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Brazil's former presidents Lula, Rousseff to attend Castro's funeral

Xinhua, December 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Lula Institute announced on Thursday that former Brazilian Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff will attend the funeral ceremony of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

They will travel to Havana this weekend, according to the institute.

Castro passed away last Friday at the age of 90. The revolutionary leader has ruled Cuba for almost five decades.

Castro was cremated, and his ashes traveled through Cuba this week and will be buried on Saturday.

Both Lula and Rousseff have met with Castro. During the Lula administration, Brazil and Cuba improved their ties, a policy continued by Rousseff, Lula's successor in office.

Both the Brazilian leaders published heartfelt statements regretting Castro's death hours after the Cuban government confirmed his passing. They hailed Castro's leadership and legacy. Lula compared losing Castro to the loss of an elder brother.

"For the people of our continent and the workers from poorer countries, especially the men and women of my generation, Fidel has always been a voice for fight and hope," said Lula, for whom Castro was "the greatest of all Latin Americans." Endi