- Title: Camaguey farewells Fidel Castro as his ashes cortege crosses Cuba
- Date: 2nd December 2016
- Summary: CAMAGUEY, CUBA (DECEMBER 01, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF PATH OF CORTEGE TRANSFERRING ASHES OF FIDEL CASTRO IN CITY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN CITIZEN, DAYSI LOPEZ, SAYING: "Our generation grew up adoring the commander. We were all born adoring Fidel. He's been our idol. Our leader our whole life. Thanks to him, we are who we are. We owe him practically our whole life, and every Cuban has a bit of 'the comandante' in him. Every Cuban is Fidel." CROWD WAITING FOR CARAVAN WOMAN WIPING TEARS OFF FACE, HOLDING POSTER OF CASTRO WHILE HE WAS IN SIERRA MAESTRA VARIOUS OF CORTEGE PASSING BY, CARRYING ASHES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN CITIZEN, NIURKA RAMIREZ, SAYING: "I just can't, I just can't say it. Fidel is everything, everything. Everything. Coming together. Fatherland or death. We will be victorious." MORE OF CORTEGE PEOPLE ON STREET HOLDING SMART PHONES AS CARAVAN PASSES BY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN CITIZEN, LUIS MANSO MEJIAS, SAYING: "We're here to greet our commander in chief, who has been the major leader, of our people, of our society and our country. For all young people, children and workers." PEOPLE WITH UMBRELLAS CUBAN FLAG IN RAIN
- Embargoed: 17th December 2016 03:21
- Keywords: Fidel Castro ashes cortege Camaguey farewell residents
- Location: CAMAGUEY, CUBA
- City: CAMAGUEY, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Reuters ID: LVA0015B20YFB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The cortege carrying the ashes of Fidel Castro arrived in the central Cuban city of Camaguey on Thursday (December 1) with locals turning out to pay their final respects to the former leader who launched the Cuban Revolution six decades ago.
Castro's ashes will stay overnight in Camaguey, located 336 miles (542 km) east of Havana. On Wednesday, his casket spent the night alongside the remains of Che Guevara in the city of Santa Clara.
The funeral cortege is carrying the ashes across the country as part of a three-day journey to Castro's final resting place in the eastern portion of the island.
In Camaguey, soldiers accompanying the ashes on their path through the country stopped off at the city's packed local square.
"Our generation grew up adoring the commander. We were all born adoring Fidel. He's been our idol. Our leader our whole life. Thanks to him, we are who we are. We owe him practically our whole life, and every Cuban has a bit of 'the comandante' in him. Every Cuban is Fidel," Cuban citizen, Daysi Lopez, said.
Some were left searching for words.
"I just can't, I just can't say it. Fidel is everything, everything. Everything. Coming together. Fatherland or death. We will be victorious," said Cuban citizen, Niurka Ramirez.
Castro died on Friday (November 25) at age 90, a decade after stepping down due to poor health and ceding power to his brother, current Cuban President Raul Castro, 85.
The ashes will be interred on Sunday (December 04) morning in Santiago de Cuba, where Castro first launched his revolutionary movement in 1953 with an assault on the Moncada barracks.
The eastward journey reverses the path taken by Castro's bearded rebels upon the overthrow of U.S.-backed strongman Fulgencio Batista, who fled Cuba on January 1, 1959.
Castro spent a week traversing the island on the way to Havana, building his popularity by stopping in towns along the way. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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