The government invited people to the square for a two-day commemoration that started with a 21-gun salute heard throughout much of the capital. Thousands queued in snaking lines to walk past a portrait of a young Fidel dressed in military fatigues, with a rifle and pack slung over his back. Raul Castro and his top lieutenants held a separate, private ceremony, where they signed a book in front of an identical portrait, and laid white flowers.
While some world leaders have sent admiring messages of condolence, Castro has been condemned by critics, including Trump, who in a weekend statement called him “a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people.” Before Castro’s death, Trump had threatened to reverse President Barack Obama’s rapprochement with Cuba, which has included restoring diplomatic ties, increasing trade and pressing the US Congress to end years of economic embargo. The Republican Trump, who takes office on January 20, reiterated that on Monday, saying in a Twitter message he would end the US “deal” with Cuba if the government in Havana did not reciprocate with “a better deal for the Cuban people.” He did not give details of what this might entail.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:bdnews24.com)
