In a statement here today, the CPI said Fidel Castro along with Che Guevara and other revolutionaries led the Cuban revolution and overthrew Batista regime in 1959 and established the first socialist country in the Western hemisphere of the world. Despite the frequent attempts on his life and despite the continuous sinister campaigns and interventions including economic blockade by U.S. imperialism, Fidel Castro played a historic role in building the modern socialist Cuba, which is free from illiteracy, hunger and illness. Fidel Castro was a great Marxist thinker and a legendary revolutionary fighter.

The CPI statement said that Castro was a great friend of Indian Communist movement and India. He played remarkable role in the non-aligned movement giving it a new orientation. His demise is not just a loss for Cuba but for the whole world and for all revolutionary movements, the CPI said.