Yesterday, on day three, only 35 overs were bowled as the Red Force closed on 287 for eight in the first innings. Shortly before midday the players were forced to leave the field due to rain and because of a wet outfield play was called off for the day at 2.50 pm.

Resuming the day on 173/4, overnight batsmen Yannic Cariah and Jyd Goolie took the Red Force to 196 before two wickets fell in quick succession.

Hurricanes captain Kieran Powell snatched his third wicket of the innings when he bowled Cariah for 20, and with no addition to the score Steven Katwaroo was run out for duck as TT Red Force were reduced to 196/6.

Goolie and Roshon Primus shared in a 20- run partnership for the Red Force before the former was given leg before for 23 to Quinton Boatswain. The lower order continued to show some fight as Primus found an able partner in Imran Khan as the pair batted positively in a 45-run partnership.

Khan was next to go as Hayden Walsh junior dismissed him for 18 off 28 balls to leave the Red Force on 261/8. New batsman Khary Pierre continued the momentum entertaining with some positive strokeplay getting to 15 off 25 balls with one four and one six.

Primus, who is having a solid debut season for the Red Force, got to 42 off 66 deliveries hitting five fours.

Unfortunately with the score on 287/8 rain ended play for the rest of the day.

Powell was the top bowler for the Hurricanes ending with 3/29 off 14 overs, while fellow off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall grabbed 2/73 in 32 overs.

The fourth and final day’s play will start today at 9.30 am weather permitting.

Panday greeted the news of Castro’s death at age 90 by saying, “Oh, I didn’t know he had died.” “I met him on several occasions while he was alive and on every occasion, he was charming.

He’s brilliant, and, he was daring and he was courageous. As a matter of fact, I think he is the greatest revolutionary of the 20th century. I think he was an inspiration to every patriot who was prepared to lay down his life for his country,” Panday told Sunday Newsday.

He noted that while Trinidad and Tobago has always regarded Cuba as a friend and member of the Caribbean family, it was his hope that the communist island-state would be truly integrated into the Caribbean family of nations in the near future.

“The Caribbean has always embraced Cuba as a friend and as part of the family, and, I hope that that would grow and that Cuba would truly become a part of the Caribbean family.” Former labour minister Errol McLeod said the world had lost a “giant of a man” who had gone to meet other legendary leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr and other world personalities who had shaped the world in the last century.

“I met him on three occasions and he was everything that the western world didn’t want him to be. He was a gentle person, he was deep and committed in his thoughts and he was resolute in what he sought to to do to establish the independence of Cuba and other third world developing economies.

His independence was against western, imperialist, capitalist tendencies,” McLeod said.

McLeod said he expected that the reformation which had began under Castro would be continued and Cuba would “take some steps towards normalization of its economy and other developmental goals.” Minister in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis praised Castro as a “Caribbean hero” and one of the most important figures of the 20th century.

Francis, a former history lecturer at the University of the West Indies, made the comments while speaking with the media following a press conference yesterday at the El Dorado West Secondary school.

“As a person who taught Caribbean history, Latin American history, I mean I understand the significance of the life of Fidel Castro.

If you ask me if I would have liked to live in Cuba during his tenure – probably not. But from an academic sense if you ask me if he was an important historical figure, an important ‘freedom fighter’, I would have to say ‘yes’,” he said.

Francis pointed out that people forget that the Cuba that Fidel Castro grew up in was an American colony “with all of the negative connotations of being a colony” including that your property is owned from elsewhere and your economy is run from elsewhere.

“Castro was a young lawyer who was basically trying to fight for the rights of the citizenry of his island against an imperialist American power that was not concerned with listening to him. So he becomes part of a revolutionary movement that in the context of the 20th century if you were anti-capitalist you’re going to be socialist.

It was the politics of the era. So the enemy of my enemy is my friend so of course he is going to lean towards the Soviet Union,” he said.

He continued: “And I am not saying that that is irrelevant. What I am saying is this is a Caribbean island that had the same history of slavery and colonialism and neo-colonialism. Did it have dire consequences for them? Yes. But that does not totally undermine his stature as one of the most important 20th century figures of the world. As a person who fought for freedom.

