viewers from the u.s. and around the world. we begin with breaking news out 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 you're 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, we've been hearing chanting freedom. >> we have cnn's patrick oppmann in havana. he's the only american correspondent in cuba. >> patrick, i've been hearing that you have been actually breaking the news to some of these people that you've been talking to that fidel castro is dead. help us understand what that's like for you and what their reaction is, in that moment they realize he's 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 of his

communist dictator from cuba who do find 11 presidents and pushed to the brink of nuclear war is dead. taking to the street in little havana in miami. celebrating the news. many chanting cuba libre, meaning cuba this morning is free. >> very interesting. this hour, nine days of cuba is beginning. this hour. nine days. on the local radio there there can't be any happy music it has to be about the state. a reminder for what is a sad day for some in cuba but also the boot on the throat that fidel castro led with for so long. you know, you can't have any freedoms, basically, so i have been watching some other channels the last little while that say there is no side to this. a lot of people adored him. give me a break. freedom lovers around the globe today are celebrating because a dictator is dead, yes, his brother raoul still rules with an iron fist. but fidel castro was a revolutionary turned despot and dictator who oppressed his own people for decades. communist cause that set his country back for decades. it's okay to be honest about that. >> our own bret baier covered all of the base

force in cuba and around the world. we begin with our correspondent who joins us from havana. what is the reaction to castro's death? >> good morning. the usually busy and bustling streets of havana are decidedly quiet this morning. yesterday afternoon at his alma mater students held a remembrance for their leader. mourners will have a first opportunity to publicly pay their respects starting tomorrow. with the largest gathering expected on tuesday at havana's revolution square. the scene of some of castro's most fiery speeches. his remains will be taken down a symbolic route from havana to santiago cuba, retracing in everse the victory march he took with the revolutionary army in 1959. his funeral will be held next sunday in santiago known as the cradle of castro's revolution. john? >> dickerson: thank you. florida republican senator marco rubio is the son of cuban immigrants and join us us from miami. what would you like to see change in u.s.-cuba relations now? >> i would like to see more of a democratic opening on the island of cuba, free press stop putting people in jail because

cuban revolution. until victory, always. >> raoul castro there giving the news in cuba. let's go to our dedicated correspondent on the ground, live this hour in havana, cuba, cnn's patrick otman is standing by. patrick, you told us an hour ago that as this news is spreading and, you know, we are seeing celebrations in some places, in havana people are just starting to learn the news and many people learned the news from you. >> reporter: yes, we found out about it as the news was announced. came to the office very quickly, asked cubans along the way if they heard the news, nobody i encountered on the streets had. the streets were empty, it was quite late, almost 11:00 p.m. when the news was released by raoul castro. i found people listening to government radio stations and the news hadn't been broken there. watching the news in the last few hours, i have not seen it repeated. it has been repeated once or twice. a lot of the news sites here have not been update it. there's a surreal sense, the news is not being spread broadly. that will change, but a number of mind friends who are cu

the metropolitan washington area. three were originally from cuba. the facts presented so far raise a number of intriguing questions, such as did someone put up a lot of money to have the democratic headquarters infiltrated and, if so, who and why? >> the president's press secretary said of this incident, i'm not going to comment from the white house from a third rate burglary attempt. obviously, he said, we don't condone that kind of second rate activity. >> when the first reports came about the burglary at the watergate, i didn't think much of it. but more and more facts begin to come out. >> this is a police photograph of james w. mccord. mccord is a former cia employee. now he runs his own private security service. and guess what else he is. a consultant to president richard nixon's reelection campaign committee. mccord and his accomplices meanwhile have been charged with second-degree burglary and have been released on bail, but i don't think that's the last we're going to hear on this story. >> it's one of the most shocking actions i think that's happened in this country in a

