Fidel Castro 1926-2016

Fidel Castro, the communist dictator who ruled Cuba from 1959 to 2008, has died at age 90.  Due to his failing health, he had handed over much of his power to his brother Raúl in 2006 and then formally resigned the Cuban presidency two years later.  For much of his time in power, he and his country were in a state of conflict with the United States, with episodes ranging from the Cuban Missile Crisis, which also involved the Soviet Union, to the custody battle over Elián Gonzáles, a young boy who had survived a risky boat voyage to Florida.

Reactions to Castro's death range from tribute to celebration.  I'll provide just one example.  In his article at HotAir, Jazz Shaw points what he thinks "might be the ultimate irony".

In the end, Castro died on Black Friday, arguably the biggest celebration of capitalism on the entire calendar.

Read more at The New York Times, BBC News, Al Jazeera, ABC News and the Miami Herald.