Cuba's Fidel Castro, former president, dies aged 90 14 minutes ago From the sectionLatin America & Caribbean Share please log in to view this image Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES Image captionFidel Castro led the Communist revolution in Cuba in 1959 Fidel Castro, Cuba's former president and leader of the Communist revolution, has died aged 90, his brother Raul has announced. "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening," President Raul Castro said. Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul took over in 2008. His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition. Obituary: Fidel Castro Fidel Castro: A life in pictures Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in a late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated on Saturday. There would now be several days of national mourning on the island. Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for some time, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana reports. In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress. He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious". Media captionFidel Castro made a rare appearance at Cuba's Communist Party congress "I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined". "Soon I'll be like all the others, "to all our turn must come," Fidel Castro said. Fidel Castro's key dates please log in to view this image Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES 1926: Born in the south-eastern Oriente Province of Cuba 1953: Imprisoned after leading an unsuccessful rising against Batista's regime 1955: Released from prison under an amnesty deal 1956: With Che Guevara, begins a guerrilla war against the government 1959: Defeats Batista, sworn in as prime minister of Cuba 1961: Fights off CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles 1962: Sparks Cuban missile crisis by agreeing that USSR can deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba 1976: Elected president by Cuba's National Assembly 1992: Reaches an agreement with US over Cuban refugees 2008: Stands down as president of Cuba due to health issues Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro was Washington's bete noire. An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, he and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support. Within two years of taking power, he declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied the island nation firmly to the Soviet Union. Yet, despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on the island, Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, he outlasted ten US presidents and defied scores of attempts on his life by the CIA. Strange fellow, liberated a land only to oppress. He had the US very worried for a while too. Can't say rest in peace for this bloke but interesting he most certainly was. Huge figure from modern history gone.
Fair play to him. Stood up for what he believed in and wouldn't back down to the US. Ballsy as ****. Bordering on mental. Don't know enough about it to judge him properly though. A colourful character gone.
In his own way he was a man of principle and has to be admired for stopping Cuba from being the money laundering centre of the Mafia. Just a shame that like S Africa they have not progressed with their freedom, but sat least they survived the savage US sanctions. His legacy will come good in ten or so years, provided they do not open a Trump hotel.
He told the Yanks to **** off & stood by that. That makes him a good man imo. He did what he thought was right for his country instead of cow-towing to the worlds police force. I admire people like him. RIP Fidel.
Cuba would have perhaps been the most economically successful socialist regime of all time had it not been for the economic sanctions that the USA put on them. As it stands, the health service model in Cuba is still one that gains admiration from many quarters..
He's like Mussolini in the sense that although they were **** houses of people they had many redeeming features in eyes of their own people that they respect and you can't blame them really. Flip side there's the people who didn't fit with their ideals who suffered greatly at their hands.
Thanks to Fidel, I had the opportunity to spend a winter of my youth with a Cuban girl. Altered my belief system - she did.
Aye, the peasants loved him for raising their living standards when he standardised the wealth levels. The well-off fled and hate him, but they will be back to regain their inheritances over time.
From the outset of the Cuban revolution he went to the US for help but they cold shouldered him sending him to the USSR who loved having an ally right on US doorstep.
