Cuban ambassador in Colombia mourns death of Fidel Castro

Record ID: 77306

  • Title: Cuban ambassador in Colombia mourns death of Fidel Castro
  • Date: 26th November 2016
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (NOVEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF CUBAN EMBASSY IN COLOMBIA CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO COLOMBIA, JOSE LUIS PONCE CARABALLO, ARRIVING GENERAL VIEW OF CARABALLO TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO COLOMBIA, JOSE LUIS PONCE CARABALLO, SAYING: "We are deeply saddened. We think that the last of the great statesmen of the 20th century has died, but his ideas have not died and that is the most important thing. He has left a legacy that Colombia is part of. He was one of the men that always said there was to be peace in Colombia, fight for that, and that is part of the legacy that Fidel is leaving us now." VARIOUS OF FLOWERS LEFT BESIDE CUBAN FLAG IN MAKESHIFT MEMORIAL OUTSIDE OF EMBASSY
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2016 16:30
  • Keywords: Fidel Castro Raul Castro Cuban embassy Jose Luis Ponce Caraballo
  • Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
  • City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015A2ZP6V
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Cuba's ambassador to Colombia mourned on Saturday (November 26) the death of Fidel Castro.
    "We are deeply saddened. We think that the last of the great statesmen of the 20th century has died, but his ideas have not died and that is the most important thing. He has left a legacy that Colombia is part of. he was one of the men that always said there was to be peace in Colombia, fight for that, and that is part of the legacy that Fidel is leaving us now," Jose Luis Ponce Caraballo said to the media.
    Castro's death comes just days after the left-wing FARC and Colombian government signed a new peace accord ending a half-century of conflict.
    A towering figure of the 20th century and Cold War icon, Castro stuck to his ideology beyond the collapse of Soviet communism and remained widely respected in parts of the world that struggled against colonial rule.
    Castro had been in poor health since an intestinal ailment nearly killed him in 2006. He formally ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, two years later.
    Raul Castro, 85, appeared on state television on Friday (November 25) night to announce Fidel's death, 60 years to the day since the two brothers and a few supporters left Mexico on a boat to bring revolution to Cuba.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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