Whether you want to balance that against the fact that he was a dictator, how you view that depends on you, but that does not take away from the fact that he was a freedom fighter. He fought for the freedom of his people against an imperialist, colonialist power.” Francis said how people view Castro has to do with their own political view “but for me, despite the fact that he might be a dictator, I still view him as a Caribbean hero”.

Homicide investigators expressed the view yesterday that the deaths of Mukesh ‘Crucial’ Motilal, 46, and Kamraj ‘Cello’ Maharaj, 51, were quite strange, especially the fact that they were locked in embrace and tied together with a piece of rope by the loop of their pants.

Their eyebrows were shaved and their lips decorated with lipstick. Both men died within an hour of eating a meal while liming at Las Vegas Recreation Club in Tarouba.

An autopsy performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on Friday revealed the men died of acute poisoning.

Stomach samples were removed and sent for toxicology testing. Both men knew each other growing up in the village and were frequent customers at bars in Tarouba.

Motilal is tentatively due to be cremated today after a Hindu funeral service.

His brother Vishnu said yesterday, “There are a lot of questions but no answers. My guess is as good as yours as to what really happened. We (relatives) are still in shock.

We still cannot believe it. Hopefully, the funeral is tomorrow (this morning).” Motilal, a former Caroni worker, was not married and did not have any children.

Maharaj, a father of three, worked as a handyman. His bereaved daughter, Reanna Maharaj, yesterday said, “What we are hoping for is justice.

It was very unfair what happened. He did not deserve it.” No funeral arrangements have been made as yet for her father.

They also have a selection of products, from bridal accessories to wedding dresses, as well as perfumes, handbags, and colognes and offer rentals of linen and wedding supplies.

They say what sets them apart from similar businesses is their all-in-one set up, where couples can access the full range of their offerings as opposed to making individual and numerous stops for bridal and wedding services at several businesses.

Nanyamka and Miguelena hope their own young start up can inspire other women to pursue work they feel passionate about while providing for themselves and their families. They acknowledge that women are now breadwinners, leaders, innovators, and business moguls – all things they believe any woman can achieve with the right amount of tenacity and perseverance.

Today, the pair chats with WMN about their joint business, how they hope to empower other women through their work, and advice to up and coming entrepreneurs on our shores.

Q Would you say your work is one of the passions in your life? What drives and inspires your passions?

We love to help people feel confident about themselves. Weddings are a happy time in one’s life especially for a woman so we do everything to make sure it is on point and memorable.

Q Can you tell us about your business? How did you decide to start? What has made you continue?

Our business names speak to our particular skills and items on offer and we try to ensure that we have something for everyone.
Previously, we worked from home and our cars and decided to take on a full-scale operation in a store. As new business owners, we have decided to continue and fight for our store. This is an opportunity to showcase our skills and encourage other women to engage in entrepreneurial activities.
Yes, we are. We intend to open another branch in the near future providing more services.

Q Have there been any entrepreneurial or personal challenges you’ve had to overcome? How did you?

We have had challenges in terms of balancing a new business with our basic lives and as married women with responsibilities it is difficult at times.
Also, as with businesses that are young there are financial issues but we continue to press on.
Thankfully, we have support from our families.

Q Who is your target market? Why should they seek you out?

Our target market is the busy, hardworking individual trying to avoid the stress of running from store to store to acquire the necessary products and services.

Q What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

Seeing a smile on a client’s face and when they express their satisfaction for the service given or a product purchased.

Q What are other aspects of your life that people may be surprised to find out? We love sports and are great cooks! How do you feel about being businesswomen? Q What strengths do you think women possess in business?

We’re excited to join the long list of female business owners in Trinidad and Tobago and we feel empowered to encourage others to do so.
There are stresses to face but we are strong and committed and willing to accept any challenges that may come our way. Businesswomen possess determination, faith and great foresight/intuition; we just know what will work.

Q What ways do you empower yourself and those around you everyday?

When we think of the kids in our lives and their futures it motivates us to strive for excellence in all we do. Our trust in God and his plans for us leads us to believe that everything is possible when we have faith.

