Hispanic students react to Fidel Castro’s death

Junior Alexander Machado Pramer received news of Fidel Castro’s death Friday night when his cousins called from Miami shouting, “El Comandante is dead!”, before going out to the streets to celebrate. Machado Pramer did not really believe the news until this morning when his family popped champagne.

“My mom is the Cuban so she started laughing and screaming, ‘se jodio,’ and my grandmother could not believe it. She thought it was another false alarm.”  Although the Machado Pramer family is still in disbelief, they’ve been celebrating all day listening to Celia Cruz.

Fidel Castro was 90-years-old when he was announced dead by Cuban state television late Friday night. Fidel ruled over Cuba for 49 years, making him the longest ruling male national leader of this generation. Fidel established Cuba as the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere, severing ties with the United States during the Cold War.

“Fidel Castro took away my family’s property, money, food, and freedom. His regime impacted my family for three generations up to me. I’m glad he’s dead because communism is dying too. I got a call from my dad celebrating, my mom is filled with joy, my grandma doesn’t believe we should celebrate anyone’s death, but my grandpa is hyped,” said Sophomore Francis Zamora while celebrating on his boat in Miami. “No one is optimistic but with one more person dead from the communist regime it’s the slow death of communism.”

Sophomore Rosie Martinez found out about Castro’s death yesterday at midnight when she received a Facetime from her Cuban best friend. “She was with her family on ‘calle ocho’ (8th street on Miami Beach), which is a major Latino party street during certain occasions. People were flooding the streets with pots and pans, sounding them like drums and shouting ‘Se murió Satanás!’ (The devil has died). It basically looked and sounded like people were celebrating a Miami Heat championship rather than a death. Yet again, this death is a win for all Cubans, so a party is perfectly called for.”

Martinez is not Cuban herself, but feels a strong connection to the community after living in Miami her whole life. “Castro’s death is something many of us, especially in Miami, have taken very personally. He caused so much suffering; loss of families, crushed dreams, destroyed homes, and caused a plethora of poverty and racism. Had he and his monstrous regime not taken place, the world would be a very different place. Last night, the Cuban exile community poured out into the streets in the early morning hours and celebrated. This was a cathartic moment and hopefully a catalyst for the change we wish to see in such a beautiful country,” said Martinez.

Junior Rhett Vahos found out about Castro’s death from social media. “My initial reaction was just shock since he is such an infamous and historically important person. I have to admit, I didn’t have a celebratory or happy reaction, and I think that’s because of two reasons. One, that I’m young and didn’t live through his real reign so I did not see or experience first hand his actions, and second since I’m not of Cuban heritage I don’t fully understand the devastation he caused either. However, I do feel a sense of optimism, because although there has been some progress made in Cuba, maybe his death will allow Cubans to feel more empowered and demand change in their country. I think his passing can be that catalyst for better Cuba.”

Vahos’ father took the news a bit more seriously after growing up surrounded by Cubans in a Hispanic neighborhood in New York. “He kept talking about how huge this is for so many families and how symbolic it is that it’s in the past and ‘done’, but that symbolically it’s a breath of fresh air, a clean slate”.