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1st LD: Raul Castro, top Cuban officials pay tribute to Fidel Castro's ashes

Xinhua, November 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Cuban President Raul Castro, along with top Communist party and government officials, on Monday paid tribute to late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in an emotional ceremony, state television reported.

According to the report, they stood in front of Fidel Castro's picture and ashes at the ceremony held at the Ministry of Defense with a minute of silence.

Afterwards, Raul Castro presented a white rose in front of his brother's remains and was followed by legendary guerrilla commanders, Ramiro Valdes and Guillermo Garcia.

Wearing his typical army uniform, Raul Castro also signed the oath to remain loyal to Fidel Castro's concept of "Revolution", which was expressed in May of 2000.

It was the first time that Cubans have seen Fidel Castro's ashes since Raul Castro announced the leader's death late Friday at the age of 90.

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans of all generations gathered at the main plazas of the island to bid farewell to Fidel Castro on Monday, paying tribute before the images of the leader as a young guerrilla and pledging allegiance to his socialist principles.

At Havana's Jose Marti Memorial, the picture of Fidel Castro was accompanied by flowers and medals awarded to the former president during his lifetime.

The tribute will continue until Tuesday noon local time. A mass rally and state funeral is expected later in the day, with the participation of high-level delegations from all over the world.

On Wednesday, Fidel Castro's ashes will begin a three-day procession eastward across Cuba, before being placed on Sunday in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago, Cuba's second-largest city. Endi