The world shook on Friday night when news broke that Fidel Castro, Cuba's former president and commander in Chief had died at the age of 90. He is one of the most - if not the most - historic figure ever to come out of the America's - and his legacy, his contribution, and his principled stand against American imperialism have left an imprint across an entire era. In a letter to President Raul Castro, Prime Minister Dena Barrow says, quote, "This note is penned with a heavy heart. You have lost your brother, the Cuban People have lost their avatar, and humanity has lost a giant for the ages….His leadership of Cuba was one replete with the sacrifices made by your nation: whether in pursuit of its own sovereignty or the liberation of Southern Africa, or in the saving of hundreds of thousands of lives around the world by copious humanitarian aid, or in the everyday work of the Cuban Medical Brigade, or in the education outreach to so many from literacy to the post-graduate level. the people of 'Nuestra America' and the globe owe an unpayable debt to the Commander-in-Chief."
Today in Cuba, Ambassador Annie Burns joined thousands who went to pay their respects to his "cremains" at the Plaza De LA Revolucion. We spoke to her by phone from Havana and she told us what it was like:..
H.E. Annie Burns, BELIZE AMBASSADOR TO CUBA
"And so people are queuing for miles, quietly with great dignity, to do what I did this morning. And that is that you queue to go in to pass a special area that they have set up - in memory of the Commander-In-Chief - and to sign a condolence book, or a book of memorial."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Explain to me how will the state handle it from this end. Will it be you attending the funeral or will some higher functionary ahm attend the funeral."
H.E. Annie Burns, BELIZE AMBASSADOR TO CUBA
"Prime Minister is not able to travel to Cuba and it's gonna involve quite a bit of movement. So he has asked Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber who is en route as we speak to represent him, and Minister Elrington will also be here, representing Belize."
"Cuba has and Fidel in particular have done a great deal for Belize in terms of solidarity and standing by us when we needed it most in Independence and it's very important that we do the same at this time."
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