. and around the world. ♪ >> we begin with breaking news from cuba. former cuban leader fidel castro is dead at the age of 90. you just heard the sounds of cheering on the streets of little havana on miami. as cuban exiles escaped his regime celebrated after hearing of his death. although a lot of them are the next generation. >> very good to point out. in havana, though, take a look there. the streets are quiet. people are finding out. and as cuba's president and fidel castro's brother raul castro made the announcement. nine days of mourning started just about an hour ago. the video that you see here for his 90th birthday celebration, that was back in august. we want to go to patrick oppmann, now, he is there in cuba. and patrick, i was just talking to martin about this you are going to have an interesting place in history for a lot of these people in cuba. because i know that you've been talking to them. it happened overnight, and you ended up being the very person informing them that fidel castro had died. help us understand what their reaction was? >> you could see that they woul

: now to our main story: fidel castro ruled the island of cuba with an iron fist for almost half a century, handing power over to his brother eight years ago. cubans called him simply" fidel." he was a thorn in the side of ten american presidents, a defiant communist allied with the soviet union in the cold war, and a dictator who imprisoned and killed his enemies and drove a million of his citizens to flee. castro was the father of a revolution that delivered healthcare and education to his people but deprived them of a better quality of life by most other measures, and, most of all, of political freedom. late last night, president raul castro went on cuban state television to announce the death of his older brother and predecessor, but he gave no cause. fidel castro had suffered from an intestinal disease for over a decade. raul castro announced nine days of national mourning and said his brother would be cremated, with his ashes interred in the city of santiago, near where he grew up. in havana, flags are at half staff and the mood has been somber, the streets largely empty of p

revelry and reflection as many wonder what's the future of america's relationship with cuba. fidel castro died last night. he was 90 years old. for years, hi had been out of -- he had been out of the public eye. his brother made that announcement television. for -- on television. for some, there is sadness. cuba declared nine days of mourning >> castro's rise to power in 1959 tore families apart. millions fled the island nation as the communist dictator seized property, silence the press and jailed dissidents. cuban exiles are celebrating in the streets of we are live in miami. what's the over all tone where you are? reporter: well >>its electric is what i can tell you. people celebrating what they're calling a joyous occasion. the street where i'm at, southwest eight th street is the buzz and hub of activity as we show you a good look. right under that cuban flag you see is the famed coffee window where day today, the talk has been about nothing other than the death of fidel castro. people from all walks of life coming out here to be in community. >> they died there and couldn't s

moment in history. and the reason why i'm here, for freedom. i left when i was 9 years old, cuba. and one day i will go back. when i go there with my american passport. because i'm an american. >> reporter: thank you, tanya. we appreciate it. we also spoke with a republican congresswoman, iliana ros-lehtinen, who herself came to the u.s. when she was a child. what's the rest the country to make of all that's happening outside of versailles? >> i know. i know people are looking at these visuals and they're thinking are these people nuts? they're celebrating someone's death. and we're not. we're celebrating an opportunity of a new beginning. people. we're never going to stop dreaming of a free cuba and working toward one. >> reporter: we noticed today that people were taking small cuban flags and bringing them to nearby graveyards, where their relatives are buried. as one woman said, i wanted to put a flag at the grave of my mother and father, who didn't live long enough to see this day come. meg? >> david begnaud in miami for us. thank you. >>> florida senator marco rubio is the s

moved to normalize relations with cuba, however, incoming president donald trump has threatened to overturn those actions. >> we have team coverage this morning with our reporters and analysts standing by but start he here's jvi >> reporter: good morning, dan. the cigar chomping bearded firebrand who once gave a seven-hour speech is silenced this morning. fidel castro survived multiple assassination attempts by the u.s. government but went quietly overnight after nearly a decade of failing health. fidel's brother president raul castro announcing the death of his older brother on state television ending the bruise revolutionary mantra. castro remained skeptical of the u.s. right up to his death. defiantly commenting after president obama's historic visit that cuba will never forget what the bay of pigs invasion and does not need america. >> translator: i am a communist, a marxist, socialist communist. i am not afraid to say i am a communist. >> reporter: fidel castro was born in 1926 out of wedlock to a wealthy cuban land then studied law. his two passions were baseball, he was very

