NOVANEWS
People greet the arrival of the caravan carrying the ashes of Fidel Castro in Las Tunas, Cuba on Dec. 2, 2016. | Photo: Reuters
World leaders and the Caravan of Liberty, bearing the ashes of the father of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, arrived in Santiago, Cuba, in preparation for Saturday evening’s memorial service and Sunday’s funeral.
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The Caravan, which is tracing in reverse Fidel’s triumphant 1959 march on the capital, left Havana on Nov. 30 and traveled through 13 provinces over more than 500 miles to bring the late Cuban leader’s ashes to his birth and final resting place in Santiago de Cuba.
Cuban President and Fidel’s brother, Raul Castro, will preside over a state vigil which begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the Plaza Antonio Maceo. Fidel’s ashes will be formally interred on Sunday, Dec. 4. beside Cuban National Hero José Martí at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery.
On Friday Bolivian President Evo Morales confirmed that he will be one of the dozens of world leaders who will attend the funeral. Arriving in Santiago on Friday Congolese President, Denis Sassou N’Guesso, told Cuban television that Fidel was one of the truly great world leaders of the 20th Century, and highlighted the key role Cuba played in the liberation of his country, as well as South Africa, Namibia, and Angola.
Angolan Vice-President Manuel Vicente, who arrived Friday evening in Havana, offered condolences on behalf of his country, adding that Angola would be holding its own formal remembrance ceremony to honor the debt it owed to the late Cuban leader.
Other leaders arriving for Saturday’s funeral include President-elect Jocelerme Privert of Haiti, who was accompanied by former Haitian President René Preval; President of Ethiopia, Mulato Teshome; King Juan Carlos of Spain; President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma; President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa; Governor General of Canada, David Lloyd Johnston; Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness; Vice-President of China, Li Yuanchao; President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico; and President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, among dozens of others.
The U.S. government, which has recently opened formal relations with Cuba after 50 years of enforcing a brutal economic blockade and multiple attempts to assassinate the late Cuban leader, announced last week it would send Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis to attend the funeral.
Also in Cuba for the funeral is Argentinian football star Diego Maradona, who spoke emotionally on Cuban television about his friend and “second father”, Fidel Castro.
“He was the greatest, without a doubt. But now his legend must survive in our hearts,” the retired World Cup winner said. “Fidel is not dead.”
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Maradonna and Fidel formed a close friendship after the former Argentine national team coach first visited Cuba in 1987. In 2004 Maradona received treatment for his cocaine addiction in Cuba. “Fidel is the one who gave me advice, who talked to me frankly, who told me what I had to do, what I couldn’t do,” said Maradona, who has the late bearded leader’s face tattooed on his left leg.
“I want to send a big greeting to all Cubans and tell them that my heart is with them. I feel Cuban. I am a Cuban soldier. I would give my heart and all my body for this flag, for Cuba, Fidel and Che,” he concluded.
