World leaders on Saturday reacted to the death of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, even as many Cuban-Americans in Miami celebrated the news in the streets of Little Havana.
His death was announced late Friday by his brother, Cuban President Raúl Castro.
In a statement to news rooms, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Castro's love for the people of Cuba was selfless and unshakable. He also pointed out the late Cuban leader's devotion to the idea of freedom and sovereignty of all peoples and all nations which spoke through his actions and solidarity.
President-elect Donald Trump reacted with a simple announcement on Twitter on Saturday morning. “Fidel Castro is dead!”
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Raúl Castro in which he called Fidel Castro “a sincere and reliable friend of Russia,” according to the Associated Press.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said on Twitter: “Fidel Castro was a friend of Mexico, promoting bilateral relations based on respect, dialogue and solidarity,” according to an AP translation.
“Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century. India mourns the loss of a great friend,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. “I extend my deepest condolences to the Government & people of Cuba on the sad demise of Fidel Castro. May his soul rest in peace.”
In a message read on state broadcaster CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Fidel Castro’s “immortal historical contributions to the development of socialism around the world,” the AP reported.
U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called Fidel Castro a “huge figure in our lives,” according to the BBC.
“For all his flaws, Castro’s support for Angola played a crucial role in bringing an end to apartheid in South Africa and he will be remembered both as an internationalist and a champion of social justice,” Corbyn said.
El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren met the news with “deep sorrow,” calling Fidel Castro an “eternal companion,” according to CBS News.
“Comandante Fidel Castro has passed into immortality,” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on broadcaster Telesur, according to Reuters. “It’s a big blow for all the world’s revolutionaries. Our thoughts go out to the noble people of Cuba, heroic, courageous.”