foreign language ] >> with the news spreading the reaction from cuba. now a florida's little havana overnight. the raucous scenes, celebrations in the streets. and the hopes for friends and relatives still in the country. >> i hope the cuban people from freedom tomorrow. >> his time in power. >> i am not afraid to say i am a communist. >> facing off against ten presidents, the bay of pigs and the cuban missile crisis of nuclear war. >> translator: yes, we were very close to the nuclear war, extremely close. >> and the look ahead. what it could mean for the country and its people. to u.s. businesses and tourism, team coverage on this breaking story right now. >>> good morning, and we're dedicating much of this show to the breaking news, the death of fidel castro. >> we want to you look at the contrasting scenes overnight. right there on the streets miami, you can see jubilation, members of the cuban community, many of them exiles who fled castro's repressive regime celebrating in the streets. meantime, in havana, the cuban capital, the streets quiet and empty. >> fidel castro was a t

dictator reigning for decades, defying the u.s. nine official days of mourning here in cuba have now begun. the flags at half-staff. tonight, cuban exiles in miami celebrating in the streets of little havana. while here, weee families who now mourn their leader. and what they say about a future relationship with the u.s. >>> also, the cuba backlash. new questions about the renewed ties with america. president-elect donald trump's team calling it a one-sided deal, suggesting it won't last long. and president obama facing some backlash for his official statement. >>> the deadly rampage in new orleans' french quarter, panic in the streets. one person killed, nine wounded. the hunt for suspects at this hour. >>> and the mystery kidnapping, the mother of two found alive after three weeks. abandoned and tied up on the side of the road. you'll hear the radio call from the first officer on the scene. >>> good evening. on this sunday night, we come to you from havana, cuba. we're here to witness the end of an era. after the death of the cuban dictator, fidel castro. he ruled this island natio

cuban dictator fulgencio batista. batista fled the island in 1959 and the castros have led cuba ever since. the cuban revolution would inspire revolutionary efforts across the globe and lead castro to become one of the archenemies of the united states. it is said he survived over 600 assassination attempts, many orchestrated by the cia. across the developing woworld, fidel castro was viewed as a hero who stoodod up to washingtn and offered support for anti-colonial struggles. this is bolivian president evo morales speaking on saturday. .> fidel is a manan fidel is a brother, a great human being. fidel is a politician, a great revolutionary. fidel castro is a great teacher of principles and bellies, a teacher of revolututionaries. his s fight has not t only beenr the cubaban people, nor for thee people o of latin america, but r the people of the world that fought for freedom. amy: sello hatang of the nelson mandela foundation also praised castro. >>>> to the people of cuba, your pain is ours. fidel castro belonged to you as much as he belonged to us. and we all believe -- we all know

that there is a people understand that he has cast a huge food print not only in cuba but for someone who was simply the leader of a small caribbean nation, he had a global profile. and everybody understands that. he was in a sense the poster person for the revolutionary that i think influenced so many people in latin america, and who wanted to change their own country, whether in his image or in somebody else's image. but that image that he carefully created, i think, survived until the day he died, even though he was 90. >> we continue with my conversation in washington with peter kornbluh, julia sweig and jorge dom ingvar easy. >> he is mainly a symbol as you put it of the 20th century. but the one pit of impact he continued to have is as a resistor. very much as you introduced him, as someone who did not look at all well upon president obama's visit to havana in march of 2016 who immediate loor after obama left criticized it in public, something he had really not done while his brother raul had been president. and he became the not only the symbol but the practical leader of the a

waiting for. fidel castro, a revolutionary figure, who ruled cuba for half a century through the ranks of 11 u.s. presidents, was really seen as an evil figure by many people in south florida. caused a split in families and a lot of emotional pain. so already out on the streets in little havana. celebrating the death of a figure they consider a dictator and a tyrant, the cause of so much pain over the past 50 years. there's an announcement that body will be cremated on saturday and then we can expect an elaborate burial service, perhaps with world leaders from around coming to cuba to mark the occasion. a controversial figure in his 50-year rule he brought the cold war to the west. he almost caused a nuclear war in 1962 between the soviet union and the u.s. over the cuban missile crisis. he managed to stay in power through thick and thin. he is seen by both friends and enemies as a brilliant orator, a man who could speak for hours at a time. he had an image for television with his beard, cigar and his military-speak. even through economic tough times after cuba lost the economic backin

