. >>> miami's little havana a jubilant reaction to the death of cuba's fidel castro. reaction from president obama. history will record and judge the enormous impact that this singular figure on the people and around the world. from president-elect trump, castro leaves a legacy of firing squads and unimaginable suffering. hello, i'm sheinelle jones at msnbc headquarters and we're tracking wide ranging reaction to the death of fidel castro. the top republican in the house says that with fidel castro's death, "the cruelty and oppression of his regime should die with him." house speaker paul ryan says there is much left to do to bring freedom to the cuban people. russian politicians and citizens laid flowers in tribute. president vladimir putin issued a statement offering condolences to the cuban people. putin also called castro a sincere and reliable friend of russia. shouts of long live free cuba fill the streets of miami's little havana community. some cuban-americans waiting a long time for this moment. >> this flag was draped over our grandfather's casket over 46 ye

let's take you live now to little havana. this is what many cuban-americans in that region are coming out on the streets. you can hear chanting which means freedom. many flocking to miami during castro's 49 year people. >> the cuban people yearn for freedom. even though they live in miami, we're lucky to have what we have here and i hope and pray that the cuban people will seek freedom tomorrow. >> i am so happy because we're going to be free and we're going to be happy today in cuba. >>> let's recap, walk you castro's body will be cremated today. he led cuba for nearly five decades making him the world's third longest serving leader, head of state and that's incredible news that a lot of people waking up to. lives through put it in perspective. i brought in my grandmother's passport, tweeted out a picture of that. my mom and aunt, a lot of emotions for the cuban-american community. some people in miami are celebrating and other people in a painful moment right now reliving what was a very difficult past. >> when you talk abo

in little havana. fidel castro goes to his grave as a dynamic figure of the cold war. once nearly nudged the u.s. and russia into a nuclear war. our team is reporting from around the region. we begin tonight with nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> good evening, lester. at miami airport cuban-americans are lined up to go to cuba or greet relatives visiting from the island. no place in america has been as affected by fidel castro's nearly 50-year reign as south florida. he's revealed by many exiled during his reign. nevin his heyday he was admired by many around the world. to his followers, he was just fidel. to his enemies a feared dictator. one of the world's last communists. the legendary fire brand began life simply. the ill legitimate class of a landowner. he graduated with a law degree and doctorate. tried running for the national assembly in 1952 until batista ceased power and cancelled elections. in 1953 castro lead a rebel group and failed. castro ended up in jail for two years. until an amnesty when he went into exile. in mexico, cast

those casual observers that don't have relatives, say, in little havana and miami. fascinating play. the pace of modernization has gone kind of on and off in years passed. even though he was out of power, tonight ushers in a new era. whether it's symbolic, whether it's practical, we don't yet know. his brother is still alive. his brother is in control. as castro put it, i could die tomorrow, and there are plenty of old revolutionaries as he once put it to take my place. that is true. there's an ethos there that all the generations have come up under. what was also true was when andrea set up these, and that is we cannot forget how many people have left those shores in durress and rickety boats and to make the 90 mile trek north to our country which has been a beacon of freedom since our founding. too long an answer to your question, but those are my thoughts at this hour. >> what's interesting is you talk about how quickly you believe that the cuban raul castro would be moving along with this quickly because they are going to have fidel castro cremated tomorrow. he

let's talk now about little havana in miami. it is the home to thousands of cuban immigrants and exiles. >> chris moody is following the reaction and he joins us live. you can describe the mood? and we're about 15 minutes before national mourning starts in havana. of course what you're witnessing is very different. >> reporter: that's right. celebration is in the air in miami, florida. and it has been this way for hour. all through the night people have poured into the little havana neighborhood here in miami banging pots and pans, throwing impromptu parades through the middle of the streets which the police have blocked off for cars so people with come and celebrate here. people are waving cuban flags, american flags. and this is a moment that many of them have been waiting for, for years. particularly exiles who left cuba under fidel castro's leadership. but this is a multigenerational celebration here in miami. it's their children and their grandchildren. we've heard stories of cuba and possibly have visited, as well. we're i

but a very different scene in miami's little havana where cuban americans celebrated in the streets. >> i know we're not suppose to be celebrating death, but to us, this is closure. >> ninan: also tonight, castro's death prompts a wide range of reactions from president obama and president-elect trump to pope francis. former cuban prisoner alalan grossman and leaders around the world. where do future cuban relations go from here? this is the "cbs weekend news." >> ninan: good evening, i'm reena ninan, and this is a western edition of the broadcast. the remains of cuba's longtime leader fidel castro were to be cremated today. the communist caribbean nation castro ruled for nearly half a century is observing fine days of mourning before a state funeral sunday, december 4. castro's ashes will be buried in the city of santiago after a four-day procession through the country. castroee death was announced by his 85-year-old brrkt raul, who plans to retire as president in 2018 to be replaced by cuba's vice president. scott pelley looks back at the bearded revolutionary who survived a crippli

