14:46 26.11.2016(updated 19:03 26.11.2016)

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro has passed away, aged 90. A giant of 20th century politics, Castro’s passing has seen a flood of condolences from leaders from around the world. As can be imagined, Russia was no exception. Castro made a decisive personal contribution to the development of Russian-Cuban relations. On Saturday, Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency reported the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro. The revolutionary was known for his love of life, and was a figure recognized by both friends and foes as a legend of 20th century politics and history. Having overthrown the Batista dictatorship in 1959, Castro and his fellow revolutionaries embraced socialism in Cuba, to the ire of the US superpower, just 90 miles from Cuba’s shores. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Castro’s Cuba actively struggled against colonialism and Western imperialism, and played an instrumental role in the non-aligned movement. In the 1990s, contrary to the expectations of many, Castro’s Cuba not only survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, but lived on and preserved its independence. Castro’s passing has resulted in a virtual flood of condolences from leaders around the world. Russia, which has a long and rich history of relations with Cuba, thanks in no small part to the Fidel’s personal efforts, was no exception. Russian officials, including President Putin, Prime Minister Medvedev, senators and lawmakers, have offered their condolences over Castro’s passing, and marked their gratitude for the Cuban leader’s immense contributions to the Russian-Cuban friendship. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a personal appeal to President Raul Castro and the Cuban people. “I express to you and to the whole Cuban people our deepest condolences on the passing of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, your brother Fidel Castro,” Putin said in a telegram sent to the Cuban president. “The name of this outstanding statesman is rightfully considered to be a symbol of an entire era in contemporary world history,” the Russian President added. “The free and independent Cuba that was built by him became an influential member of the international community, and has served as an inspiring example for many countries and peoples.” Putin stressed that Fidel Castro had made a huge contribution to the development of Russian-Cuban relations, and to strategic cooperation between the two countries in all areas. Castro was “a sincere and reliable friend of Russia,” according to the president.  “This strong and wise human being always looked with confidence to the future,” Putin’s telegram continued. “He embodied the highest ideals of politics, citizenship and patriotism, and was sincerely convinced in the rightness of the goal to which he devoted his whole life. His memory will live on forever in the hearts of Russian citizens,” Putin concluded, adding that he wished the Castro family “courage and steadfastness in the face of this irretrievable loss.” Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev also offered his condolences, saying that Castro was not just a politician and a leader, but a remarkable person. “The friendly, allied relations between our country and Cuba have been built thanks to his personal contribution,” Medvedev said. “We last spoke on the telephone in August of this year, when Fidel Castro celebrated his 90th birthday. He was keenly interested about what was happening in the world, and in Russia, and had a keen mind…to the end.” “I will always remember my meetings with this remarkable man. My deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to the entire Cuban people,” Medvedev concluded. Konstantin Kosachev, Russian Senator and chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said of Castro’s death that it was a loss not just to the Cuban nation, but to humanity as a whole. “…The scale of this personality was without exaggeration a global one, and had a real impact on the course of world history. This is not something which can be said about the passing of just any politician,” the senator noted. Kosachev added that he has “absolutely no doubt” that the Cuban leader would be written into human history “forever.” Castro, he said, had “given himself unreservedly to the service of his motherland, to his people and to his ideals…Integrity and courage, honesty and an unbendable will – these are the qualities that determined the nature of Fidel’s efforts, and predestined sympathy for his life’s work.” Kosachev recalled that Cuba under Castro had managed to withstand the “most severe” forms of external pressure, to defend its sovereignty and their right to development in accordance with their own national interests. At the same time, Castro had always loved Russia and the Russian people. This, the senator noted, was the reason why El Comandante has remained popular and beloved in Russia even after the collapse of the USSR. “Castro was a human symbol, like his comrade-in-arms Che Guevara. Through almost the entirety of his fascinating life, beginning with the legendary landing of the Granma, he served as an example to many people in the world, especially in Latin America, as a man of indomitable will, revolutionary romanticism, and sincere faith in the Idea,” Kosachev concluded. Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov also offered his condolences, and vowed that Russia would “do everything possible to perpetuate Castro’s memory.” “This was a titan of contemporary politics, a man who devoted his life to working people, an example of the struggle for justice and dignity, a man who survived dozens of attempts on his life,” Zyuganov said. Castro, Zyuganov noted, “invigorated humanity’s consciousness, which has been rotting. He contributed his immense talent to development, especially in the areas of education and healthcare. And Cuba has become an example not only for Latin America but for our entire world. Life expectancy in Cuba is much higher than it is in many affluent countries.” The Communist Party leader criticized Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin’s “betrayal” of Castro and Cuba, but stressed that country “not only survived this, but came out victorious.” Other Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin, Foreign Ministry Human Rights ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov, Duma lawmaker Mikhail Emelyanov, senators Vadim Tyulpanov, Andrei Klishas and Alexei Pushkov, and others have offered their condolences. Waking up to the news of Castro’s passing on Saturday, ordinary Russians have begun bringing flowers to the residency of the Cuban Ambassador in Moscow to offer one last goodbye to the legendary Cuban leader.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611261047868478-castro-passing-russian-reaction/