Q Last words or thoughts?

Young women must take care of themselves and grasp opportunities that are before them. They must utilize their youth and become productive and stable citizens to prepare for their later years. We want to encourage them to use the educational system to improve themselves to achieve an honest income.

You can see more on Facebook at “Scensational Faces”.

Her makeup line boasts high quality pigmentation and delicate ingredients, providing “luxurious application” and rich colour payoff that is compatible with all skin types and tones.

The line currently includes eye shadows, blushes, and highlighters but she says her specialty is customisable eye shadow palettes, which allows her clientele maximum satisfaction through their personal choice of colour.

Additionally, Nikita can custom blend any colour to match items and accessories of her clients’ choosing.

Her personal drive to excel, she says, is borne out of her knack for innovation. She believes this innovation allows her to “set new boundaries within the industry and keep abreast with trends while staying true to my promises of delicate ingredients, customisability, and high pigmentation.” Out of secondary school, Nikita attended Roytec to pursue a Bachelor’s in Business Management, a tool she knew would come in handy on her entrepreneurial journey – a journey she says she always had her heart set on.

“My goal was to become a makeup artist but it never worked out due to my lack of _ nances and connections, among other things,” she describes the way her personal plans transformed during her course of study. Compounding these obstacles was her shy and introverted personality, traits that made it difficult for her to network with others in the industry.

Her own sensitive skin ignited her interest in researching the many ingredients and products on the makeup market. It was this research that led to the birth of “my destiny, my passion and my love, Xiora; a true labour of love.” In April of this year, Xiora launched its official Instagram page. Before this branding and launch, all orders of Nikita’s makeup were made through face-to-face interactions – a true marker of the high quality of her product and accompanying customer satisfaction. In 2017, she promises a “relentless pursuit” of development, customer service, new products and collaborations.

“Xiora means innovative, organised and analytical,” she says of what’s behind her brand’s name. It is an homage to her late grandmother “who touched my life so deeply in the years I had with her.” Her grandmother’s name, Violet, a colour similar to purple but Nikita didn’t want to limit herself to a purple-only line, and so she started brainstorming.

“One night, ‘Xiora’ popped into my head and I just couldn’t get my mind off of it. Weeks and months went by and I just knew ‘Xiora’ was it.” Ever the researcher, her quest led her to discover that Xiora represents both her personal and professional personalities and she is sure her grandmother guided her to her brand’s eventual name.

She feels blessed with talent and more so with the ability to pursue education in her desired field and excel at her start up business. She believes women in the world of business have seen many a challenge throughout history but women of today “have the power to become anything they want to be and strive with persistence and perseverance.” Expanding on how her brand is a “labour of love”, she shares that all Xiora makeup is handmade personally, entirely from scratch from start to finish without pre-made bases. “We also do not repackage any existing, wholesale ordered products,” she says proudly.

Currently, she works from a home lab and Xiora’s pallets can be customized instantaneously at display setups at local markets such as Upmarket and South Market. The line contains mineral ingredients such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and clays and she highlights that harsh chemicals, preservatives, common irritants, and animal-derived and pore-clogging ingredients are not part of her makeup’s make up.

“This means that Xiora is less likely to cause skin irritations, making it perfect for sensitive skin types and persons with allergies,” she says of the love and care that go into making her special line.

One of the greatest inspirations behind Xiora and Nikita’s work is colour: “I draw inspiration from a lot of local elements such as the common outfits worn during Limbo dances, the Steelpan, sea urchins that wash ashore, and the colour of our Nylon Pool,” she elaborates.

“Sometimes I fall in love with colours of random things such as rocks, flowers, colours on a paint chart and match them to our culture with names such as ‘Gas Brain’, ‘Stuush’, ‘Palance’ and ‘Papayo’ just to name a few,” she says of the local influence her brand has taken on. Her line is truly a conglomerate of local innovation, style, homage, and representation.