>>> miami's little havana continues to celebrate. look at the live pictures, and the cuban exiles are rejoining over the death of fidel castro, who passed away all night. we will follow this all day long right here on msnbc. >>> and then ordering to abandon camp by december 5th or they could face prosecution. this is the latest move on the ongoing battle over a $3.7 billion pipeline that stretches 1,100 miles from illinois to shy of the canadian border, and protesters clashed with local residents. joining me now is a tribal rights attorney. to those not familiar with with a is happening here, what is the status of things from a legal perspective? >> as of right now the army core of engineers said they will treat us as trespassers on december 5th, and we will be subjected to federal, state, and local law, and despite all the increased violence on behalf of police officers, including almost taking off -- nearly taking off a girl's arm on sunday and hitting hundreds of people with water cannons and below freezing temperatures, their res

little havana. >> essentially it's like a parade. thank you for checking in with us. we'll check in with you again and really, a different atmosphere in havana right now. nbc producer samantha is in cuba. she joins me on the phone. good afternoon to you or good morning. >> hi, sheinelle. >> when did you get there and tell me what it's been like so far. what are you seeing? >> we arrived last night and i can tell you the mood here is really mellow. people are calm. it's unusual. i just spent 10 or 15 minutes inside a barbershop, chatting with the locals, taking photographs, and they're laughing, and it seems to be kind of a, you know, business as usual. i went down to the revolution plaza earlier this morning, saw military kind of preparing to bring in people to celebrate the life of castro, and his legacy, and from what i'm being told here, you won't see any anti-castro rallies, only really celebrations of him and his legacy. >> i wondered about that. people who may not know a lot object cuba, you talked about gog into a barbershop a

this is the scene in little havana. in miami, people poured into the streets screaming with joy, many people banging pots and pans, flying their flags high. cnn's boris sanchez has more on the celebrations there. >> reporter: the party is just getting started here in little havana. we're outside of cafe -- this is the epicenter of the cuban american exile community here in miami. there are literally hundreds of people celebrating the death of fidel castro. there's music playing, people banging pots and pans. hundreds of flags and lots of chanting. one of the chants we've heard over and over again is fidel, you tyrant. take your brother with you. it's very kind of dark to think that people are celebrating someone's death. people say they've been waiting for this for a very long time. they've perceived fidel as somebody who is repressive and essentially stole their homeland away. you have to remember, fidel castro was in power in cuba since 1959. these are very different generations of people, young and old, that have com

the little havana section of miami. kaiocho, and the cafe versailles. many of these people came down here many earlyiers on just rumors that fidel castro was dead. of course, all leaving disappointed today. they're not disappointed whatsoever today. you left cuba when you were a little lad of 3 years old. >> i was 3 years old. the stories are told, retold, very hard to -- i don't remember any of them. my folks did. one regret i have is my father is not alive here to see this moment. it's an amazing moment. not far apart from the berlin wall. he's been involved in military operations in africa and vietnam. and central america. so a moment in history that maybe things will get better. >> a lot of people are applying that reach out of hope that maybe raul castro and the other hard-liners, even though fidel has been out of power for five or seven years, will maybe soften things up. >> the generation that has a lot of blood on their hands, the executions, the political prisoners, that generation has faded out. the generation

in little havana. fidel castro goes to his grave as a dynamic figure of the cold war. once nearly nudged the u.s. and russia into a nuclear war. our team is reporting from around the region. we begin tonight with nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent >> good evening, lester. at miami airport cuban-americans are lined up to go to cuba or greet relatives visiting from the island. no place in america has been as affected by fidel castro's nearly 50-year reign as south florida. he's revealed by many exiled during his reign. nevin his heyday he was admired by many around the world. to his followers, he was just fidel. to his enemies a feared dictator. one of the world's last communists. the legendary fire brand began life simply. e landowner. he graduated with a law degree and doctorate. tried running for the national assembly in 1952 until batista ceased power and cancelled elections. in 1953 castro lead a rebel group and failed. castro ended up in jail for two years. until an amnesty when he went into exile. in mexico, castro regrouped with his brother raul, and fello

