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| deathnumber  =1,500,000 at home <br/>500-100,000 in Angola

| deathnumber  =1,500,000 at home <br/>500-100,000 in Angola

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'''Fidel Castro''' (August 13, 1926 - c. July 2006) was the brutal [[atheistic]] [[Communist]] [[dictator]] of [[Cuba]] from 1959 to 2006. '''''He was not seen and heard publicly since July 2006, when he underwent surgery for a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding" in a Communist hospital.'''''<ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>  Engaging in [[liberal denial]], [[Communism|Communists]] in Cuba release grainy images of an apparently old man along with absurd quotes of Castro like this claim, "I don’t even remember what a headache feels like."<ref>http://indonesiakatakami.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/fidel-castro-publishes-article-criticizing-health-rumors/</ref>  On hot Cuban days a stand-in wearing heavy make-up and a scarf to conceal his young neck meets with foreign dignitaries, but Obama refuses to be humiliated by this Communist hoax by meeting with him. Rather than wait until [[Donald Trump]] was in power, Cuba timed its announcement of Castro's death for the slowest news moment of the year: late Friday night after [[Thanksgiving Day]], reminiscent of the release of hostages by [[Iran]] just before [[Reagan]] became president.

'''Fidel Castro''' (August 13, 1926 - c. July 2006) was the brutal [[atheistic]] [[Communist]] [[dictator]] of [[Cuba]] from 1959 to 2006. '''''He was not seen and heard publicly since July 2006, when he underwent surgery for a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding" in a Communist hospital.'''''<ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>  Engaging in [[liberal denial]], [[Communism|Communists]] in Cuba release grainy images of an apparently old man along with absurd quotes of Castro like this claim, "I don’t even remember what a headache feels like."<ref>http://indonesiakatakami.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/fidel-castro-publishes-article-criticizing-health-rumors/</ref>  On hot Cuban days a stand-in wearing heavy make-up and a scarf to conceal his young neck meets with foreign dignitaries, but Obama refuses to be humiliated by this Communist hoax by meeting with him. Rather than wait until [[Donald Trump]] was in power, Cuba timed its announcement of Castro's death for the slowest news moment of the year: late Friday night after [[Thanksgiving Day]], reminiscent of the release of hostages by [[Iran]] just before [[Ronald Reagan]] became president.

Fidel Castro held the posts of [[Prime Minister|prime minister]] (1959-1976) and president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers (1976-2006).<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html#Govt</ref> His oppressive rule lasted almost 50 years and killed scores of thousands.  He has not been seen publicly since July 2006, when he underwent intestinal surgery, and is presumably no longer alive as of December 2009; the Communists running Cuba have no incentive to risk challenge to their power by announcing that he passed away.<ref>''[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-215_162-1859015.html State Secret: Is Castro Dead?]'', Brian Goodman, ''CBS News'', September 22, 2009.</ref> After a long absence from the public eye, he was purportedly shown in photographs in June 2010, released by the Cuban State News Agency. In August 2010, the Associated Press had a story of a purported Castro speech to the Cuban parliament.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/06/cuba-state-tv-fidel-castro-attend-parliament-meeting-time-years-1415326051/?test=latestnews</ref>  ''The fact remains there hadn't been a reputable, independent account of Castro being alive in nearly a year.'' Other authoritarian regimes, such as [[North Korea]] and [[Nazi Germany]] have engaged in "body-doubles" and actor/impersonators to hide the death or incapacitation of despots in the past.<ref>[http://www.mahalo.com/kim-jong-il-body-doubles Kim Jong Il Body Doubles]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackraiser.com/nredoubt/identity.htm Hitler body-double]</ref> In April 2011, Castro allegedly stepped down as head of the Cuban Communist Party, but it has not been confirmed that this was not a ruse.<ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=41125</ref>

Fidel Castro held the posts of [[Prime Minister|prime minister]] (1959-1976) and president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers (1976-2006).<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html#Govt</ref> His oppressive rule lasted almost 50 years and killed scores of thousands.  He had not been seen publicly since July 2006, when he underwent intestinal surgery, and was presumably no longer alive as of December 2009; the Communists running Cuba had no incentive to risk challenge to their power by announcing that he passed away.<ref>''[http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-215_162-1859015.html State Secret: Is Castro Dead?]'', Brian Goodman, ''CBS News'', September 22, 2009.</ref> After a long absence from the public eye, he was purportedly shown in photographs in June 2010, released by the Cuban State News Agency. In August 2010, the Associated Press had a story of a purported Castro speech to the Cuban parliament.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/06/cuba-state-tv-fidel-castro-attend-parliament-meeting-time-years-1415326051/?test=latestnews</ref>  ''The fact remains there hadn't been a reputable, independent account of Castro being alive in nearly a year.'' Other authoritarian regimes, such as [[North Korea]] and [[Nazi Germany]] have also engaged in "body-doubles" and actor/impersonators to hide the death or incapacitation of despots in the past.<ref>[http://www.mahalo.com/kim-jong-il-body-doubles Kim Jong Il Body Doubles]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackraiser.com/nredoubt/identity.htm Hitler body-double]</ref> In April 2011, Castro allegedly stepped down as head of the Cuban Communist Party, but it has not been confirmed that this was not a ruse.<ref>http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=41125</ref>