At the core of it all is Nikita’s entrepreneurial and fighting spirit, which has allowed her to create something worthwhile: a locally made and inspired makeup line that keeps its clients in mind. She also hopes to visit various schools and organisations to share her story of perseverance with young women like herself, to inspire them to pursue their goals and not be “deterred by issues that appear to be hindrances; instead, capitalize on those hindrances and make the best of your situation.”

Her situation has seen her launch a successful brand and career as an entrepreneur. She admits the entrepreneurial life is not an easy one, but preaches confidence in self and your offerings as one of the keys to success.

“When you have found your passion, you will never have the heart to give up on it,” she says of her own entrepreneurial drive. For her, the happiest moments are interacting with her clients and seeing the amazement and joy Xiora brings in both little and big ways. “Most times when I share my story, people are amazed that I make makeup from scratch, which to me is just another day in the life,” she says lightly.

“Those encounters always remind me that I’m not just doing this for myself but to show others that you can do something you never imagined could have been done and be open to where life can take you.”

Nikita’s life is certainly taking her on a journey of discovery, service and beauty, one pigment and application at a time

He was delivering the feature address yesterday at the People’s National Movement (PNM) public rally held at Eddie Hart Grounds, Tacarigua.

He said the United National Congress (UNC) had ignored his reports of the former administration’s “profligate spending” for Emancipation Day, Shouter Baptist Holiday and Christmas but have started a “roti war” over that aspect of catering.

“I want to say to my brothers and sisters of the East Indian population of Trinidad and Tobago that the time has come for lesser leaders to stop taking you for fools. You are equal citizens, with equal rights in Trinidad and Tobago and you must be able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong,” he said.

He spent the bulk of his speech addressing a UNC advertisement published in yesterday’s newspapers and responding to a number of the 39 claims which appeared therein.

On the claim, Government shutdown the Point Fortin Highway he said work had stopped before he became Prime Minister last September.

He reported that the contractor OAS had been fired, $1 billion recovered and they would finish the job using a series of local contractors.

He said the litany of lies included that they reduced the disability grant while in fact it was increased from $465 million to $513 million. On the stopping of the “baby milk grant” he claimed it was an avenue to steal money by the previous administration and the $120 million was to give milk to father, nephew and baby mother.

He said the UNC feels people of this country are “foolish and malleable and could be led by the nose”.

On the claim that Government raised the price of gasoline he said that they “plead guilty” and the incremental reductions in the fuel subsidy had been announced by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

He also agreed that they were brining back property tax but pointed out that former finance minister Larry Howai had taken steps to remove the five-year waiver that had been implemented.

On Imbert, he said the UNC had pasted his face all over but called on them to “take me on” instead.

On the claim that Imbert announced a “zero zero zero” wage freeze he said no trade union had received any such offer and the UNC was “holding on to a shadow”.

“No other political party has treated public servants better than the PNM,” he declared.

On the claim that they had not paid backpay to public servants Rowley reported they paid $500 million in backpay to the Regional Health Authority, $400 million to the Water and Sewerage Authority and millions to Fire Service, Defence Force and other arms of the State. He said they still have $2 billion backpay outstanding and called on the Opposition to “bring back the money they drained out of Trinidad and Tobago” and they could use that to pay them.

He also denied that Government had stopped the regularising of squatters, though they were not giving anyone licence to squat as the former prime minister did, and denied they had shut down the University of the West Indies Debe Campus but pointed out that the principal reported issues with the contractor.

On the claim they took away laptops from children he said an education expert did an assessment that the laptop programme, which cost hundreds of millions, did nothing for education and disrupted the school programme.

He reported Government stopped the contractual arrangement and implemented a system where all children would have access to computers and trained teachers.

On the claim they stopped printing textbooks he said a textbook industry was nurtured by them and hundreds of millions of books were printed which children did not need.

“We made sure of an adequate supply of book without an adequate supply of crooks,” he said.

He told the gathering that he has had political opponents of all shades but there was a group that has made a career of accusing him of “the worse kinds of things” and told the crowd of thousands that they were his “witnesses”.

“The accusation will be made about nine o’clock on Monday night. I will be accused of domestic violence because I am going to beat Kamla Persad-Bissessar from bow to stern,” he quipped to roars from the audience.