20:34 26.11.2016(updated 20:43 26.11.2016)

Fidel Castro’s death will not bring an end to the Cuban Revolution, Russian academic Evgeny Astakhov told RIA Novosti, highlighting that by the term ‘revolution’ he means further development of the Cuban sovereign and independent state. After Fidel Castro’s passing away Havana will continue to pursue the policy course set by the iconic Cuban leader, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) expert Evgeny Astakhov of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) told RIA Novosti. “If the ‘revolution’ implies an armed struggle, it ended long ago. If it implies the desire to make the peoples’ life better, I believe this task still remain high on [Cuba’s] agenda. Despite the normalization of relations between the United States [and Cuba], the goals of the revolution survived intact,” Astakhov remarked. The expert called attention to the fact that living conditions of the Cubans remain rather low. However, he emphasized that the people of Cuba preserve their self-respect and dignity. “There are no beggars there,” Astakhov underscored, “The people have a sense of pride and they face their poor living conditions with dignity.” The expert highlighted that at the same time the Cubans can boast their healthcare, cancer treatment and biotechnology. “In many respects, they give us an example of how to develop and live,” he noted. Commenting on Barack Obama’s first visit to Havana in March 2016, Haitian-born journalist Dr. Dady Chery highlighted that despite the trade embargo the US had exerted on the Caribbean state, Cuba “is no longer a country without its own toilet paper or medications, but one that has painfully built its own economy.” “Currently, Cuba holds more than 30 patents in the area of biotechnology, which is its main export. It manufactures more than 800 products for the health needs of Cubans, for whom it provides universal medical coverage,” Chery underscored in her op-ed for News Junkie Post. The journalist added that against all odds the Cubans have developed their own software products, including computer games, cell-phone platforms, and specialized software for the health sector. “The revolution will continue,” Astakhov said, “in ‘spiritual’ sense of the word, I do not mean armed struggle, barricades, ‘maidans’ and etc.” “Not all people have such a sense of pride and sovereignty as the Cubans. There will be changes and reforms in the country and there will be new people which will follow the reform path. But these reforms will be aimed at improving the living conditions of the people, and not making them dependent on the dollar system,” the Russian academic emphasized. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, the legendary Cuban revolutionary and one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, passed away on Friday at the age of 90. His death was announced by his brother and the incumbent Cuban president, Raul Castro. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the people and government of Cuba. “The name of this outstanding statesman is considered to be a symbol of an entire era in the modern history of the world. A free and independent Cuba built by him and his colleagues became an influential member of the international community and has served as an inspiring example for many countries and peoples,” Putin said in his statement. “This strong and wise man always looked to the future with confidence. He personified the high ideals of a politician, citizen and patriot, sincerely believing in the righteousness of what he did and to which he devoted his entire life. His memory will forever remain within the hearts of Russian citizens,” the Russian President emphasized.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611261047876927-castro-cuba-russia/

20:34 26.11.2016

German journalist and Castro biographer, Volker Skierka said that Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro gave the Cuban People Dignity, a national pride and a social and health system as well as a educational system which are unique and exceptional not only in Second- and Third-World-Countries, but also praised within the United Nations.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro will be remembered as a national hero for his ability to give the Cuban people a sense of dignity and independence, German journalist and Castro biographer, Volker Skierka told Sputnik on Saturday. Castro, who passed away at the age of 90 on November 25, “gave the Cuban People Dignity, a national pride,” Skierka said, adding that the small island nation, with a population of 11 million, which had previously been dominated by Spain and the United States, was able to evolve on its own terms under his leadership. “Fidel Castro gave the Cuban People Dignity, a national pride and a social and health system as well as a educational system which are unique and exceptional not only in Second- and Third-World-Countries, but also praised within the United Nations. So therefore he will survive as an icon and a myth and rest in peace as a national hero who succeeded the Cuban liberator of the 19th century José Martí,” Skierka said. He added that the deceased leader and the country under his rule managed to survive through years of austerity following the embargo and demonization by the West after the victory of his revolution in 1959 seen by Washington as “a narcissistic humiliation of biblical dimension.” “A humiliation of Goliath by an David who was felt as a Superhero since in many Third-World-Countries. Therefore he was demonized by the west as it was common in the Cold-War-Era, when leaders of the East and West demonized each other up to the brink of war… It was the Soviet Union and their bloc-countries to guarantee the economic survival after the United States established its more than half-century-long economic embargo. And even after the fall of the Soviet Union he managed himself and his country to survive by austerity,” Skierka stressed. Two years after the revolution, he declared it to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied Cuba to the Soviet Union. His “Cuban Fidelism”, is summarized by Skierka as a mixture of Marxism, Engelism, Leninism, and ideas taken from Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara and the Cuban national hero Jose Marti. Skierka noted that Castro was notable for his “latinamerican Patriachism: He was seen as a landlord who cares for his people and feels obliged to guide them through good and through stormy times.” The biographer added that Castro’s charisma and intelligence made him a memorable speaker — his longest speech, in February 1998, lasting 7 hours and 30 minutes. Infamously, the Cuban leader survived over 600 assassination attempts, primarily staged by the CIA, adding to his image of defiance, particularly in the face of the United States. Fidel Castro was born in 1926 in the Cuban village of Biran. He became Cuban prime minister in February 1959 and the country’s president in 1976. In 2008, he announced his resignation as head of state and handed power over to his younger brother Raul Castro. He remained the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party until April 19, 2011, when he officially announced his resignation from the post.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611261047877452-castro-cuba-us-legacy/

