What to Know
- Cubans are in the middle for an eight-day national mourning period for former leader Fidel Castro
- On the streets of Havana, some people were grieving for "el comandante," while others were quietly celebrating and looking to the future
- Castro's death comes as the U.S. has been opening up to the Caribbean island nation, which has been under communist rule for decades
While life was continuing on more or less as normal in Cuba following the death of Fidel Castro on Friday, many Cubans expressed genuine sadness at the leader’s passing.
In one neighborhood in Havana on Sunday, an elderly man said that the father of the revolution, known by many as “el comandante,” is dead.
“The Cuban people love Fidel. We love Fidel. Always we love Fidel,” a driver behind the wheel of a ’51 Pontiac said.
But there are also those reflecting on the brutality of Castro’s regime.
The Ladies in White, who are relatives of jailed dissidents, have marched in protest every Sunday after church for the last 13 years. They called off Sunday out of respect — and fear of retaliation.
Ladies in White leader Berta Soler says nothing will change and that those in power will remain.
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“Dictator Raul Castro will continue his war. More than dictators, they are like a mafia family. They can do whatever they want and they are still in charge of everything,” Soler said.
On the second official day of mourning Sunday, a city known for music, culture and nightlife was subdued. On Monday, the city of Havana will begin to pay its respects to Castro with a large ceremony.