, fidel castro. >> cuba y el mundo reaccionan por la muerte de un lÍder de una revoluciÓn. >> yo soy fidel!. >> a sÓlo 90 millas del estrella de lo florida, la gente se echÓ a la calle para celebrar la muerte de lo que llamaban el dictador su fallecimiento es otra incÓgnita de las relaciones con cuba en la era trump, analizamos la vida de fidel castro, su muerte y estaremos en vivo en la isla en una ediciÓn especial de enfoque. >> hola ¿quÉ tal? gracias por dejarme ser parte. >> hace exactamente 36 horas el mundo se enteraba de la noticia de la muerte de fidel castro, su rÉgimen permanece en el poder despuÉs de 57 aÑos, les tenemos cobertura completa por medio de washington, dc, miami, la florida y en la habana cuba, aÍi autoridades comenzaron autorizar la entrada de algunos miembros de la prensa internacional para cubrir el fallecido lÍder de la revoluciÓn y comenzamos en la habana, se encuentra rogelio, mora tagle, muy buenos dÍas. >> josÉ buenas tardes es un gusto saludarte desde la habana cuba, continÚan los 9 dÍas de luto. es un dÍa nublado en la habana, todavÍ

united states longer than they ever lived in cuba. fidel castro was a figure that forever changed their lives. >> what can i tell you about fidel. fidel is fidel. i don't think it will change. where fidel goes the regiment will be the same with different people, younger people. maybe i'm wrong. i wish i am. >> are you as angry today toward him as you were 40, 50 years ago? >> i mean, you know, life makes you change. like the way you think. when i came here i was too young. he destroyed our lives, you know? most of my life has been here, in my country. in that sense, it has affected me a lot because -- the american-born children of exiles view cuba dimpley. >> it is an abstract for me. it is a culture, a traditional, it's family. it's what you do. for them it is more raw. for me it's -- i don't like castro. i'd love to see a democracy there and i think most americans probably would but what they feel will be greater. >> because we have to live with the invasion. we both lost, yeah, a lot of friends, you know, close friends. i remember october crisis. >> the talk turned toward what could

brother and cuba's president raul castro making the statement on tv. this video i want to share with you will be from his 90th birthday celebration in august. there he is. fidel castro here. in the u.s. president elect donald trump tweeted very simply, fidel castro is dead. with an exclamation point. cnn is covering the story from all angles. we have patrick oppman in miami. i want to go straight to chris moody in miami. because what a scene it has been in little havana, not just overnight. we thought it would subside, but even where you are now. >> reporter: that's right. celebrations have gone on since the middle of the night when people here in the exile community in little havana in miami spilled into the streets and they have been celebrating and cheering and throwing impromptu parades down the streets for hours now. just shortly before this, we were on the sidewalk and cars were coming by and there were just so many people. they opened the street back up for people to pour back into. police have closed the street to traffic. people are back here celebrating and dancing and singing.

and oppression. although as an obama normalized relations with cuba, his death left cuba with an uncertain future. we have an update from charlie. charlie, you don't look like you are on the ground, you pick your up in the air. that he hashink passed a huge footprint in cuba but also someone who is the leader of a small caribbean nation. he had a global profile. everybody understands that. he was in a sense the poster person for the revolutionary that influenced so many people in latin america. who wanted to change their own his image orer in somebody else's image. that image that he carefully created survived until the day that he died. even though he was 19. they are sad about that. there are many people who believe that he was a tyrant. that myoing things limited human rights. things that showed no respect for political opposition. i want to get your members of fidel castro in a minute. abouto me for a moment whether this death has more symbolic significance. what you can pick up on the street, from the people you are talking to, does this herald a new era of openness or what