He said she will get the “soundest political licking that she ever got” and this is because it will be “licking number 10”.

“No more laptops, no more free school books, good Lord, not even juice and water for when your children have their meals, and, they have cut the meals down in the schools too, cut GATE and the most troubling of all is when you look at the news every single day, we see little children, parents and teachers protesting for schools to be repaired,” Persad-Bissessar said adding, “I can hardly recognise this country that we left one year ago.” Persad-Bissessar was addressing a large contingent of supporters at a rally at the Couva South constituency office car park, Camden Road, Couva yesterday, bringing the curtains down to a month of campaign for voting in tomorrow’s Local Government Elections.

She said the Public/private Partnership arrangement for the Couva Children’s Hospital was another deception by Government and persons wishing to access the hospital would have to pay to use the facilities. Persad- Bissessar said, “And they are so shameless, they are walking up and down this country asking you to vote and be foolish again for a second time and vote for the Rowley’s PNM. Just how they broke those promises, in the same way, they will break the promises on local government reform, in the same way. He wants you to pay for the private partnership company. We will have to follow the example of the great freedom fighter Fidel Castro and we will have to march upon the government to open the children’s hospital.” Persad-Bissessar reminded supporters that the previous People’s_ Partnership administration had created 57,000 new jobs without increasing taxes, while under the PNM government, some 25,000 persons had lost their jobs and yet the Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, was boasting that he had raised taxes and the population had not yet rioted.

Persad-Bissessar also cautioned supports to be “extremely vigilant” during the elections of discrepancies, which may occur as the Election and Boundaries Commission had not responded to 43,000 duplicate names which had appeared on the voters list.

Also addressing the rally was Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal who said the ruling party did not only have a ‘wives club’, but also had a ‘boys club’ which were made up of senior government officials.

And waving a brown file folder which he said contained files about a senior government minister who had sold lands to other senior PNM officials, Moonilal asked whether the Integrity Commission had been informed about the land deals._

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the HDC, put smiles on the faces of the new homeowners who received the keys to their new homes at a Presentation of Keys Ceremony held at Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies, Valsayn.

Minister of the Housing and Urban Development, Randall Mitchell, in his feature address immediately went into election mode by responding to the criticisms of his plan by former Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal.

“Since my announcement (at a similar key distribution function, National Academy for the Performing Arts’ South campus, San Fernando), those opposed to us have criticised and condemned this as an election ploy. If housing 1,000 families is an election ploy, we at the HDC will be happily and merrily ‘ploying’ all the way to Christmas,” said Mitchell. The minister again promised to deliver 1,000 new houses by the end of December.

He said, “We are simply doing our jobs, in a season where family and goodwill is extremely important to all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

So I would simply say to Dr Moonilal…. just give me a chance. Allow me to do the work for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and you, the new owners.” As a preamble to further cement his ministry’s idea to sell damaged and unfinished houses, Mitchell accused the last administration of spending $5.5 billion to build 3,900 housing units. While the prior PNM administration spent $5 billion to build 16,000 units. He further stated that 1,500 hundred housing units fell into the unfinished or vandalised category.

According to the minister, the HDC has already been instructed to come up with a formal policy and framework for the disposal of these assets to qualifying recipients. Upon completion, the policy and framework would be taken to Cabinet for approval.

Mitchell reiterated that the State is already financially burdened and recipients of these vandalised houses would agree to undertake the minor work needed to complete the house, without having to wait on the HDC.

The minister informed the new owners that their houses were heavily subsidised and they did not pay for the development infrastructure and paid minimally for the land. He also stated that a HDC house costing $500,000, cost between $900 000 to $1 million in the open market.

The houses distributed were from the Fairfield, Princes Town and Cyprus, San Fernando areas. When asked, the minister was unable to quantify at the time, what was the monetary saving to Government by selling vandalised houses.

Regardless of how one chooses to reflect on the life of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, the late revolutionist and dictator will long be remembered for his steadfastness and tenacity — a relentless and controversial leader who stood uncompromisingly behind his ideologies over a near 50-reign which saw him lock horns with many of the world’s powers, including the United States, for which he maintained a decades-long animosity.

