Raul Mas: Fidel is Dead, Hopefully Cuban Tyranny Dies With Him

I can't begin to describe the emotion that I feel at the news that Fidel Castro has died. I arrived in this great country, the United States of America, at age 3 as my parents fled his tyranny. I am now 59.

It seems I have been waiting my entire life for this to happen. I am numb, deliriously happy and deeply saddened at the same time that so many who waited for this day are no longer in my life.

I think of my parents who lost their homeland and of my late brother Jorge Mas Canosa who dedicated his entire life to rid the island of this murderous tyrant. He died 19 years ago from a resurgence of cancer and rumors have always circulated that Fidel poisoned him with a chronic disease that weakened his immune system and allowed the cancer to return.

I think of the many young Cubans, members of Brigade 2506, who lost their lives trying to restore democracy at the bloodied beaches of Playa Girón (the Bay of Pigs). I think of the countless men, women and children who died at sea trying to flee Fidel's tyranny or who met their end in one of his Gulag-style prisons or in front of a firing squad. I think of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots shot down over international waters by Cuban MIGs. I think of the innocent victims of terrorism, killed by PLO members and other terrorists trained on the island by Fidel Castro.

I think of the countless Americans-- spared from nuclear Armageddon-- because cooler heads prevailed at the Kremlin and rebuffed Castro's desire to go to war with the US.

I hope and I pray that this is the start of a new day for the millions of Cubans who have been living in abject poverty, with no real freedom, since Castro came to power almost 58 years ago.

I am heartened by the fact that we have a new President that will hopefully seize this opportunity to bring freedom to Cuba. I hope that our outgoing President stays away from the funeral.

May Fidel Castro join Che Guevara and burn in the fires of hell for eternity...and may he hopefully soon be joined by his brother Raul.

Raul Mas is a Miami businessman and leading Cuban-American commentator and activist.