Here's how the world's cartoonists are remembering Fidel Castro

By
We may earn a commission from links on this page.

As part of the world celebrates the life of Fidel Castro as a revolutionary hero who freed Cuba from dictatorship, others are celebrating his death as a man who was a dictator in his own right and turned Cuba into his personal fiefdom.

While his legacy will be debated for years to come, nobody can dispute the impact Castro had on global politics over the past six decades. Few world leaders have also had such an impact on global cartoonists over the years.

Advertisement

And as Cuba prepares for El Comandante's final send-off, cartoonists around the world are putting pencil to paper to give him a send-off of their own.

In Venezuela, whose revolutionary government has been a close political ally, cartoonist EDO seems to suggest that neither God nor the devil wanted Castro—a joke some used to tell to explain his longevity.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Fellow Venezuelan cartoonist Rayma depicts Castro as one of the last dinosaurs of communist ideology.

Others in Latin America see Castro as a hero who defied U.S imperialism. This from Brazilian cartoonist Latuff.

Advertisement

Left-leaning Mexican newspaper La Jornada focused on how Castro outlived eight U.S presidents and dozens of CIA assassination attempts. "Mission Accomplished," the CIA agent tells the dead U.S. presidents.

Advertisement

Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder goes a step further, suggesting Fidel also outlived the entire U.S. political system.

Advertisement

In Ecuador, cartoonist Bonil suggests Cuba won't be able to shake Fidel´s authoritarian government, even in death.

Advertisement

Cuban cartoonist Angel Boligan also suggests Cuba will continue to struggle under the weight of Castro's legacy.

Advertisement

In Nicaragua, a country run by its own strongman, cartoonist Manuel Gullien questions what Cuba's plan for political transition is beyond Raul Castro, who himself is 85.

Advertisement

Others wonder about the legacy of Castro's revolution. This from the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

Advertisement

And this from Swiss cartoonist Chappatte.

Advertisement

In Colombia, Castro is being remembered by some cartoonists for his positive achievements, including his role in brokering peace talks between that country´s government and the marxist FARC guerrillas.

Advertisement

But for many people in Latin America, Fidel was also another dictator with blood on his hands, in a region that has had more than its fair share of strongmen on the right and left. EDO depicts Fidel arguing politics in hell with former rightwing Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. "Your problem was marketing," Castro tells Pinochet. "Being leftist was more cool.

Advertisement

Nicaraguan cartoonist PxMolinA also thinks history might not be so quick to absolve Fidel, as he famously claimed.

Advertisement

But hey, maybe Fidel was right. Argentine cartoonist Nik depicts Castro sharing a cloud in heaven with deceased political allies Hugo Chávez and Nestor Kirchner. "I told you the Bolivarian alliance would come out on top!"

Advertisement

Finally, a few cartoonists couldn't resist poking fun at Fidel's late-life fashion switch from olive drab combat fatigues to Adidas tracksuits.

Advertisement

Adios, Fidel.

Manuel Rueda is a correspondent for Fusion, covering Mexico and South America. He travels from donkey festivals, to salsa clubs to steamy places with cartel activity.