Fidel Castro's Death Draws Strong Reactions from Celebrities, Politicians

Fidel Castro’s death drew a strong mix of reactions from Hollywood and political circles.

Some like Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz condemned Castro in separate statements, with Rubio saying that those who would praise him overlook the “thousands of victims” left in his wake when he led Cuba.

On the flip side, Rev. Jesse Jackson did not outright criticize Castro, but instead said, “he changed the world” through his overthrow of Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Pope Francis sent a telegram to Castro’s brother, Raul, expressing his condolences:

“Upon receiving the sad news of the death of your dear brother, His Excellency Mister Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, former president of the State Council and of the Government of the Republic of Cuba, I express my sentiments of sorrow to Your Excellency and other family members of the deceased dignitary, as well as to the people of this beloved nation.

“At the same time, I offer prayers to the Lord for his rest and I trust the whole Cuban people to the maternal intercession of our Lady of the Charity of El Cobre, patroness of this country.”

Havana-born actor Andy Garcia said in a statement:

“It is necessary for me to express the deep sorrow that I feel for all the Cuban people both inside and outside of Cuba that have suffered the atrocities and repression caused by Fidel Castro and his totalitarian regime. The promises of his so-called revolution of pluralism and democracy, were and continue to be a false promise and a betrayal of all basic human rights. The executions, persecution and imprisonment of political dissidents and the LGBT community, denial of free press, elections and religious freedoms, continue to be his legacy. He claimed that history would absolve him, but it can also condemn him.

“I stand as I always have with the Cuban people who love, cherish and celebrate liberty,” Garcia continued. “Hard-working, helpful people who open their hearts and homes to all, whether in Cuba or in exile. I pray for what I have always prayed for: the restoration of our constitution and absolute freedom for the people of Cuba. That dream is very much alive, that fight is very much alive. Let the spirit of José Martí and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. show us the way.”

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