Castro, who turned 90 on August 13, died at 10.29 pm on Friday after a prolonged bout with illness, his brother, President of the Council of State of Cuba, Raul Castro, said in a statement aired live on Cuban television late Friday.

“With profound pain I appear to inform our people and the friends of the Americas and the world, that today, November 25, at 10.29 pm, the commander in Chief of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Ruz died,” Raul Castro said in his statement.

“In compliance with the expressed will of the Companion Fidel, his remains will be cremated.” Raul said the committee presiding over arrangements for Castro’s funeral will provide Cubans with “detailed information” on the organisation of a posthumous tribute which will be done for the founder of the Cuban Revolution.

The Cuban Government will immediately observe nine days of mourning for Castro, after which there will be two days of observances in Revolution Plaza in Havana. The late leader’s ashes will then be transported across the country to the eastern city of Santiago.

His funeral mass and ceremony, to be held on December 4, precedes an internment in the cemetery of Santa Ifigenia.

Castro, who visited Trinidad and Tobago under the former Basdeo Panday-led United National Congress (UNC) government, in 1995, to attend a conference of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s, began losing his grip on power a decade ago when emergency intestinal surgery, which left him in a weakened state, forced him to relinquish Cuba’s governance into the hands of his younger brother, Raul.

And while the father of nine had kept a low profile, making a sprinkling of brief public appearances, over the last ten years, Castro’s dominant influence, bitter or cherished, was felt in all corners of the globe, as leaders and Cubans residing in countries around the world, expressed mixed reactions to his passing.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, in a brief statement, said Castro’s passing marked an end of an iconic period of history not only for the Caribbean and Latin American Region, but also for the world.

Rowley extended condolences to the people of Cuba, acknowledging that Castro was one of the world’s longest-serving leaders.

Further, he said a letter conveying TT’s condolences has been dispatched to President Raul Castro.

“Our prayers accompany them in their time of grief,” Rowley said, noting that TT and other Caricom nations had enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar spoke glowingly about Castro’s leadership, describing him as an “imposing presence” who shaped the region throughout the 20th century into the 21st century with the emergence of the “Pink Tide”in Latin America, which forged of increasingly closer relations between Caricom and Cuba.

Recalling his humble beginnings – the son of a sugar cane farmer who became involved in politics to reject the dominance of his island by foreign capitalist interests — Persad- Bissessar observed that Castro’s life was one for the history books.

“Mr Castro’s life and his control over Cuba, his personal efforts at improving the lives of his people and his role on global stage have already engaged the attention of historians of different social and political stripes,” she said in a statement..

“The enduring legacy of the man who featured in some of the world’s most iconic dramas will no doubt live on in history and in legend.” Persad-Bissessar added that Castro’s regime had implemented a series of reforms which enhanced the lives of poor Cubans.

“He nationalised and redistributed land and implemented programs to raise literacy and education among the poor rural population. He also created a free universal health care system,” she said.

The effects of Castro’s passing also were felt throughout T&T’s labour fraternity.

Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah hailed Castro as “an exemplary leader who was undoubtedly one of the most important and influential persons of the Twentieth Century.

“Fidel’s legacy is immense. There is no challenge to the fact that he was not only courageous but also stood by his convictions and principles,” he said in a statement.

“This was demonstrated from the time of his leadership of the student movement at the University of Havana in the late 1940’s; and his early involvement in party politics as a candidate for the Orthodox Party which won the 1951 elections but which government was removed by a coup d’etat in March 1952 by the dictator Batista.

Abdulah described Castro as a “beacon” to all in the world who believe in social justice and the dignity of all people; as well as those who value the right to self determination, independence and sovereignty of all nations.

“That Cuba under Fidel’s leadership “walked the talk” is manifest by the undoubted social progress in Cuba with the ending of illiteracy in the first few years of the Revolution; the development of a quality education system that was unprecedented in Latin America and the Caribbean; a health care system that is internationally recognised as one of the finest in the world; infant and maternity death rates that are lower than all but a handful of so called “developed countries”and life expectancy that is on par with or significantly higher than the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said.