the island of cuba. >> this is the cuba i grew up with. >> man kind teeters on the brink of therm nuclear war. >> the missile crisis, duck and cover. cover yourselves with wet newspaper. we're all going to die. >> the flames of crisis burn far stronger. fanned by the bitter tirades of fidel castro. >> and this guy. always in the fatigues underlining with every appearance that we were two nations in a neverending state of war. >> today the united states of america is changing its relationship with the people of cuba. we will begin to normalize relations between the two countries. ♪ ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la la >> cuba has been sitting here 55 years now, half an hour away, basically giving the biggest superpower in the world the stiff middle finger. 50-plus years of animosity, embargo, rationing, and fidel castro is still hanging on. but re

de sentimientos por la muerte de castro, en cuba el gobierno prepara 9 dÍas de homenaje, entras en la pequeÑa habana siguen las celebraciones. la gran incÓgnita es cuÁl sera el rumbo de la relaciÓn de estados unidos con cuba luego de la salida de obama y la llegada de donald trump. mÁs alla de las controversias, las visitas de castro no dejaban a nadie indiferente. new york fue escenario de varias de ellas. vamos ahora con toda la informaciÓn. ♪ ♪ locutor: este es su noticiero univisiÓn fin de semana, con fÉlix de bedout y arantxa loizaga. ♪ arantxa: bienvenidos a noticiero univisiÓn, la muerte del ex gobernante, fidel castro, genera una gama de sentimientos encontrados en la isla, sus cubanos disidentes en estados unidos y los lÍderes mundiales. dictador para muchos, hÉroe y lÍder para otros. impuso un modelo comunista de inspiraciÓn soviÉtica en america latina. falleciÓ a los 90 aÑos, ayer, fue cremado esta maÑana. desde cuba tenemos el sentir del pueblo. reportera: continÚa la consternaciÓn y sin poder creer esta gran noticia del fallecimiento de fidel c

and around the world. 4:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast and one day after the death of cuba's fidel castro. a sharp mix of reactions. i'm george howell at the cnn headquarters in atlanta. his funeral is set for december 4th. the island nation declared nine days of mourning as preparations are under way there for world leaders to visit cuba to pay respects. again, this is a figure that people either admired or people despised. to the president of venezuela, castro was seen as an inspiration. nicolas maduro visited the former leader of his country, hugo chavez. maduro declaring days of mourning in solidarity with cuba. a different reaction in the united states. take a look at the scene in miami, florida. many in the exiled communities, the cuban exiled community came together to celebrate in little havana. some even dancing in the streets marking the ket of fidel castro as a victory for change. in cuba itself, the mood is somber in havana. many grieving the death of castro. patrick ottoman has more on what's next in the cuban capital? >> cuba entered a nine-day period of mourning. the

"vital signs" starts right now. > >>> cuba is roughly 90 miles off the coast florida but it feels a world away, the old cars, architecture, music. it is the sights and sounds of havana. this is "vital signs." i'm dr. sanjay gupta. despite being one of the poorest countries, cuba has a relatively strong health care system, a lot of focus on prevention. their screening program for vision and hearing and also a very robust vaccination program. keeping track of 11 million people on the caribbean's largest island often requires a personal touch. this is a family doctor's clinic in havana, they are known as poly clinics and the primary care facilities of cuban health care. dr. marta runs this clinic and is responsible for the surrounding neighborhood. >> how many patients do you care for? 1100 to 1500 people. >> what is the most common things you see here? >> narrator: the diseases we see more off noun are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, as ma and chronic object struck tough tiff pulmonary diseases. >> she sees patients in the morning and heads out in the afternoon to make h

century reign forced their lives and brohthe u.s. and?4 cuba ba to war in the '60s. he presided over 11 presidents in power. now the u.s. and cuba are enjoyi better relations, what a look back at the htory and what is to come. today, saturday, november 26th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on saturday i'm sheinelle jon alongside ww?d dylan dreyer?< and we have hall jackson here with us. happy to have you here on this side. >> nice to tak?v??!e sitting with you after stuffing myself for two days. >> and we start with a busy new. let's get to it. the top story is breaking news overnight. cuba's long time former leader fidel castro h??pas died at thee of??i>6doh 90. castro inwy power for nearly wa years. his brother, raul castro announced his death. life. >> reporter: to his followers, he was commander or fidel. to enemies, a dictator. one of the world's last communists. the illimf a land owner. he graduated wh a law degree and doctorate. tried running for the assembly until power seized. in 1953, castro le