{{cquote|'''I think its time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. Not too long ago two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a business man who had escaped from Castro.  And in the midst of one of his stories, my friends turned to the other and said, ‘we don’t know how lucky ''we'' are.’  ''And the Cuban stopped and said, ‘How lucky YOU are, I had some place to escape to.’'' In that sentence he told us the entire story of Cuba, and Castro. <small>-- [[Ronald Reagan]]</small> <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY "A Time for Choosing" by Ronald Reagan]</ref>}}<br />

{{cquote|'''I think its time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. Not too long ago two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a business man who had escaped from Castro.  And in the midst of one of his stories, my friends turned to the other and said, ‘we don’t know how lucky ''we'' are.’  ''And the Cuban stopped and said, ‘How lucky YOU are, I had some place to escape to.’'' In that sentence he told us the entire story of Cuba, and Castro. <small>-- [[Ronald Reagan]]</small> <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY "A Time for Choosing" by Ronald Reagan]</ref>}}<br />

The landing was preceded in Santiago and the rest of Oriente Province by an armed rising of the 26 of July urban Militia, a non-Communist organization, lead by [[Frank Pais]].<ref>Alvarez, Jose 2008 Principio y Fin del Mito Fidelista. Trafford Publishing, Victoria, BC Canada  ISBN-10 1425154042

The landing was preceded in Santiago and the rest of Oriente Province by an armed rising of the 26 of July urban Militia, a non-Communist organization, lead by [[Frank Pais]].<ref>Alvarez, Jose 2008 Principio y Fin del Mito Fidelista. Trafford Publishing, Victoria, BC Canada  ISBN-10 1425154042

ISBN 978-1425154042 http://www.amazon.com/Principio-fin-del-mito-fidelista/dp/1425154042

ISBN 978-1425154042 http://www.amazon.com/Principio-fin-del-mito-fidelista/dp/1425154042

This is the most up to date description of the crucial role that the non-Communist militia of Frank Pais played in the "War Against Batista."  Without Frank Pais there would not have been a "Fidel Castro."  This book describes in detail and with dispassionate analysis how Frank Pais supported the Castro effort and how he was betrayed, and killed.  It is a sad and only too real description of the hijacking of the resistance against Batista by communist activists including Castro himself.</ref> In the mountains the guidance of the bandit [[Cresencio Perez]], and a few Communist [[sleepers]] who had been placed in the Sierra for some time under the direction of stalinist agent [[Fabio Grobart]] was important.  Some local [[guajiros]] in the remote Sierra Maestra region joined in to became the nucleus of the critical scouting and picketing force of [[Escopeteros]] who screened the better armed Castro main force.  The support and guidance from revolutionary groups in the cities of Santiago, [[Havana]], elsewhere in Cuba and overseas was critical. The support of the U.S. State Department, mediated by [[William Weiland]] (aka Guillermo Arturo Montenegro) was significant from the time of the Bogotazo, through the [[Bay of Pigs]].<ref>Smith, Earl E.T. 1962 (last accessed 9-29-07) The Fourth Floor: An Account of the Castro Communist Revolution Random House ASIN: B000H5CT5M</ref>

This is the most up to date description of the crucial role that the non-Communist militia of Frank Pais played in the "War Against Batista."  Without Frank Pais there would not have been a "Fidel Castro."  This book describes in detail and with dispassionate analysis how Frank Pais supported the Castro effort and how he was betrayed, and killed.  It is a sad and only too real description of the hijacking of the resistance against Batista by Communist activists including Castro himself.</ref> In the mountains the guidance of the bandit [[Cresencio Perez]], and a few Communist [[sleepers]] who had been placed in the Sierra for some time under the direction of stalinist agent [[Fabio Grobart]] was important.  Some local [[guajiros]] in the remote Sierra Maestra region joined in to became the nucleus of the critical scouting and picketing force of [[Escopeteros]] who screened the better armed Castro main force.  The support and guidance from revolutionary groups in the cities of Santiago, [[Havana]], elsewhere in Cuba and overseas was critical. The support of the U.S. State Department, mediated by [[William Weiland]] (aka Guillermo Arturo Montenegro) was significant from the time of the Bogotazo, through the [[Bay of Pigs]].<ref>Smith, Earl E.T. 1962 (last accessed 9-29-07) The Fourth Floor: An Account of the Castro Communist Revolution Random House ASIN: B000H5CT5M</ref>

