Mugabe says, 'Castro's death a loss to all progressive nations'

President Robert Mugabe has described the death of former Cuban president, Fidel Castro as a loss not only to the Cuban people alone but to the whole progressive world.

Speaking to Zimbabwean and Cuban journalists soon after arrival at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana this Tuesday, Mugabe commended the people of Cuba for continued resilience in the face illegal economic sanctions by the United States.

He said despite the economic embargo, Cuba has continued to support other countries fighting imperialism and colonialism across the globe and most notably in Africa.

Mugabe extolled the role played by the late Castro in supporting African liberation struggles including Zimbabwe and the assistance the country continued to render to other countries after independence especially in the training of medical doctors who continue to man some of Zimbabwe's health institutions.

"President Castro was not only your leader but a leader for all of us, we listened to him. He was not just a man of words but a man of action and he came to Zimbabwe during the Non Aligned Movement summit when he came up with the idea of training young men and women leading to the education of over 3000 teachers who have done a lot of good work for Zimbabwe," President Mugabe said.

He added that he had come to Cuba to mourn the loss of a dear brother and express condolences to the Cubans for the loss which is shared by Zimbabwe.