‘He gave me everything’: Cubans begin tearful farewell to Fidel Castro
Some saw him as a socialist hero who brought education and free health care, others labelled him a tyrant who caused economic hardship
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans flocked to Havana’s iconic Revolution Square in a tearful and nostalgic tribute to Fidel Castro on Monday, launching a week-long farewell to the divisive cold war icon.
Long lines of mourners entered the towering monument to independence hero Jose Marti, filing past a black-and-white picture of “El Comandante” as a young, black-bearded revolutionary carrying a rifle.
Watch: A look back on the life of Fidel Castro
Many walked by silently while clutching flowers, some took pictures with their phones and others sobbed uncontrollably as they looked up at the portrait flanked by white roses.
But his ashes were not put on display, surprising many who had hoped to see the urn holding the remains of their hero.
Lourdes Rivera, a 66-year-old retired civil servant, sat on a curb and cried as she waited for her turn to enter the monument.
“He’s the father of all Cubans. My dad was my dad, but he couldn’t give me what [Castro] gave me. He gave me everything. My freedom. My dignity,” she said.