While waves of Cuban Americans took to the streets of Miami to celebrate the death of Fidel Castro on Saturday (Nov. 26), many Cubans on the island were driven to mourning by the loss of the revolutionary.
In the wake of his death, NBC Latino spoke to local citizens who deemed the former president and prime minister a political hero worth honoring. “This is deeply painful for the Cuban people, we feel it very much,” one man said. “It’s true he was a supreme leader of the Cuban revolution, an example for the whole world.”
All featured in the segment echoed similar sentiments, including a woman named Lesvia Blanco Iznaga who sobbed while sharing her thoughts on Castro’s legacy. “I’m a lawyer thanks to Fidel and his revolution,” she began. “Truly he was a great man and for me he hasn’t died, for me he’s the great man of this revolution, the best in Latin America.”
As news of Castro’s death continues to elicit mixed reactions across the globe, it’s clear his mark on the world, as among Cubans, cannot be oversimplified.
Check out the full video below: