Social Media Reacts to the Death of Fidel Castro

Former Cuban president and communist revolutionary Fidel Castro has died at age 90, state TV has announced. According to the Associated Press, current president Raul Castro announced the death of his brother on Cuban state media. No further details were provided.

Twitter quickly erupted as news of Castro’s death began to spread.

https://twitter.com/HistoryInPix/status/802390506017800192

One user (likely facetiously) gave credit to President-elect Trump.

https://twitter.com/ChrisLyon/status/802386558548471808

Whether or not Lyon was serious, it brings to mind the end of the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were released just twenty minutes after President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. The event set the tone for Reagan’s presidency in incalculable ways. Of course, Cuba is no Iran and Fidel Castro has been in mothballs for the past decade, so this will be nowhere near the momentous event the Iran hostage release was. Unless, of course, Castro’s death leads to political unrest in our neighbor to the south.

https://twitter.com/yungjayline/status/802390709873491968

https://twitter.com/LyssaChadwick/status/802390543695159296

Fidel Castro did whatever he wanted and lived in luxury while denying freedom and opportunity to his country. That's not praise worthy.

— Suzanne Sexton (@SuzakiTheAmazon) November 26, 2016

Cuban-born Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero said on CNN that “there’s a special place in hell” for Castro, adding that there’s “one less vacancy” there tonight.

Some were mourning the death of their beloved communist leader:

Walk good Fidel Castro. A Legend. An Icon. A Hero of the Revolution

— Dennis M Brooks (@dennisbroox) November 26, 2016

https://t.co/3G0tTerx4A salutes Fidel Castro. . A life well lived. Hope will be reborn whenever your name is remembered. pic.twitter.com/WXOOgOwSJM

— Countercurrents.org (@Countercurrents) November 26, 2016

ABC bid him farewell with a salute:

BREAKING: Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has died at age 90, Cuban Pres. Raul Castro says. https://t.co/ntjb7Uu1Xj pic.twitter.com/asHtWyQthz

— ABC News (@ABC) November 26, 2016

Fidel Castro was prime minister of the Republic of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, then ruled as president of Cuba until 2008. Politically a Marxist-Leninist and Cuban nationalist, Castro led Cuba to become a one-party communist state and economy under his authoritarian rule. President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in 2014 the beginning of a process that would normalize relations between the two countries. In 2016 Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since 1928.

Next page: Updates, reactions from Trump and other leaders

UPDATE 1:40 a.m. EST: They’re celebrating in the streets of Miami.

"¡Murió, murió!", exclaman cubanos y cubano-estadounidenses en #Miami tras la muerte de Fidel Castro. pic.twitter.com/HZi02LzD9d

— Patricia Sulbarán (@patsulbaran) November 26, 2016

#ULTIMAHORA Se reportan manifestaciones en la ciudad de Miami tras la muerte de Fidel Castro pic.twitter.com/tyTWRBEf2c

— VPItv (@VPITV) November 26, 2016

UPDATE: 2:08 a.m. EST: 

Raul Castro announced that his brother will be cremated on Saturday.

And more reactions:

Here's reaction from a member of Congress who fled the Castro regime with her family when she was eight years old. https://t.co/5kYna4D55T

— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) November 26, 2016

From the prime minister of India:

Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century. India mourns the loss of a great friend.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 26, 2016

UPDATE Saturday 9:41 a.m. EST: Texas Senator Ted Cruz, whose father fled Cuba under Fulgencio Batista’s regime in 1957, responded on social media:

Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, praised Castro. “The name of this distinguished statesman is rightly considered the symbol of an era in modern world history,” Putin said in a telegram to Cuban President Raul Castro cited by the Kremlin.  “Fidel Castro was a sincere and reliable friend of Russia.”

President-elect Trump adopted a more, shall we say, subtle tone (subtle for Trump that is).

Fidel Castro is dead!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2016