04:46 27.11.2016(updated 04:47 27.11.2016)

Long-standing Cuban leader Fidel Castro was the most prominent statesman in Latin America in the 20th century and he passed away in very challenging times, Ernesto Samper, the Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and a former president of Colombia, told Sputnik on Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Fidel Castro, one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, died late Friday at the age of 90. His death was announced by his brother and the incumbent Cuban president, Raul Castro. “[Castro] was the most prominent statesman in Latin America in the 20th century¦ People do not choose the time to die. But he passed away in the most difficult moment, when the region is facing a great uncertainty connected with the election of Donald Trump,” Samper said. According to Samper, the world will forever remember Fidel Castro as “a supporter of social equality, transparency and ideological coherence.” Samper added that there were currently “dark clouds” over relations between the United States and other states in the region due to possible consequences of new US government’s decisions regarding migrations issues and restoration of the diplomatic relations with Cuba. “It is our turn now to follow some of his [Castro’s] ideas in order to know how to overcome this uncertainty,” Samper added. Fidel Castro was born in 1926 in the Cuban village of Biran. He became Cuban prime minister in February 1959 and the country’s president in 1976. In 2008, he announced his resignation as head of state. He remained the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party until April 19, 2011, when he officially announced his resignation from the post.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/latam/201611271047882691-castro-ost-prominent-hispanic-statesman-20-century/

21:52 26.11.2016(updated 22:07 26.11.2016)

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has passed away. Speaking to Sputnik, veteran German journalist and Castro biographer Volker Skierka explained the significance of Fidel’s life and work, and the important mark the revolutionary has left on Cuba and the world. Castro, the Cuban revolutionary who survived hundreds of assassination attempts and nearly a dozen US presidents, passed away on Saturday, aged 90. A funeral ceremony has been scheduled for December 4, and will be held at a cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. Cuba has received a flood of condolences from leaders around the world, Russia included. Volker Skierka, veteran German journalist and author of the book “Fidel Castro: A Biography” spoke to Radio Sputnik about the man and his era. “He has been one of the most important political figures of the 20th century, and I think that he is going into history as a hero who was the only one to successfully oppose the influence of the great empire to the north,” Skierka said, speaking of Castro’s international significance. At home, Castro will be remembered for giving the Cuban people back their national independence and dignity, as well as for his “revolutionary social reforms” in healthcare and education. “This is a point that I think the Cuban people will try to keep for the future, because it’s a sort of role model for Third and Second World countries,” the journalist noted. As for Castro as a man, Skierka suggested that the revolutionary’s personality and charisma were “very important” in and of themselves in accounting for many of his successes. “He was very charismatic. I met him after I wrote this biography. We had an informal discussion, and I must say that he was so fascinating that I was really happy that I hadn’t met him before, because it would have caused difficulties to write the book.” Castro was “really outspoken, and had a talent to get you concentrated only on him,” the journalist recalled. “This was really an exceptional political talent. He was very intelligent, and was an excellent speaker. People listened to him for hours, and not because they had to, but because they wanted to.”  Asked whether Castro’s passing could signify any important political or economic changes on for the island nation, Skierka noted that if change does occur, it will be slowly. “[President] Raul Castro has implemented several changes; but it’s going very slowly, and I think the best way is to do it slowly, because if reform [proceeded too quickly], I think this could implode into chaos.” At the same time, the journalist suggested that while continuing to develop relations with the United States may be important, Western countries shouldn’t get their expectations up too high. “Because on the one hand, there is still the embargo, and on the other hand we will have to see what’s going to happen with the new American president  how he will deal with the Cuban situation. Although I could imagine that [Trump] might continue the course of Obama, to the disappointment of many of his followers.” Ultimately, looking back to the limited Cuban-US business ties established in the 1990s, mostly with Republican governors and officials, Skierka noted Trump is actually quite likely to face “high pressure on continuing and developing economic ties with Cuba. And I think they will also do so because they don’t want stand by, seeing as China, Russia, Brazil, Canada, and Europe pass them by and do business with Cuba.”

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/latam/201611261047878745-castro-legacy-sputnik-biographer-interview/