Castro's ashes wind way to E. Cuba on final journey

The car carrying the ashes of Cuba's revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, left the city of Camaguey at 7:00 am on Friday and continued its journey toward eastern provinces.


The people of Camaguey gathered on Thursday night along the route of the cortege to bid farewell to the country's historic leader, with the procession broadcast live on television.

Chants of "I am Fidel" could be heard along the way as the procession traces the opposite route of the "Caravan of Freedom", the journey Castro took with his guerrilla army to take power in Havana in January 1959, after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country.

On Friday night, the ashes will rest in the city of Bayamo, in the former Carlos Manuel de Cespedes barracks, which a group of revolutionaries attacked on July 26, 1953, while Castro led a squad against the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba.

Friday also marked the 60th anniversary of Castro's landing in Cuba with 81 followers aboard the Granma yacht.

On Saturday, Castro's ashes will end the journey in Santiago de Cuba, where a massive rally will be held in his honor before his ashes are buried at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery on Sunday morning.
 [Xinhua/china.org.cn]

3/12/16