in 1959, he released white doves to symbolize a new era of peace and prosperity in cuba. 57 years later, castro's death is triggering two very different types of reactions. some are shedding tears of grief, others tears of joy. in miami, the heart of the cuban exile community, celebrations erupted when news broke that castro had died on friday at the age of 90. many there say castro's death will close a dark chapter in cuba's history. the mood in cuba's capital is quiet and somber as people there worry about what might happen next. we're getting reaction from president obama and president-elect trump. trump says while cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is his hope for a future in which the wonderful cuban people live in the freedom they richly deserve. from president obama, "during my presidency we worked hard to put the past behind us. the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things we shared as neighbors and friends, bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity." the death of former dictator fidel castro is cause

>>> good morni >>> good morning, america. breaking overnight, cuba's fidel castro who ruled the country for nearly half a century dead at age 90. his brother, the current leader, making the announcement. [ speaking a foreign language ] >> with the news spreading the reaction from cuba. now a national warning to florida's little havana overnight. the raucous scenes, celebrations in the streets.and the hopes and the hopes for friends and relatives still in the country. >> and i hope >> and i hope the cuban people have freedom tomorrow. >> his time in power. >> translator: i am not afraid to say i am a communist. the cuban missile crisis bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. >> translator: yes, we were very close to the nuclear war, extremely close. >> and the look ahead. what it could mean for the country and its people.busine to u.s. businesses and tourism. team coverage on this breaking story right now. >>> good morni >>> good morning, and we're de fidel castro. >> we want to you look at the contrasting scenes overnight. right there on the streets of miami, you can see

celebrations broke out in the streets. some saying it will close a dark chapter of cuba's history. >> we are here because we are celebrating the death in cuba. after this moment, many things are going to change in cuba. >> let's bring in ed laugvander. the crowd is still very full. what are people say sing? >> reporter: people have been pouring out into the streets in little havana since the news of his death was first announced. the streets have been festive. many people celebrating the death of fidel castro. gloria estefan said, the death of a human being is rarely cause for celebration, she tried to explain why these people out here are celebrating today. the grip of castro's regime will not loosen overnight, the demise of a leader that oversaw the annihilation of those with an opposing view, the discripple nat jailing of innocents, the separation of families and the censure of his people's freedom to speak, state sanctioned terrorism and the economic destruction of a once thriving and successful country. people know that his death will not have an immediate impact on life in c

joining us. >> we are following breaking news. the former leader of cuba, fidel castro, dead at the age of 90 years old. >> former president and revolutionary leader was 9 # years old. for years he had been out of the public eye. his proer, the current president, raoul castro, made the announcement on cuban television. here it is. >> translator: dear people of cuba, with profound pain i have to sadly inform you, to our friends, from our america, and to the world, that today, november 25th, 2016, at 10:29 in the evening, the commander and leader of the cuban revolution, fidel castro ruiz died. following the explicit instructions. his remains will be cremated in the early hours of tomorrow, saturday, the 26th. the organizing commission of the funerals will give our people detailed information about the organization of the post humous tribute that we will give to the founder of the cuban revolution. until victory, always. >> we can speak now to patrick altman, cnn correspondent int cuba in the capital, havana. patrick what are the reactions you have been seeing? i know it's early in the night

dictatorship in cuba and shaping america and global foreign policy. >> warming relations with cuba could be in limbo after the election of donald trump. >> mr. trump's transition picks up steam amid apparent split over one key pick. >>> we begin with reactions from across the u.s. and around the world to the death of fidel castro. the former president of cuba died friday at the age of 90, beginning several days of mourning in cuba and kicking off celebrations among exiles. he was an icon of the cuban revolution who established a brutal communist regime. he was a symbol of the cold war, allying cuba with the soviet union and frustrating american presidents from both parties. earlier this morning it was a scene of celebration on the streets of miami, where so many cuban exiles settled to build new lives in the u.s. phil keating is live in miami little havana neighborhood where the partying is showing no signs of letting up. phil? >> reporter: we are looking at about 16, 17 hours of a street party that's been happening and take a look around. this is the scene here of celebration in m

