Tens of thousands of Cubans made a final farewell to the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro

On December 1, 2016, local time, in santa Clara, a city in central Cuba, citizens welcomed a hearse carrying the ashes of the old Castro. The ashes of The Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Castro, began on November 30 and traveled around Cuba for four days, from the capital Havana to Santiago, the final resting place. Image source: Oriental IC

Accompanied by the majestic Cuban national anthem, tens of thousands of people from all over the world gathered in the second largest city, Antonio Marceau Revolution Square, in Santiago de Cuba, to bid a final farewell to the revolutionary leader by chanting Fidel Castro's name. The city of Santiago de Cuba undoubtedly had a special significance for Fidel Castro, who, after nearly six years of arduous struggle, announced the victory of the Revolution on January 2, 1959, in the city's government building.

At the memorial service that night, Venezuelan President Maduro, Bolivian President Morales, former Brazilian President Lula and Rousseff and other Latin American leaders who were close to Fidel were all present. Representatives from the Cuban army, the National Trade Union, the Women's Federation and the Federation of University Students expressed their condolences and remembrance of Fidel's death. In his speech, Raúl Castro, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Chairman of the Council of State of Cuba and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, said that Fidel Castro's spirit of cuba has been passed on among the younger generation: "In this painful journey, Cuban young people and children have shown their inheritance of fidel's spirit, which makes us feel gratified and proud. Until the last moment of his life, the leader of the Cuban revolution (Fidel) refused to engage in a cult of personality. He doesn't even want public places like institutions, squares, parks or streets to be named after him after his death. In order to comply with comrade Fidel's wishes, we will put forward legislative proposals at the next National Congress of People's Power. ”

Raúl then recalled the special period of 1994 and called on the Cuban people to follow Fidel's example and believe that any obstacle and difficulty could be overcome. At the end of his speech, Raúl reiterated that Cuba would continue to defend the independence of the motherland and adhere to the socialist road: "In front of the ashes of Fidel on The Square of Antonio Masseo, in the heroic Santiago, we swear: defend the fatherland, defend socialism, and together we reiterate the admonition of General Antonio Marceau that anyone who tries to conquer Cuba will either perish in the struggle or will only be given land soaked in blood." Fidel, Fidel, will always move forward until victory! ”

On 30 November, the convoy escorting Fidel's ashes departed from the capital, Havana, and traveled backwards along the route of the Cuban Revolution of 1959 to the east, passing through 13 provinces and traveling more than a thousand kilometers, before finally arriving in Santiago at noon on the 3rd. On the morning of the 4th, Fidel Castro's ashes will be buried in the Santa Iphigenia Cemetery. However, because the funeral is not open to the public, for the vast majority of the public, the rally on the evening of the 3rd is their last chance to officially say goodbye to the national legend. Marisel Estrava, from Havana, said that despite Fidel's sad passing, his spirit will live on: "I am Fidel's daughter and one of the first volunteer teachers. It's a very painful time for me, but at the same time I will choose to continue to fight and pass on the spirit of struggle that Fidel taught us. ”

Santiago de Cuban police officer Baráil Ravens said Fidel's will will always inspire all Cubans: "Fidel is the engine of the Cuban revolution and the driving force behind our maintenance of socialism. Although he is now dead, we will still unite around him, just as the earth looks up at the sky. We will support each other, as Fidel promised to Chinese, and Cuba and China will be closely united and face the future together. That's what Fidel means, I'm Fidel, she's Fidel, all Cubans are Fidel. ”

As a new generation who has not experienced the Cuban revolution, José Leandro, a 22-year-old medical university student, said that Cuban youth have always dared to take responsibility, Fidel's spirit has long been inherited, and it is time for young people to assume national responsibility: "Cuban youth always leave their mark on the revolutionary process. Fidel was also a young man when he led our struggle for independence. Although now is not the time to defend the country with our rifles, for us young people, especially those of us who are studying in the universities established by the Commander-in-Chief, it is now our turn to shoulder the responsibility of developing the economy and other construction of the motherland, and we should mobilize our enthusiasm, and the Cuban revolution will not fall. ”