By 1958, military attacks against Batista's army were having some success,<ref>Bonachea, Ramon L and Marta San Martin 1974. The Cuban insurrection 1952-1959. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswik, New Jersey ISBN 0878555765</ref> and the revolution was gaining national support. Castro maintained a position of diplomatic neutrality among various revolutionary factions, which included upper and middle class liberals, guajiros, and agricultural workers, communists and others, and hence was able to assume the position of director of the revolution. He was also largely successful in courting international support via astute and careful use of the media. Officials within the CIA and the United States government were divided over whether to support Castro. Some believed that Batista had become a liability, and that his overthrow was inevitable. Other officials feared the influence of known Communists in Castro's camp including Guevara, though Castro himself repeatedly claimed that he himself was not a Communist.  

By 1958, military attacks against Batista's army were having some success,<ref>Bonachea, Ramon L and Marta San Martin 1974. The Cuban insurrection 1952-1959. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswik, New Jersey ISBN 0878555765</ref> and the revolution was gaining national support. Castro maintained a position of diplomatic neutrality among various revolutionary factions, which included upper and middle class liberals, guajiros, and agricultural workers, communists and others, and hence was able to assume the position of director of the revolution. He was also largely successful in courting international support via astute and careful use of the media. Officials within the CIA and the United States government were divided over whether to support Castro. Some believed that Batista had become a liability, and that his overthrow was inevitable. Other officials feared the influence of known Communists in Castro's camp including Guevara, though Castro himself repeatedly claimed that he himself was "not a Communist".  

The revolution finally succeeded in late 1958, and on January 1, 1959, Batista left the country. Castro had chosen exiled leaders Manuel Urrutia Lleó and José Miró Cardona, both anti-Communist liberals with good relations with the U.S., to head the new government. Castro himself became head of the new armed forces. However, the increasing presence of Communists in the decision making process created an early split in the government. Castro and Urrutia both insisted publicly that they had relations with each other, but Urrutia and Miró resigned only months later, and Castro, with support from mass organizations, assumed the position of prime minister. Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado, a former Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht Club became president and head of state.

The revolution finally succeeded in late 1958, and on January 1, 1959, Batista left the country. Castro had chosen exiled leaders Manuel Urrutia Lleó and José Miró Cardona, both anti-Communist liberals with good relations with the U.S., to head the new government. Castro himself became head of the new armed forces. However, the increasing presence of Communists in the decision making process created an early split in the government. Castro and Urrutia both insisted publicly that they had relations with each other, but Urrutia and Miró resigned only months later, and Castro, with support from mass organizations, assumed the position of prime minister. Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado, a former Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht Club became president and head of state.

==In Power==

==In Power==

The process of obtaining permanent power was dramatic, traumatic and bloody.  From 1959 on, mass killings of dissidents were carried out as a matter of course by the infamous "''firing squads.''"  Immediately after the Communist take-over, some 2,500 army officers were rounded up and shot dead.<ref>http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/world/cuba/4455-the-real-che-guevara.html</ref>  [[Che Guevara]] reportedly stayed up late into the night signing death warrants for defenseless "reactionaries."  Tens of thousands were sent to concentration camps.<ref>Frank Calzon, Castro’s Gulag (Council for Inter-American Security, 1979).</ref>  Desperate crowds of weeping daughters and shrieking mothers were clubbed with rifle butts as they pleaded for their family members to be spared.  One of Castro's exiled opponents describes it this way:

The process of obtaining permanent power was dramatic, traumatic and bloody.  From 1959 on, mass killings of dissidents were carried out as a matter of course by the infamous "''firing squads.''"  Immediately after the Communist take-over, some 2,500 army officers were rounded up and shot dead.<ref>http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/world/cuba/4455-the-real-che-guevara.html</ref>  [[Che Guevara]] reportedly stayed up late into the night signing death warrants for defenseless "reactionaries."  Tens of thousands were sent to concentration camps.<ref>Frank Calzon, Castro’s Gulag (Council for Inter-American Security, 1979).</ref>  Desperate crowds of weeping daughters and shrieking mothers were clubbed with rifle butts as they pleaded for their family members to be spared.  One of Castro's exiled opponents describes it this way:

Castro, who had been in regular contact with the KGB since 1956 and who used Soviet arms during his guerilla war, welcomed the presence of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba to deter an American attack.  This decision precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis, a major confrontation in the Cold War that nearly resulted in the cataclysmic death of millions.  According to Guevara:  "If the [Soviet nuclear] rockets had remained, we would have used them all and directed them against the very heart of the United States, including New York."<ref>UPI, December 10, 1962.</ref> Nikita Khrushchev wrote

Castro, who had been in regular contact with the KGB since 1956 and who used Soviet arms during his guerilla war, welcomed the presence of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba to deter an American attack.  This decision precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis, a major confrontation in the Cold War that nearly resulted in the cataclysmic death of millions.  According to Guevara:  "If the [Soviet nuclear] rockets had remained, we would have used them all and directed them against the very heart of the United States, including New York."<ref>UPI, December 10, 1962.</ref> Nikita Khrushchev wrote

that, according to Castro, "we needed to immediately deliver a nuclear missile strike

that, according to Castro, "we needed to immediately deliver a nuclear missile strike against the United States… a proposal that placed the planet on the brink of extinction."<ref>James G. Blight et al., Cuba on the Brink: Castro, the Missile Crisis, and the Soviet Collapse (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002), pp29.</ref> Fidel Castro admitted: "I would have agreed to the use of nuclear weapons."<ref>Ibid, pp. 252</ref>  On October 26, 1962, the USS Beale had tracked and dropped signaling depth charges (the size of hand grenades) on the B-59, a Soviet Project 641 (NATO designation Foxtrot) submarine which, unknown to the U.S., was armed with a 15 kiloton nuclear torpedo. Running out of air, the Soviet submarine was surrounded by American warships and desperately needed to surface.  Captain Valentin Savitsky ordered his crew to prepare the use of a nuclear torpedo against the Americans, but crew member Vasili Arkhipov stepped in and quite literally saved the world.

against the United States… a proposal that placed the planet on the brink of extinction."<ref>James G. Blight et al., Cuba on the Brink: Castro, the Missile Crisis, and the Soviet Collapse (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002), pp29.</ref> Fidel

Castro admitted: "I would have agreed to the use of nuclear weapons."<ref>Ibid, pp. 252</ref>  On October 26, 1962, the USS Beale had tracked and dropped signaling depth charges (the size of hand grenades) on the B-59, a Soviet Project 641 (NATO designation Foxtrot) submarine which, unknown to the U.S., was armed with a 15 kiloton nuclear torpedo. Running out of air, the Soviet submarine was surrounded by American warships and desperately needed to surface.  Captain Valentin Savitsky ordered his crew to prepare the use of a nuclear torpedo against the Americans, but crew member Vasili Arkhipov stepped in and quite literally saved the world.

In the aftermath of the crisis, the United States maintained a strict embargo on Cuba.  As a result, Castro sought close ties with anti-American Communist states, and became dependent on aid from Moscow.  He supplied massive amounts of military aid to [[North Korea]] and especially to [[North Vietnam]], where Cuban forces allegedly helped torture American POWs during the [[Vietnam War]].

In the aftermath of the crisis, the United States maintained a strict embargo on Cuba.  As a result, Castro sought close ties with anti-American Communist states, and became dependent on aid from Moscow.  He supplied massive amounts of military aid to [[North Korea]] and especially to [[North Vietnam]], where Cuban forces allegedly helped torture American POWs during the [[Vietnam War]].

==Death and purported sightings==

==Death and purported sightings==

In August 2006, health problems led to the appointment of his younger brother, Raul, as temporarily president and head of the Communist Party in Cuba. Political analysts believe that the appointment marks the beginning of a transition designed to maintain Communist control over Cuba after Castro's death.<ref>The Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080100647.html For Castro, a First Step In Calculated Transition ]</ref> Castro's surgery was scheduled to repair a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding." <ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>

In August 2006, health problems led to the appointment of his younger brother, Raul, as temporarily president and head of the Communist Party in Cuba. Political analysts believe that the appointment marks the beginning of a transition designed to maintain Communist control over Cuba after Castro's death.<ref>The Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080100647.html For Castro, a First Step In Calculated Transition ]</ref> Castro's surgery was scheduled to repair a "sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding." <ref>http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america/july-dec06/castro_08-01.html</ref>

On November 25, 2016, Cuba finally confirmed what the rest of the world suspected for over a decade and announced the death of Castro, although the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/fidel-castro-is-dead-at-90/?cat_orig=world Fidel Castro is dead at 90] at [[WorldNetDaily.com]]</ref> Exiled Cubans and Cuban-Americans celebrated the news of the revelation of Castro's death upon hearing about it.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/libertad-cuban-exiles-celebrate-castro-death-in-miami/?cat_orig=us Libertad! Cuban exiles celebrate Castro death in Miami] at WorldNetDaily.com</ref> Ironically, given his long-lived fight against Capitalism, his announced death occurred on [[Black Friday]].

