Cuba declares nine days mourning for Fidel Castro

The Cuban Government has announced a nine-day long mourning period for the death of revolutionary leader and former president Fidel Castro.

Leaders around the world have been responding to the news that Castro has died at the age of 90, reports the Guardian.

The news was announced by his brother and successor Cuban President Raúl Castro, who said on national TV: "At 10.29 at night, the chief commander of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, died."

Raúl added that Fidel would be cremated on Saturday, giving no cause of death but ending the address with the revolutionary slogan: "Hasta La Victoria Siempre!" which translates to "Ever onward, to victory!"

In 1959, Castro along with a small band of revolutionaries overthrew an unpopular dictator Fulgencio Batista and rode their jeeps and tanks into Cuba's capital Havana.

Cubans believed in Castro's promise of democracy and an end to repression as they were fed up with the brutal dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

An intestinal illness that required several surgeries forced Castro, who had been in power for 47 years, to hand over his duties temporarily to younger brother Raul in July 2006.

Raul took over permanently as the President after Fidel's resignation in February 2008.