Luis Monteagudo, a hardened Cuban military veteran, remembers with pride fighting alongside revolution icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara and watching maximum leader Fidel Castro fire a gun.
Monteagudo, 78, grieved when Guevara was killed in the mountains of Bolivia in 1967 and now he is mourning Castro, who died on Friday at age 90.
"The blow has been so overwhelming that you can't think," said Monteagudo with teary eyes as he adjusted his hearing aid in his home in the central city of Santa Clara.
A military jeep took the ashes to Santa Clara early Thursday, the first stop in a cross-country trip that will end with a burial in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on Sunday.
Santa Clara is also home to the remains of Guevara, the Argentine doctor and Castro's comrade-in-arms whose victory against the army of dictator Fulgencio Batista in Santa Clara in 1958 became a major turning point in the revolution.
"We still miss Fidel, just as we miss Che," said Monteagudo, who joined Guevara's rebel force when he freed his home town of Cabaiguan in 1958.
Failure in Congo
The veteran is black, like most of the more than 100 Cubans who accompanied Guevara to help rebels in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1965.
The attempt to export Cuba's revolution to Africa was a failure, which the Argentine fighter himself admitted.
It cost Monteagudo his hearing, damaged by the sound of canons.
Sitting in his small home, the bony former fighter recalled meeting Castro while he was training in a camp in Pinar del Rio in western Cuba.
"He visited us weekly and trained with us," he said. "We were impressed by his confidence when he spoke. He could be contagious."
Monteagudo also was impressed by Fidel Castro's marksmanship, but the leader told him that he was sending a chief who was "better than him."
They only found out it was Guevara when he arrived in Congo.
"Che was an expert in everything, very demanding. He was an enemy of lies and flattery," Monteagudo said.
From fighter to singer
When he returned from Congo, Monteagudo taught marksmanship at special camps in Cuba to future Latin American and African guerrillas.
He learned about Guevara's death while training Angolan troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The aging former soldier likes to sing verses called "decimas" to hail his heroes. But he has yet to write one for Fidel Castro.
"I haven't been able to do so because of the shock."
AFP
Thu Dec 01 2016
![A Cuban veteran remembers 'Che' and Fidel Castro A Cuban veteran remembers 'Che' and Fidel Castro](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-12/81480589013_FidelCastro.jpg)
This file photo taken on Febrary 23, 2003 shows Cuba's President Fidel Castro delivering a speech under the bust of late Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh during his visit to the Hanoi polytechnic college. - AFP Photo/Hoang Dinh Nam
![E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721128633_MohdHidayatMohdSa.jpg)
E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi
Kerajaan juga harus wujudkan sebuah dasar yang jelas supaya kepentingan e-sukan ini mampu diperkembangkan ke masa hadapan.
![Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721122322_ZulkifliHasan.jpg)
Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism
Kerajaan sentiasa memandang serius terhadap penularan ideologi dan aliran pemikiran yang bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam seperti ideologi liberalism dan pluralism agama.
![Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/61710754100_MohdNazifuddinNaji.jpg)
Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM
Atlet di bawah projek Road To Gold (RTG) tidak mempunyai pilihan selain memenangi emas yang diidam-idamkan Malaysia pada Sukan Olimpik 2024 di Paris.
![KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-09/41693913999_RubiahWang.jpg)
KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan
Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Kedah (KEDA) memperuntukkan RM3.37 juta pada tahun ini bagi memastikan keterjaminan makanan negara.
![Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721021538_TBSHAMSUL.jpg)
Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia
Rang Undang-Undang Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia 2024 yang bertujuan menubuhkan MCBA diluluskan persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
![PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024 PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/61710922383_MasErmieyatiSamsud.jpg)
PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024
Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) akan memulakan prosiding bagi empat isu yang dibangkitkan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) Siri 2/2024.
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.
![Miguel Diaz-Canel presiden baharu Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel presiden baharu Cuba](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-04/51524149492_MiguelDiazCane.jpg)
Miguel Diaz-Canel presiden baharu Cuba
Miguel Diaz-Canel secara rasmi dilantik sebagai presiden baharu Cuba, hari ini menggantikan Raul Castro.
!['Bukan, Justin Trudeau bukan anak Fidel Castro' 'Bukan, Justin Trudeau bukan anak Fidel Castro'](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-02/81519004649_justinfidelcastro.jpg)
'Bukan, Justin Trudeau bukan anak Fidel Castro'
Dakwaan itu bermula selepas Trudeau menghamburkan pujian 'melangit' terhadap pemimpin komunis itu yang meninggal dunia pada 25 November 2016.
![Mendiang Fidel Castro disemadi Mendiang Fidel Castro disemadi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-12/61480861376_FidelCastro.jpg)
Mendiang Fidel Castro disemadi
Abu mendiang bekas Presiden Cuba, Fidel Castro akan disemadikan hari ini (8 malam waktu Malaysia) di Santiago de Cuba iaitu tempat perjuangan revolusi Cuba bermula pada 1959.
![PM Najib sampaikan ucapan takziah atas kematian Castro PM Najib sampaikan ucapan takziah atas kematian Castro](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-11/41480142982_FidelCastro.jpg)
PM Najib sampaikan ucapan takziah atas kematian Castro
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini mengucapkan takziah kepada rakyat Cuba atas kematian bekas presiden negara itu, Fidel Castro.
![Ikon revolusi komunis Cuba, Fidel Castro meninggal dunia Ikon revolusi komunis Cuba, Fidel Castro meninggal dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-11/41480142982_FidelCastro.jpg)
Ikon revolusi komunis Cuba, Fidel Castro meninggal dunia
Kematian Castro dimaklumkan Presiden Raul Castro dalam satu pengumuman di televisyen nasional.
![Obama tiba untuk lawatan bersejarah ke Cuba Obama tiba untuk lawatan bersejarah ke Cuba](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-03/61458520439_BarackObama.jpg)
Obama tiba untuk lawatan bersejarah ke Cuba
Kunjungan Obama itu adalah yang pertama bagi seorang presiden Amerika sejak Revolusi Cuba pada 1959.