Page 12 - Patrick Ottoman News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Now more than ever this is a time of transition for cuba. seen so much change here in the last few years. u.s. president obama visiting cuba and now will be more expectation among cubans who endured so much for a better economy and life. it's not sure or clear whether those expectations will be met. >> all right. patrick. going to look back at fidel castro's life with a report you put together on the late cuban leader. >> fidel castro rode into havana in 1959, a conquering hero astride a jeep. just 32 when revolution overthrew a corrupt and brutal leadership. he promised free and democratic el...

Patrick ottoman is joining us from havana. what can you tell us athis stage? i know it's early hours. >> reporter: that's right. news landed like a bomb on cuba. a man who has ruled this island and had influence across the world for 60 years now. just beginning to feel the aftereffects. announcement made after typical event here to mark a revolutionary victory. i'm told that raul castro took to the stage to announce the death. iconic leader who has angered u.s. presidents for decades. some have called him a dictator, others a freedom fighter. but a man who has lived a life like few others and ...

Ere erected. and i'm sure that some day when the castros are no longer in power those monuments and those statues -- it reminds me of the saddam hussein statue in baghdad. the one that the americans pulled down with the help of the iraqis. that's going to be the fate of those castro statues. >> a cllist in with the miami herald joining us this hour. stay with us we'll come back to you. >> rafael rommo joins us now. cnn correspondent. rafael, as we now have the confirmation that fidel castro has passed away, as fidel passes, what dies with him? >> i feel like in a way one of the old vestiges of...

Learning of the death of fidel castro. possibly even before some cubans themselves have found out the news. as our correspondent was telling us, it was his brother, the current president raul castro who made a brief statement a short statement giving the news that his brother fidel castro had passed away. currently the cuban media are not broadcasting this news. it is entirely possible, as patrick was telling us, that people in havana or around the island haven't all yet found out about this news. >> absolutely. >> this is all developing right now. >> even for cubans who have long since fled t...

The years but tonight, finally the news is real. i remember fidel castro used to joke when he did die nobody would believe it because there have been so many false death reports over the years and now we are living that moment. of course it is very real for cubans who have to live with the after effects of this revolution that completely changed life on this island and continues to really affect every single cuban citizen. not only here but the millions who fled and left and now live in the united states. cnn's dedicated correspondent to cuba who has covered it for many years. patrick on the...