The Irish President said he felt “great sadness” of the news; while Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams described Fidel Castro as a “good friend of the Irish people”.
Fidel Castro's death was confirmed this morning at 5am Irish time on Cuban TV (Saturday, 26 November) by his brother, President Raul Castro. “The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening,” declared Raul, who took over the reins from his brother back in 2006.
The ex-Cuban leader – who ruled the country for nearly half a century – will be cremated today and there will be nine days of national mourning. Castro's ashes will then be buried in the southeastern city of Santiago on 4 December after a four-day procession through the country. “'In compliance with the expressed will of Companion Fidel, his remains will be cremated,” stated his brother.
In a statement issued today, Irish President Michael D. Higgins paid a moving tribute to Castro. ““Having survived some 600 attempts on his life, Fidel Castro, known to his peers in Cuba as ‘El Comandante’, became one of the longest serving Heads of State in the world, guiding the country through a remarkable process of social and political change, advocating a development path that was unique and determinedly independent,” President Higgins stated. “Cuba achieved 100% literacy many years ago and built up a health system that is one the most admired in the world. With economic growth rates similar to many other Latin American countries, inequality and poverty are much less pronounced in Cuba than in surrounding nations."
But President Higgins pointed out that the former Cuban leader achieved all of the aforementioned under difficult circumstances.
“His Governments faced not only issues of development but also the consequences of an embargo imposed by Cuba’s largest neighbour, the United States, which was a regular topic for discussion at the United Nations and which was criticised by a large number of countries in the international community," President Higgins added in his statement.
“He was President of the Non Aligned Movement and a leading figure in international gatherings that sought a more equal world of trade, rejected odious debt and sought an independent path to development."
President Higgins also pointed out, "The restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States in 2014 and the visit of Pope Francis, and the response to it, have been ushering in a new period in Cuba’s history, one which seeks to retain the achievements of a social kind with greater freedoms in the civil society.”
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams described Castro as a “global leader” and tweeted a picture of them together.
“He lived long enough to see the vindication of the sacrifices of his people when President Obama commenced the process of normalising relations between the USA and Cuba,” he stated.
Recalling his meeting with the former Cuban revolutionary leader, Adams said: “"He was very conversant with Irish history and good friend to the Irish people and an admirer of our struggle, especially the hunger strikers of 1981.”
On the international front, Russian President Putin said Castro was a “symbol of an era” and a “distinguished statesman”.
Former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev praised him for “strengthening'” the island nation. “Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him and he still took his country out of this blockade to a path of independent development,” Gorbachev added.
As of yet, there has been no comment made from US President Obama’s administration.