Former Cuban president Fidel Castro was yesterday hailed as a friend to Guyana by local political leaders, who said he would be remembered as an inspiration for his revolutionary commitment and generosity as a leader.
Castro, a former revolutionary fighter who led the Caribbean nation for 50 years after seizing power in 1959 following his overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, died on Friday at 90 years old. He served first as prime minister from 1959 to 1976 then as president from 1976 to 2008, when he retired from public life.
President David Granger, speaking with reporters yesterday, said that he was deeply saddened by Castro’s passing. “His life was of significance, not only to Guyana and the friendship he had with Guyanese leaders, but also to the entire Western Hemisphere,” he explained. He