Castro’s ashes arrive at final stop in Cuba

Havana, Dec 4 (IANS) The ashes of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, arrived in Santiago de Cuba, where he will be laid to rest in the Santa Ifigenia cemetery on Sunday.

The final leg of his funeral procession travelled the last 120 km between the city of Bayamo to Santiago de Cuba on Saturday, the place known as the ‘Heroic City’ for "its decisive contributions" to the complete independence of the Cuba, Xinhua news agency reported.

The caravan also crossed some of the city’s key spots, including the former Moncada Barracks, now a school, on which Castro led a failed attack against the army of dictator Fulgencio Batista in July 1954.

At 7.00 pm on Sunday a massive ceremony will be held in the city’s Antonio Maceo Revolution Square, where Fidel’s younger brother and Cuban President Raul Castro will address a crowd of mourners and dignitaries.

On Sunday, concluding nine days of national mourning, Castro will be buried in the historic Santa Ifigenia cemetery, where lies the hero of Cuba’s national independence, Jose Marti.