On November 25, 2016, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro passed away. It is said that Castro had been sick for a while, but no one knows just yet how the Cuban leader passed away exactly.

Following his passing came cries of joy and cries of sadness; even China has also mourned Castro’s death. Castro governed Cuba for 47 years, and during that time. Many people had two opposing ideas about him not only as a leader but as a human being. Some Cubans considered Castro as martyr, and many considered him as a tyrant, including our very own Winter Springs staff member Ms. Anna Cayton.

Cayton was born  in Cuba and was forced to leave after Castro came to power. She came to the United States in 1962, right before the missile crisis. Making a very brave decision, Cayton’s parents decided to pack up and move after Castro’s invasion.

“[During that time] as a ten year old it’s hard to say [how I felt about him] without saying what my parents felt. We were in fear for the lives of some of our friends. We had had family members that were put in jail just for opposing his views. It was a total dictatorship, you couldn’t say anything against him.  If she had to describe Castro in one word it would’ve been “evil”, said Cayton.

She goes on to say that when she initially heard the news about Castro’s death that she was “glad to see him come to an end of his tyranny, but [I] wouldn’t wish death upon anyone. I was happy for the people that had waited for him to leave this world, with hopes that things would improve in Cuba. [My family] is glad that he is out of power and [they] aren’t sure that anything is going to change, because his brother is still in power.”

Castro fought for the poor primarily because those were the people that he resonated with and most of his actions as a leader were done to help the poor. Whether that was taking land away from the rich or providing free health care for everyone, his ideas were primarily to assist non-wealthy people of his country.

Since Castro’s reign, his brother, Raul has taken over the presidency; therefore, Cuba will not have to worry about who their leader is most likely to be. Since his brother’s death, Castro has spoken on his brothers legacy.

“Fidel dedicated his whole life to solidarity…with the poor”, said Castro.

Raul then goes on to say “and for the poor he became a symbol of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist fight, for the emancipation and dignity of the people.

Castro’s death and life has impacted people in many ways.  Although there are mixed views about him, he has left a mark on Cuba that will never be