Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, military leader, revolutionary and politician died November 25, 2016 in Santiago de Cuba Province, Cuba at the age of 90. Fidel Castro was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, then president from 1976 to 2006, ruling 47 years in dictatorship. Fidel Castro stepped aside from his position of president as his health declined, giving much of his power to his brother Raúl Castro to continue his communist revolution. Except for Queen Elizabeth II, Fidel Castro held power longer than any other living national leader. The Cuban state television announced his death, but gave no other details. With his death, we have to wonder what effect it will have.

Many saw Fidel Castro as a self-obsessed extremist whose views could not be stifled, and pragmatism determined his economic and political ideas rather than doctrine, "But in his chest beat the heart of a true rebel… everything a revolutionary should be,” said Henry M. Wriston, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. In America, when we hear "Fidel Castro," do you think ruthless dictator, communist supporter, or how about abolisher of legal discrimination, bringer of electricity to the countryside, advancer of education and health care?

Those are a few of the ways he helped Cuba after taking power, but that is not to say he only had what was best for Cuba in mind. As dictator he also, “closed down opposition newspapers, jailed thousands of political opponents … abolished private business and presided over housing and consumer goods shortages,” causing many Cubans to flee to the United States. Cuba’s relationship with a lot of countries, beside the U.S, normalized even though he aided Latin American and African leftist guerilla movements with financial and military supplies. Even after the Soviet Union collapsed, Castro was able to find trading partners and that made cutting off ties with the U.S. easy.

With the good that some Cubans believe Castro has done by building schools and medical facilities, there is still the ambiguity of his legacy. Many Cubans are still living in poverty, lacking enough food. Fidel Castro has killed anyone who got in his way or did not support his dictatorship.

These mixed feelings concerning Castro’s death were discussed on PBS News. Some people like farmer Luis Alvarez take Castro’s death with great sadness, saying, “The new generations have to learn to be like him, because he gave us everything…” while others see his death as a new beginning and the “death of a tyrant.”

It also raises questions on what will become of Cuban and United States relations. Most of us are aware of the forming ties between the U.S. and Cuba as a result of President Obama’s visit trying to break down old battle lines. Will this peace making continue with president-elect Donald Trump and with the death of Fidel Castro?

Senator Amy Klobuchar says it is time to lift the embargo and that Fidel Castro’s death might not be that big of a deal if you acknowledge the fact that his brother has been pulling some of the strings for years. She also hopes that Trump will reconsider wanting to reimpose the sanctions that President Obama lifted, because many Cubans are friendly towards America and see it as an opportunity to improve democratic and human rights situations in Cuba. American and Cuba reforming ties has had immediate results, such as the release of Alan Gross and other people just speaking their minds, but there is still a long path to travel, and it shouldn’t be severed now.

If there is one thing for certain, Cubans are ready for a change. A change that America should be helping along.

Cuba's and Venezuela's relationship has not seemed to waver since the death of Fidel Castro. Venezuelans are indifferent about his death, and even though death is painful, it does not mark the mourning of a dictator, says Henrique Capriles. Venezuelan professor Miguel Angel Latouche writes, "Nobody is demonstrating. Not for, and not against, the dead Cuban leader."

Really, it's just a waiting game to see how things will pan out for Cuba with the recent death of their leader, Fidel Castro.