Recalling Castro’s contribution to the development of science, research, culture and the arts and sport in Cuba; Abdulah said the Communist leader also encouraged movements of artists and intellectuals through institutions such as Casa de las Americas, Casa del Caribe and Intellectuals for Humanity.

“Fidel and the Cuban Revolution inspired and gave hope to millions of people the world over and in Latin America and the Caribbean in particular, that “Another World is Possible,” he said.

Joseph Remy, president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN), meanwhile, said Castro changed the face of Caribbean politics.

“I think his memory will last forever,” he said.

Remy, who is also the president general of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), told Sunday Newsday he witnessed first hand Castro’s enduring appeal, during a recent visit to Cuba.

“I know how he was revered by the Cuban people with the courage and the resilience he instilled in them and from all of the reports that I am hearing, it is a sad day in Cuba,” he said..

Saying the CWU had a long-standing relationship with Cuba, Remy said the island’s people and those throughout the region “can take strength from what he has done as an example of how we try to make a difference in this world.

“I am one of the people who believed in his ideology and I believe that his effort was to change the world because we have seen the ravages of the capitalist system,” he said.

“I think his ideology is one that we should look at because the world is in turmoil right now and the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. There is no thrust towards social justice and equity.”

Because it is now left to be seen whether the recent amplified rapprochement between the nemesis of the United States, literally on America’ door step, and America itself will assume new meaning and significance.

If one is to take in to consideration, the reaction of President elect, Donald Trump — very far from being the world’s leading diplomat — calling Fidel a brutal dictator mere hours after the Cuban leader’s death, the road to normalising relations between America and Cuba is not going to be cut and dry.

One has to put in the mix that while Castro endorsed all the diplomatic initiatives that resulted in the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, it is known that while giving his brother Raoul a free hand to further the process, Fidel himself was lukewarm in welcoming the ties with the US.

And who can blame him. After all, it was the US that had the might to flex its muscles, and this it did with an iron fist, imposing crippling sanctions on the island including banning travel from the US to the country for most of the five decades of his revolution.

But Fidel remained defiant, prolonging the Cold War, and even heating it up under John F Kennedy who was prepared to take the world to war if missile- bearing Russian boats were to make it to Cuba to install the ominous weaponry almost within sight of the Miami US coast line. Luckily for the region and the world, the Russian President at the time, Nikita Khrushchev, although up to the last minute, was not prepared to see whether Kennedy was bluffing.

That crisis over, Fidel continued with his revolution, under a one party system, and reportedly executing hundreds of supporters of the man he over threw.

Batista. with hundreds of supporters of the Batista government executed and others against him languishing in jail. His heavy rule gave the northern Caribbean its own boat people, with thousands fleeing the country to escape his wrath and establishing a Cuban outpost in Miami with an avowed mission to see his end.

These people and their descendants were celebrating Fidel’s demise as they took to the streets of Miami yesterday.

The United States and its allies sought to capitalise on the “free” world’s nervousness over Castro’s embrace of Russian style communism giving him the title of the only remaining communist leader in the world as leftist countries revolutionised their systems one by one. But Fidel’s charisma among his own people would transcend the American constant drubbing and Castro would become a symbol of the left around the world, especially revolutionaries in Latin America.

Fidel countered every effort to oust him including the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion and several reported assassination attempts.

remaining widely popular at home and in countries battling the dictates of developed nations.

A midst the negatives were quite positive achievements taking place under Fidel in Cuba, particularly in the field of medicine.

Cuba was also one of the few countries’ that was able to successfully initiate measures to contain the HIV Aids epidemic in this part of the world.

Cuba also became an exporter of highly trained doctors to many countries including Trinidad and Tobago. One also remembers former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Patrick Manning turning to Cuba as he sought to resolve his cardiac problems.

Fidel was described as a friend of the Caribbean by the Caricom Secretary General. The converse in this context is also quite true because it was the Caricom countries who were championing the cause of Cuba to have normal relations with the region. Indeed, the Caribbean has lost a friend.