military buildup on the island of cuba. >> this is the cuba i grew up with. >> mankind teeters precariously on the brink of a thermal nuclear war. >> the missile crisis, duck and cover, hide under your desk kids, cover yourselves with wet newspaper because we're all going to die. >> the flames of crisis burn far stronger, fed and fanned by the bitter tirades of fidel castro. >> and this guy, always in the fatigues underlining with every appearance that we were two nations in a never-ending state of war. >> today, the united states of america is changing its relationship with the people of cuba. we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la la >> cuba has been sitting here for what, 55 years now, half an hour away, basically giving the biggest superpower in the world the stiff middle finger. 50-

announcement on cuban television. trf dear peop >> translator: dear people of cuba, with profound pain, i have to sadly inform you to our friends from america and to the world that today november 25th, 2016, at 10:29 in the evening, the commander and leader of the cuban revolution, fidel castro, tied. following the explicit desires, his remains will be cremated in the early hours of tomorrow saturday the 26th. the organizing commission of the funerals will give our people detailed information about the organization of the posthumous tribute that we will give to the founder of the cuban revolution. until victory, always. >> cnn has a variety of correspondents, analysts that are covering this breaking news story this hour. let's first go to patrick who is live in havana, he is the only u.s. television correspondent based in cuba and brings us a great deal of insight. patrick, talk to us about the reaction, sort of a silence there in the streets. >> reporter: news travels here much slower than the rest of the world. people don't have internet in their homes, they don't have phones that recei

brother raul on cuban state television just a few moments ago. fidel castro ruled cuba for close to 50 years, seizing power in the cuban revolution of 1959 before eventually handing over 2008. abc's jim avila has more on the life of the revolutionary figure. >> reporter: for a half century, fidel castro ruled cuba while the world changed around him. 50 years of isolation finally ended only after he left power. and only with his tacit blessing. castro remained skeptical and suspicious of the u.s. right up to his death. defiantly that cuba will never forget the bay of pigs invasion, and does not need america. his defense of his communist revolution never faltering. >> translator: i am a communist. a marxist socialist communist. i am not a afraid to say i'm a communist. >> reporter: he was born in 1926 out of wedlock to a wealthy cuban landowner and his maid. studied law. his passions were baseball, he was very good at it, and politics. he became an activist for the poor and working class. in 1956 after being expelled by cuba's american-supported dictator have a lens i don't bautista, cas

fidel castro died last night at the age of 90. cuba has announced nine days of mourning, with the funeral scheduled for december 4 in santiago. bill castro is simply cuban presidency in 1959. he led the revolutionary government that toppled the government of batista. in 2010, he gave a speech to the cuban national assembly. he spoke about the u.s. and president obama. this is about 15 minutes. [applause] ♪ [singing and foreign language] mr. castro: my message to the national assembly -- outset, only eight weeks that thelieved imminent threat of war had no possible solution. so dramatic was the scenario we faced before, that i saw no perhapsternative than the likelihood of there not being any survival by this reason to behad no a direct target. with thery difficult knowledge that human beings always cling to the faintest .ope despite all of this, i made an , itmpt, and fortunately didn't take me long to realize there was some hope, a very profound hope, in fact. additionally, without taking advantage of this opportunity, then the disaster could lead to the worst possible conseque

. fidel castro ruled cuba for close to 50 years, seizing power in the cuban revolution of 1959 before eventually handing over 2008. abc's jim avila has more on the life of the revolutionary figure. >> reporter: for a half century, fidel castro ruled cuba while the world changed around him. 50 years of isolation finally ended only after he left power. and only with his tacit blessing. castro remained skeptical and suspicious of the u.s. right up to his death. defiantly commenting after president obama's that cuba will never forget the bay of pigs invasion, and does not need america. his defense of his communist revolution never faltering. >> translator: i am a communist. a marxist socialist communist. i am not a afraid to say i'm a communist. >> reporter: he was born in 1926 out of wedlock to a wealthy cuban landowner and his maid. he went to catholic schools then was very good at it, and politics. he became an activist for the poor and working class. in 1956 after being expelled by cuba's american-supported dictator have a lens i don't bautista, castro returned secretly with brother r

