Of cuba. Former cuban leader fidel castro is dead at the age of 90. His brother made that announcement. In havana, it is quiet. News slowly reaching people. Many people waking up to this news. The Cuban Revolutionary to installed a communist government in the country obviously is no more. Look here, though, at what youre seeing happening in miami. Very different atmosphere there. Cuban exiles to the state of cuba. You can hear them banging pots and pans. And many of them, weve been hearing chanting freedom. We have cnns Patrick Oppmann in havana. Hes the only american correspondent in cuba. Patrick, ive been hearing that you have been actually breaking the news to some of these people that youve been talking to that fidel castro is dead. Help us understand what thats like for you and what their reaction is, in that moment they realize hes gone. Reporter people are just stunned. Even though fidel castro, of course, has been ailing now for a decade. There have been numerous false reports
fidel in person before. and what i think was properly very surprising to people. just the presence that he has. he, first of all, he s extremely tall. he s like nelson mandela. he s about 6 3 , 6 4 , and they both have extraordinarily wide shoulders. and when he walks through the room. the excitement, i remember the excitement with the american delegation, we just all got big smiles on their faces. and he then just greeted nelson mandela, and the two were standing one in front of the other. fidel had been very important for president mandela, and for the south africa struggle, in terms of the sport from the struggle received from fidel and the cubans. and i think ideologically, they just had such respect for what fidel, at least, in their minds, had represented in terms of
support even for nelson mandela s personal freedom in his lifetime was no sure bet in america especially on the america right. this is something that sort of disappeared down the memory hole. if you needed to be reminded of it look no further than the american far right today. here is the cover of this week s edition of the world net daily magazine. they have one. this is their commemorative nelson mandela edition. see. icon. get it, nelson mandela was a con man. a communist wolf in sheep s clothing who managed to fool the world. he was a con artist. world net daily ran a poll last week after mr. mandela passed, asking their readers how do you assess the life and work of nelson mandela. the leading response was this one. he was a violent communist revolutionary who never should have been released from prison. in the mid 1980s as the american political world was rallying to
the apar tittheid government. it was pat robertson taking of the anti-mandela charge. and i don t thinning they understand what they re dealing with. the religious right was joined by their allies in congress. among them, republican senator jesse helms of north carolina who filibustered a bill in the senate to impose sanctions against south africa. there were also joined by their ally, future vice president, dick cheney then just a back bench republican congressman from wyoming one willing to take a stand against sanctions and divestment. the conservative heritage foundation argued in the 1980s, the u.s. should stop add voe skat skate advocating for the release of mandela. eventually his veto was overturned. the sanctions did put extraordinary pressure tont south african government and nelson mandela was released from prison after 27 years.
toot toot. [ male announcer ] find gevalia in the coffee aisle or at gevalia.com we will never see the likes of nelson mandela again. but let me say to the young people of africa, and the young people around the world, you too can make his life s work your own. president obama today at the memorial service for former south african president nelson mande mandela. political reaction in the country to mr. mandela s death has been one of universal praise for him and the example he set throughout his life. and as nice as that reaction feels, it would be weird and wrong if that reaction obscured the unscum for tfact that suppo mandela s political cause,