On November 25, 2016, Cuba finally confirmed what the rest of the world suspected for over a decade and announced the death of Castro, although the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/fidel-castro-is-dead-at-90/?cat_orig=world Fidel Castro is dead at 90] at [[WorldNetDaily.com]]</ref> Exiled Cubans and Cuban-Americans celebrated the news of the revelation of Castro's death upon hearing about it.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/libertad-cuban-exiles-celebrate-castro-death-in-miami/?cat_orig=us Libertad! Cuban exiles celebrate Castro death in Miami] at WorldNetDaily.com</ref> Ironically, given his long-lived fight against Capitalism, his announced death occurred on [[Black Friday]].

Numerous [[leftists]], including [[Canada|Canadian]] prime minister [[Justin Trudeau]],<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/26/trudeau-called-castro-a-remarkable-leader-twitter-imagined-what-he-would-say-about-stalin/?tid=pm_world_pop Trudeau called Castro a ‘remarkable leader.’ Twitter imagined what he would say about Stalin.] ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> [[Green Party]] presidential nominee [[Jill Stein]],<ref>Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jill-stein-praises-fidel-castro-a-symbol-of-the-struggle-for-justice/article/2608223 Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> [[Sierra Club]] president Aaron Mair,<ref>Richardson, Valerie (November 28, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/28/aaron-mair-sierra-club-president-fidel-castro-had-/ Sierra Club president: Fidel Castro had ‘more honor’ than Donald Trump]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> and [[Jesse Jackson]],<ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016">[http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=4323#3 The O'Reilly Factor - Monday, November 28, 2016]. ''billoreilly.com''. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref> issued positive or semi-positive statements in response to the death of a man who killed thousands of people and left an extremely poor third-world country.<ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016"/> On the other hand, [[Republican Party|Republican]] president-elect [[Donald Trump]] gave very strong statements against the disctator, calling him a "brutal dictator" and saying that "Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights".<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/26/here-is-donald-trumps-reaction-to-fidel-castros-death/ How Donald Trump responded to the death of Fidel Castro, ‘a brutal dictator’]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Jackson, David (November 26, 2016). [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/11/26/donald-trump-reacts-fidel-castros-death/94469240/ Trump condemns Castro as 'brutal dictator']. ''USA Today''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Scott, Eugine (November 26, 2016). [http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/26/politics/trump-reacts-to-castro-death/ Donald Trump: Fidel Castro is dead!]. ''CNN''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref>

Numerous [[leftists]], including [[Canada|Canadian]] prime minister [[Justin Trudeau]],<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/26/trudeau-called-castro-a-remarkable-leader-twitter-imagined-what-he-would-say-about-stalin/?tid=pm_world_pop Trudeau called Castro a ‘remarkable leader.’ Twitter imagined what he would say about Stalin.] ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> [[Green Party]] presidential nominee [[Jill Stein]],<ref>Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jill-stein-praises-fidel-castro-a-symbol-of-the-struggle-for-justice/article/2608223 Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> [[Sierra Club]] president Aaron Mair,<ref>Richardson, Valerie (November 28, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/28/aaron-mair-sierra-club-president-fidel-castro-had-/ Sierra Club president: Fidel Castro had ‘more honor’ than Donald Trump]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref> and [[Jesse Jackson]],<ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016">[http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=4323#3 The O'Reilly Factor - Monday, November 28, 2016]. ''billoreilly.com''. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref> issued positive or semi-positive statements in response to the death of a man who killed thousands of people and left an extremely poor third-world country.<ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016"/> On the other hand, [[Republican Party|Republican]] president-elect [[Donald Trump]] gave very strong statements against the dictator, calling him a "brutal dictator" and saying that "Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights".<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/26/here-is-donald-trumps-reaction-to-fidel-castros-death/ How Donald Trump responded to the death of Fidel Castro, ‘a brutal dictator’]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Jackson, David (November 26, 2016). [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/11/26/donald-trump-reacts-fidel-castros-death/94469240/ Trump condemns Castro as 'brutal dictator']. ''USA Today''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Scott, Eugine (November 26, 2016). [http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/26/politics/trump-reacts-to-castro-death/ Donald Trump: Fidel Castro is dead!]. ''CNN''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref>

[[Ben Shapiro]] wrote:

[[Ben Shapiro]] wrote: