The ashes of Cuba’s fallen ruler Fidel Castro were carried to his final resting place this weekend by, fittingly, a Russian UAZ 3151 military vehicle. And perhaps also appropriately, it broke down mid-procession, forcing soldiers to push the vehicle down a street flanked by cheering onlookers.
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It is a pathetic and perhaps symbolic farewell for one of the world’s most controversial dictators.
The Wall Street Journalreports Cuba’s sendoff for Castro was an extravagant one. After a few days of mourning, the revolutionary’s ashes were placed in a box, set on a trailer, and towed approximately 500 miles from Havana’s Revolutionary Square eastward on a three day journey tracing the reverse path Castro’s guerrillas took to overthrew the Batista regime nearly 60 years prior.
On Saturday, the “Caravan of Liberty” (as the state called it) reached its final destination of Santiago de Cuba, where Castro was to finally be put to rest. But before the interment, the Russian UAZ military SUV carrying Castro’s ashes gave up the ghost, and soldiers were forced to temporarily push the vehicle along. Here’s why Fox News Worldthinks this breakdown may have been a fitting end to Castro’s rule:
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The breakdown of the jeep in the midst of adoring crowds chanting “Long live Fidel!” was symbolic of the dual nature of Castro’s Cuba. While his legacy inspires fierce adulation by many of the nation’s citizens, others continue to grumble about Cuba’s autocratic government, inefficient bureaucracy and stagnant economy.
On Sunday, Castro’s remains were buried in a private ceremony alongside Cuban independence hero José Martí.
Come on Cuba, I know Russian cars are usually terrible, but you’ve got some of the best mechanics in the world. There’s no excuse for this.
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