. kennedy ordered the cia to invade cuba at the bay of pigs, using a force of anti-castro exiles. >> at 3:45 p.m. wednesday, april 19th, resistance ends. >> reporter: the resulting debacle only helped castro consolidate power. by then a declared socialist, he dramatically improved health care and literacy but also accepted soviet missiles, bringing the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. >> requiring a full retaliatory response upon the soviet union. >> reporter: until jfk's hard-line and back-channel diplomacy got the russians to pull back, for 25 years moscow helped castro arm communist insurgents throughout latin america. with the end of the soviet union, cuba's economy imploded on. makeshift boats, thousands of cubans fled the increasingly repressive regime. >> his legacy is a complicated one. but there's no forgetting how many cubans left the island under duress. >> reporter: in the 1990s, the aging ruler courted u.s. businessmen and american tourists. he showed a new tolerance for religion, welcoming pope john paul ii in 1998. he won friends throughout latin america by

>>> tonight, a journey to cuba, a troubled country taking historic steps to survive. for the first time in decades, profit is no longer a dirty word. we are very happy. under new laws, cubans can open a new business and strike out on their own. >> now i know why you put the money up here. my name is marcus lemonis. on my show i use my own money to invest in struggling companies and help turn their fortunes around. now, i've come to one of the last holdouts of come in addition to meet pioneers of capitalism >> the doors for the first time are wide open. >> i'm definitely a businessman. i love doing this. >> do you think you're going to be in cuba for the rest of your life? >> yes. because cuba changes very fast. >> the obstacles are daunting. this clothing designer has to buy fabric on the black market. this restaurant owner is isn't allowed any more than 50 seats. the state says she isn't allowed to expand her business. >> you cannot have two stands? >> no. >> in sucks. meet cuba's new business class, surviving and thriving. under one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. �

castro y todos los ojos estÁn puestos lo que pase ahora en cuba, la isla vive hoy su primer dÍa sin el hombre que dirigiÓ su destino durante casi 50 aÑos. y las informaciones que llegan desde allÍ escasas y con cuenta gotas, hablan de un paÍs en relativa calma pero en espera a pesar que la televisiÓn oficial muestra desde hace horas, poco mÁs que documentales las redes sociales dieron su propia realidad y han podido captar en directo el pulso de las calles de la habana. estas son de hecho imÁgenes de esta maÑana poco despuÉs que se conociera la noticia. las cÁmaras de la web cyber cuba noticias nos muestra cÓmo la vida cotidiana sigue su curso, gente paseando, alguna cÁmara de televisiÓn. la policÍa por las calles, las crÓnicas de jovenes que tienen la fortuna de poder ver la realidad a travÉs de sus celulares. vamos a estar transmitiendo un rato aquÍ del boulevard san rafael y estÁn haciendo preguntas cÓmo estÁ la habana en estos momentos desde que salÍ he estado pasando por varios establecimientos y varios lugares aquÍ en la habana y como estÁ diciendo anterior

, thank you. >>> 21-gun salutes will fire in cuba's largest cities monday as the island nation begins a week-long choreographed farewell to its long-time leader fidel castro. the communist dictator, who wore his animosity toward america as long as his trademark beard, died friday at the age of 90. manuel bojorquez is in havana. >> reporter: meg, cubans are grieving today as the death of fidel castro has started to set in. while a divisive figure abroad, on this caribbean island castro was admired by many. as flags flew at half staff over havana some cubans could not hold back their tears. victor manuel said he felt like he had lost a patriarch, "the father of our family, the father of the revolution," he said. havana's normally bustling revolution plaza was quiet. workers were busy preparing for two days of tributes to the dictator who led the country for half a century. thousands of cubans will pay their respects in the shadow of the monument to national hero jose marti and a sculpture of revolutionary leader che guevara. inside the cathedral lettisia fonseca prayed and reflected. cast