in havana, somber and sorrow and in little havana, cheers of joy. where does the president go from here? and still deliver 21 grams of protein with 100 calories. they're great for workouts, no matter how you work out... whether you're going for reps... or laps... or distance. you gotta try it... period. protein shots from 5-hour energy. great taste. 100 calories. 21 grams of protein. that's a good thing, eligible for medicare? but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand what medicare is all about and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plu

and this was the scene in little havana. people filling the streets well into the morning hours waving flags and dancing. continuing coverage on the eyeopener -- after the eyeopener coming up on "good morning america." doug: following other news, signs of hate on the campus of a school in harvard. a rock outside the broomfield school covered with homophobic slurs. one of the swas stick kas is covered the star of david. antoinette: festive cheers brightening downtown boston's crossing. doug: kicking off the holiday season with black friday deals and the tree lighting. popular faces taking the stage including foxboro native jojo. marty walsh and santa himself. antoinette: i'm sure it was a real tree out there. our discussion about me getting a fake tree. oh, my goodness. i can have it up for longer. that's why. kelly ann: absolutely. you said it's white too. that's cool. antoinette: we don't allow a lot of colors. doug: a very monochromatic christmas. antoinette: it goes with the decor. kelly ann: it is not going to feel like

but we begin with phil keating in little havana. phil, they've been celebrating since they heard the news, right? >> thousands and thousands of people have been in and out of here throughout the day. many of them staying many, many hours. they started partying and celebrating the death of the communist dictator at about 2:00 a.m. and they have been through sunrise, all day and now after sunset. you got banging of pots and pans, there are thousands of cuban national flags. everybody celebrating that the man they consider so vial ale a hated for years and years is finally gone and has died. joining me now is an 87-year-old cuban american woman, yolanda. you got here to florida in 1961. >> in '61. >> tell me, you know, you're down here in little havana celebrating? >> oh, yes. >> how rich is this day for you? >> rich. delicious. >> can you believe it actually has come? >> yes, i'm just glad i was able to share this incredible moment with my mom. my father passed away, and he's looking from above. but i'm happy to be here with my mom. >

you're looking live at little havana in miami, florida, where cuban americans have been celebrating castro's death all day the infamous dictator passing away early this morning at the age of 90. >> anchor: and tonight the impact of castro's death is being felt around the world. the night team begins with brandon live in the newsroom. brandon? respect>> reporter: the world is reacting it two different ways. cries or cheers. it's a contradiction that defied the 50 years of rule, leader. to his followers commindante or just fidel. he graduated with a law degree and doctorate. he toppled baptiste and marched into havana. at first the young leader promised democracy that he the communist dictator soozed property, silenced the press and jailed dissidents. by then a declared socialist he dramatically improved health care and literacy but also accepted missiles leading to almost nuclear war. the russians pulled become a deklaed ago and in declining health castro turned over power to brother raul. he died at the age of 90. president obama, who moved to impact of the singular figure of the person and

and people in little havana in miami celebrated. fidel castro goes to his grave as a dynamic figure of the cold war who once nearly nudged the u.s. and russia into a nuclear war. our team is reporting from around the region. we begin tonight with nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent lester. at miami airport cuban-americans are lined up to go to cuba or greet relatives visiting from the island. no place in america has been as affected by fidel castro's nearly 50-year reign as south florida. he's revealed by many exiled during his reign. even in his hay day he was admired by many around the world. to his followers, he was just fidel. to his enemies a feared dictato the legendary fire brand began life simply. the ill legitimate class of a landowner. he graduated with a law degree and doctorate. tried running for the national assembly in 1952 until bautista ceased power and cancelled elections. in 1953 castro lead a rebel group and failed. castro ended up in jail for two years. until an amnesty when regrouped with his brother raul,

and to florida's little havana overnight, the raucous scenes, celebrations in the streets and the hopes for friends and relatives still in the country. >> and i hope the cuban people have freedom tomorrow. >> we look at castro's time in power. >> translator: i am not afraid to say i am a communist. >> facing off against ten presidents, the bay of pigs and the cuban missile crisis bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. >> translator: yes, we were very close to the nuclear war, extremely close. >> and the look ahead. what it could mean for the country and its people. to u.s. businesses and tourism. team coverage on this breaking story right now. >>> good morning, and we're dedicating much of this show to the breaking news, the death of fidel castro. >> we want to you look at the contrasting scenes overnight. right there on the streets of miami, you can see jubilation, members of the cuban community, many of them exiles who fled castro's repressive regime celebrating in the streets. meantime, in havana, the cuban capital, the streets quiet and empty. >> fidel castro was a towering

. >> as celebrations spill o into the streets of miami's little havana. castro's half century reign forced thousands to flee for their lives and brought the u.s. and cuba back to war in the '60s. he presided over 11 presidents in power. now the u.s. and cuba are enjoying better relations, what does it mean for the future? a look back at the history and what is to come. today, saturday, november 26th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on saturday morning. i'm sheinelle jones alongside dylan dreyer and we have hallie jackson here with us. happy to have you here on this side. >> nice to take a break after sitting with you after stuffing myself for two days. >> and we start with a busy news day. let's get to it. the top story is breaking news overnight. cuba's long time former leader fidel castro has died at the age of 90. castro in power for nearly 50 years was in failing health in years. his brother, raul castro announced his death. we have andrea mitchell with a

it's part of little havana there in miami. versailles is a very important place. i've been there when i covered news in miami. it is a very important meeting place for people to get together to talk politics. and at this hour they are meeting and it's typically, rafael, correct me if i'm wrong where people will have food together and talk about politics. this time they are coming to talk about fidel castro. >> it is the heart of little havana. where people meet to talk about politics, to talk about the memories they had when they lived back on the island. the talk about the latest occurrence that castro has had, the late rest political shift in the united states. but at the same time it preserved that cubanness of the cuban culture. the food, the way of talking gesticulating with your arms and hands, it's where people ft free to be cuban in miami. more than anywhere else. i mean, not only in miami, but the entire united states. >> we'll continue to follow the situation in miami, of course. >> yeah, and around the world. we are bringing you all sides of the story h

celebrations are under way in little havana following the death of fidel castro. the cuban leader's remains will be cremated later today. he was 90-year-olds. we'll have much more on his life and death coming up at 8:30. >>> new information out of raised concerns about the school bus driver now charged with vehicular homicide after crashing and killing six children. those concerns involve jonathan walker's behavior behind the wheel in the weeks before the crash. in one complaint walker was accused of stopping when students moved from their seats to make them bump their heads. and this tragedy is stirring up a lot of questions about whether seat belts are needed on buses. but some argue it would do more harm than good controversial topic, hitting a nerve with parents. >>reporter: seat belts on large school buses, only six states have them right now, ohio isn't one of them. and these parents want to know why. >> they could always have seat belts just like they have on roller coasters that you just quickly release. >> i would feel a lot safer, you know, trusting the

and people in little havana in miami celebrated. fidel castro goes to his grave as a dynamic figure of the cold war who once nearly nudged the u.s. and russia into a nuclear war. our team is reporting from around the region. we begin tonight with nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> good evening, lester. at miami airport visiting from the island. no place in america has been as affected by fidel castro's nearly 50-year reign as south florida. he's revealed by many exiled during his reign. even in his hay day he was admired by many around the world. to his followers, he was just fidel. to his enemies a feared dictator. one of the world's last communists. nationalized u.s. oil refinery and signed a pact with the soviet union. john f kennedy ordered the cia to invade cuba at the bay of pigs >> wednesday, april 19th -- >> reporter: the resulting debacle helped castro consolidate power. by then declared a socialist he dramatically improved health care and literacy. also accepted soviet missiles bringing the super

as we saw, a lot reaction on the streets of little havana in miami. we will have more on that in a few minutes. >>> a thanksgiving weekend of gratitude for a california family. sherri papini was found chained >>> and the presidential vote now set for a recount in at least one state. former green party candidate jill stein filing that with the election commission in wisconsin. stein's pushing for the same thing in the swing states of michigan and pennsylvania. her goal isn't to overturn the results, but establish voter integrity. >>> let's go back to reaction in miami where people celebrated into the night after learning of fidel castro's death. with more. good morning, kerry. >> reporter: good morning. we have a little bit of a sun shower. people have gotten under the overhang. you can see folks gathered out here. she is wearing a shirt that says "cuba." there is anticipation and a lot of people waiting and in some cases almost a lifetime to watch fidel castro die. now it seems odd. why would you want a head of state to die? you have to understand the

this is a live look at little havana. earlier that street was packed. many rebellers could b carrying cuban flags and banging on pots and pans. thousands flocked to florida during castro's 49-year reign. fidel castro came to power in cuba in 1959 following a widely popular revolution that overthrew the dictator. the rebels left this ideology and put them on a collision course with the united states, and it wasn't long before the small caribbean island found union at the height of the cold war. the alliance brought the world to the brink of the cuban war. >> directed the armed forces to prepare -- >> washington retaliated by imposing a political embargo against cuba, providing education and healthcare for all. >> what fidel achieved in the social order of this country has not been achieved by any poor nation and be my rich but not free. >> the dreams of freedom they'd given to the cuban people return to today. >> as prime minister and later president, castro was never able to achieve economic prosperity. castro always blamed the united states embargo. co

tonight, cuban exiles in miami celebrating in the streets of little havana. mourn their leader. >>> also, the cuba backlash. new questions about the renewed ties with america. president-elect donald trump's team calling it a one-sided deal, suggesting it won't last long. and president obama facing some backlash for his official statement. >>> the deadly rampage in new orleans' french quarter, panic in the streets. one person killed, nine wounded. >>> and the mystery kidnapping, the mother of two found alive after three weeks. abandoned and tied up on the side of the road. you'll hear the radio call from the first officer on the scene. >>> good evening. on this sunday night, we come to you from havana, cuba. ann an era. after the death of fidel castro. here in havana, a somber mood. the usually lively city, eerily quiet. but the celebrations in miami, tonight, the people of both nations, as you will hear right here, are wondering what happens now? tonight, all across havana, we notice the flags at half-staff. the cubans honoring their longtime leader. and on t

we are live in little havana next. sean duffy on possible deal between and future president donald trump. stick around. (vo) it's black friday weekend at verizon and people are ready. because they know a deal is only as good as the network it's on. verizon gives you the best network and a lot more. save big with up to $200 off our hottest android smartphones. like the pixel, phone by google. for less than $20 per month. no trade-in required. shop our best black friday weekend deals this saturday and sunday only. hurry, and get it all at verizon. this holiday, the real gift isn't what's inside the box... it's what's inside the person who opens it. give your loved ones ancestrydna, the simple dna test that can tell them where they came from -by revealing their ethnic mix. you'll save 30%-and they'll have a new story to tell. order now at ancestrydna.com. offer ends monday. >> good morning. a fox news alert breaking while you were sleeping. fidel castro, the communist dictator from cuba who thumbed his nose at 11 american

in miami little havana section celebrations continue as many see this as the end of a dark time. >> it mean as lot because at least i believe this is the beginning of the end. >> reporter: elsewhere, people are mourning the loss of the leader who ruled cuba with an iron fist >> it's a terrible shame because we're losing a world leader capable of facing an empire >> in cuba, catholics prayed for him on sunday after he represented the catholic church after he took power >> the polaration >> fidel castro the revolutionary even in death >> he wasn't romantic figure if you were being shot by him. >> reporter: today is the second day of nine days of state imposed national mourning, here in little havana the celebrations continue in the streets, there's a great sense of hope that fidel castro's death will trigger faster change on the island and also great satisfaction that with these generations of cuban americans in exhile, they out lasted fidel castro. >>> some new jersey lawmakers say they're worried about what jeff sessions trump attorney general pick means for the legalization of pot. la

celebrating in the streets of little havana. while here, we meet so many families who now mourn their leader. and what they say about a future relationship with the u.s. >>> also, the cuba backlash. new questions about the renewed ties with america. president-elect donald trump's team calling it a one-sided deal, suggesting it won't last long. and president obama facing some backlash for his official statement.the president-elec president-elect trump pushing back. >>> the deadly rampage in new orleans' french quarter, panic in the streets. one person killed, nine wounded. the hunt for suspects at this hour. >>> and the mystery kidnapping, the mother of two found alive after three weeks. abandoned and tied up on the side of the road. you'll hear the radio call from the first officer on the scene. >>> good eveni >>> good evening. on this sunday night, we come to you from havana, cuba. we're here to witness the end of an era. after the deat after the death of the cuban dictator, fidel castro. he ruled this island nation for 50 year

more like a party in miami's cuban-american neighborhood little havana. david begnaud is there. >> reporter: this is the second day that people have taken t the street here in little havana. as one woman said, we're not celebrating the death of fidel castro but we're celebrating the potential for freedom in cuba. it's still front-page news. i want to show you the front cover of the "miami herald." the picture of fidel with one word, "dead." it's still all people are talking about in miami. the streets are still closed and they're blaring music in front of cafe versailles. tanya madrigal came to the united states when she was 9 years old. here? your parents came with you. they are now deceased. why is it important for you to be on the streets tonight? >> to support my cuban family. to support -- all these people have come here today to celebrate. and to teach my daughter it is a moment in history. and the reason why i'm here, for freedom. i left when i was 9 years old and i've never gone back to cuba. and one day i will go back. when i can go there with my

from what we call little havana and where i'm standing on southwest 8th street this is sort of the -- been the de facto area where people through the decades have come to protest and rally all things cuba. today, this morning for the past five or six hours it has been the scene of a huge celebration. and so many people around the country are going to look and say, well, isn't that so disrespectful celebrating a human being dying? and i'm here to what the celebration is about today is possibly the beginning of freedom for cuba and that freedom is such a central theme, it's a very diverse community, but very unified in coming from a place where they were not free to vote for an elected leader. many of the people who are in the older generation who had come here in the '60s had family members murdered. politically persecuted. for decades. many of the later arrivals, some in the '80s on the marielle boat lift and came in rafts, crossing the straits of florida. so many thought that this day would never come in their lifetimes because as we've heard, fidel castro had grown to be such a myth

we're joined now from the little havana neighborhood. good morning. . >> reporter: ladies, good morning, that event set to happen wednesday at the bay of pigs memorial. you see it here behind me. this memorial meant to honor those killed in a cuba back in 1961, but the march and rally wednesday is in part meant to honor all who have died or suffered as a result of fidel castro's regime. you can see different groups gathering send to call for this event among them the ladies in white. they're a group of women. exile leaders now, call for all miami cubans to come forward wednesday. the old like us and of the young. of the men and of the women of the black and of the white . all united behind an ideal, a dream, and a commitment for the freedom of cuba. . >> reporter: well this all follows more than 48 hours of gatherings on street corners throughout miami. the largest group in fronted of the police shutting down the street in front of that place all weekend as the crowds grew cubans and cuban americans alike celebrating the renewed hope for

that's why they're celebrating this morning in little havana. the last photo of fidel castro, taken november 15th during a vietnamese president. there is little reaction from cuba this morning but we are expecting to hear more as the sun comes up. keep it heartlet the day to monitor the situation and havana. we'll keep you updated here and at wfla.com. >>> this morning gulf port police trying to determine if a teen arrested friday morning is part of a group responsible for kidnapping a teen on thanksgiving day. someone made it a few feet vehicle. . >>> this morning a pinellas county boater facing criminal charges for authorities say 44-year-old robert hart drove around the bay, plowing into over vessels. he's charged with boating under the influence and leaving the scene of a crash. >>> next we'll continue to track the story out of cuba this morning, the death of form per leader fidel castro. rk here, i raise my kids here, i even take care of my mom here. but you know what? i could use a hand. hey! we hear you! it's why a-a-r-p is supporting fam

sarah rosario joins us from little havana, miami where crowds say that they are not celebratin death but instead they hope for a new chapter of freedom. >> reporter: dancing on sidewalks, to the rhythms of pots and pans, cuban-americans in miami haven't stopped partying since friday. >> i would call him a dictator, >> reporter: celebrating the death of cuban president fidel castro, who ruled for more than 50 years. >> hopefully we will have a future democracy in cuba and i will be able to visit the land of my birth. >> reporter: even though his brother raul castro is in charge, residents in little havana hope communist ideologies died with fidel castro making room for prosperity and freedom. a good thing for the economy, tours him. american airlines and launched the first commercial flight from miami and new york to havana. another step toward restoring diatic lations. this as cubans in the homeland are in the midst of nine days of mourning. today, they will pass fidel castro's remains in revelation square, a somber atmosphere with many protesters known as the ladies in white, forced

miami's little havana. even though castro has been out of the public eye for much of past decade, he still provokes a strong reaction in the united states. what you see there, people have been celebrating in the streets since learning the news that fidel castro is dead. >> let's go to havana and join cnn's correspondent there, patrick altman. patrick, first of all, describe to us the scene in havana. it's been quiet since the beginning of the night when we started talking to you. >> reporter: that's right. sort of an eeriness, quiet streets as i came in tonight. later i was told that there was a military presence on the street. they usually don't see it here. i have been talking with people all night long and into the morning. many did not hear the news. it took the official media here several hours, others than that surprise announcement by raul castro to begin getting news out that fidel castro, such a monumental figure for so many cubans throughout their whole lives, that he had died. and talking to offi