremation date | 26 November 2016 |
| Interment date | 4 December 2016 |
Former first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Council of State, Fidel Castro died of natural causes 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.[1] One of the most controversial political leaders of his era,[2] Castro both inspired and dismayed people across the world during his lifetime.[3] 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".[4] 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."[5] 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.
- ^ "Cuba's Fidel Castro, former president, dies aged 90". BBC News. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ Balfour 1995, p. 1.
- ^ Balfour 1995, p. vi.
- ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma; Gibbs, Stephen; Borger, Julian (26 November 2016). "Fidel Castro: leader proves as divisive in death as he was in life". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Alexander, Harriet (26 November 2016). "Fidel Castro: As Divisive in Death as he was in Life". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.