BUENOS AIRES, April 23 (RIA Novosti) – With the death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cuba has lost a great friend, loved and known by all the country’s citizens, Alex Castro, the son of Cuban leader Fidel Castro told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
“With the death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Cuba has lost its great friend, this is true. Everyone knew him here in Cuba. His novel ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ was even filmed,” said Castro, who works as a photographer.
“Who doesn’t know Marquez in Cuba? He was dearly loved by everyone,” he added.
A celebration of the life of Fidel Castro called “Fidel’s Week” kicked off in the Venezuelan capital on Tuesday with the opening of a photography exhibition titled "Fidel: 83 Reasons." The exhibition displays rare photos of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, including a number taken by his son.
Commenting on one of the photos portraying Fidel and Marquez together, Alex Castro said that the two were good friends.
“They were good friends, close friends. They were tied by friendship apart from work,” Castro said, adding that the pair had known each other for years.
“I know that they became acquainted at the time of the revolution, when Marquez came to Cuba as a journalist. They talked a lot and shared their views with each other,” Alex Castro said.
“Fidel liked talking and Marquez liked talking and they became close friends. Marquez was reading Fidel’s speeches and brought him his novels,” he said, adding they remained friends almost until Marquez's death.
Famed Colombian writer and Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez died last Thursday at the age of 87 in Mexico City. On Monday, Mexico bid farewell to the novelist in a national tribute attended by the Mexican and Colombian presidents. It remains unknown where his ashes will rest.
