Fidel Castro’s ashes arrive in eastern city of Santiago
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People chant “I am Fidel!” as the motorcade carrying the ashes of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro leaves the Cespedes park during a tour in Santiago, Cuba, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. After a four-day journey across the country through small towns and cities where his rebel army fought its way to power nearly 60 years ago, his remains will be interred in Santiago on Sunday.
SANTIAGO, Cuba >> Fidel Castro’s ashes have arrived in the eastern city of Santiago, ending a four-day journey across Cuba.
Thousands of people welcomed the leader’s remains to shouts of “Fidel! I am Fidel!” The 90-year-old former president died Nov. 25. He will be remembered in a nationally televised service led by his brother, President Raul Castro, Saturday evening. His ashes will be interred Sunday morning, ending a nine-day mourning period.
Mourning for Castro has reached near-religious peaks of public adulation across Cuba since his death, particularly in rural eastern Cuba. Huge crowds have been shouting his name and lining the roads to salute the funeral procession carrying his ashes from Havana to Santiago.
3 responses to “Fidel Castro’s ashes arrive in eastern city of Santiago”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I still think the Cubans missed an awesome money-making opportunity by not having Fidel’s remains stuffed and mounted then displayed (sorta like the Soviets did for Lenin) under glass. Prop him up in a museum with recordings of his hours-long speeches blaring 24/7, and I have no doubt that not a few norteamericano tourists would shell out $25 (USD) per head for a look-see.
A pity, since we’ll never be graced with his like again.
Wow…it seems so morbid that people would pay money to see the body of a deceased person on display…..I guess there are some curiosity seekers that would probably want to see that……
Viewing Lenin’s embalmed body (it’s “touched up” every so often) was a “bucket list” sort of stop in the former USSR for many years. It’s still a free attraction (if you like to put it that way). No talking, photography or keeping your hands in your pockets though. You have to observe more decorum than at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington.