HE ONE AND ONLY
NOW.
>>> OFF THE TOP TONIGHT AT
11:00, FIDEL CASTRO IS IN A
FINAL RESTING PLACE.
>>> THE CEMETERY NOW OPENED TO
THE PUBLIC. MANY IN CUBA HAVE
ALREADY PAID THEIR RESPECTS TO
CUBA'S FORMER LEADER. SOME IN
SOUTH FLORIDA, MEANTIME, TOOK
TIME TO REMEMBER CUBANS WHO
REJEEJ.
>>> WE START OUR TEAMCOVERAGE.
>>> THE NINTH AND FINAL
NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING CAME
TO AN END AT HIGH NOON TODAY.
FIDEL CASTRO'S CEREMONY, AN
INVITATION-ONLY EVENT. IT'S
SAID HE PLANNED EVERY EVENT,
DOWN TO THE LAST DETAIL. ONCE
AGAIN PROTECTING AN IMAGINE HE
WANTED THE WORLD TO SEE.
>> IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL
MOMENT, SAYIN GOODBYE TO THE
ASHES. WE'RE STANDING FIRM BY
HIS LEGACY.
>>REPORTER: HIS CREMATED
REMAINS TRAVELING THROUGH THE
STREETS. ONE HALF OF A
CONTROVERSIAL ERA CLOSING. THE
OTHER HALF VOWING T
REVOLUTIONARY IDEA WILL
CONTINUE. CASTRO'S DYING WISH,
NO PARKS, STREETS OR MONUMENTS
TO BE NAMED AFTER HIM. HE WAS
A MAN WHO LOVED POLITICAL
THEATRE. IT'S LIKELY HIS FINAL
ATTEMPT TO DEFINE HIS LEGACY
BEFORE HIS ENEMIES CAME NINE
DAYS OF NATIONAL MOURNING
ENDING OFFICIALLY SUNDAY AT
NOON. IT BEGAN WITH TWO DAYS
OF REMEMBERING CUBA'S ICONIC
LEADER. THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT
ESTIMATING MILLIONS TURNED OUT.
IN THE 500-MILE JOURNEY FROM
CUBA'S CAPITOL TO SANTIAGO, A
SO-CALLED CAR VAN OF LIBERTY
WITH CASTRO'S CREMATED REMAINS.
MOURNERS LINED THE STREETS.
THE CASTRO BROTHERS -- TO MARK
THE BEGINNING OF THE CUBAN
REVOLUTION. PEOPLE POURED IN
TO THE MAIN PLAZA FOR LONG
SPEECHES AND WHAT SEEMED MORE
LIKE POLITICAL RALLIES THAN A
SOLEMN MEMORIAL. ON THE FINAL
DAY, THE FINAL PRECESSION AND A
SIMPLE PRIVATE FUNERAL. THE
FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE FINAL
RESTING PLACE FOR FIDEL CASTRO
AND THE CEMETERY IS NOW OPENED
TO THE PUBLIC. MY MREEG HAS
MUCH MORE.
>>REPORTER: THE CEMETERY IS
ALREADY A HISTORIC SIGHT.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PREPARING THIS
BURIAL -- IN UTTER SECRECY.
TODAY WE GET TO SEE WHY. FIDEL
CASTRO'S -- DONE BY HIS BROTHER
ENDED NINE DAYS OF NATIONAL
MOURNING. BOOK-ENDED A HUGE
PUBLIC MEMORIALS. IN HAVANA
AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
ISLAND, BIRTHPLACE OF THE
REVOLUTION AND FINAL RESTING
PLACE OF ITS LEADER. THEY
WANTED TO BE T FIRST TO
VISIT.
>>REPORTER: HE WAS A GOOD
LEADER, SHE SAYS. THEY WAITED
FOR HOURS ODZ THE GATES FOR IT
TO OPEN. SOME SAD, SOME
DEFIANT. RICARDO RIVERA SAID
IF THEY THINK THEY CAN COME IN
AND TAKE OVER CUBA, WE ARE
PREPARED TO DEFEND IT LIKELY
DID. FIDEL CASTRO'S ASHES ARE
NOW OFFICIALLY IN WHAT APPEARS
TO BE A SIMPLY BOULDER MARKED
"FIDEL." IN THE CEMETERY
ALREADY A HISTORIC SITE BECAUSE
OF THE NATIONAL HEROES AND
PROMINENT CITIZENS BURIED
THERE. HE ORCHESTRATED HIS
FINAL RESTING PLACE. YOU SEE
THAT TALL MONUMENT? THAT IS
THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE
HERO OF CUBAN'S INDEPENDENCE
FROM SPAIN. EVEN IN DEATH, THE
REVOLUTIONARY ICON SEEMS TO
HAVE A HOLD ON AND A DRAW FOR
THOSE INTRIGUED WITH A VIEW OF
SOCIALISM.
HE HAD AN IDEA AND HE TRIED
TO MAKE THE BEST OUT OF IT.
>>REPORTER: ONE AMONG MAN
TOURISTS WE SAW THERE TODAY AND
IN FACT, BUSES FULL ALREADY
JUST IN THE HOURS SINCE IT
OPENED. HE IS GOING TO BE A
MAJOR 250URIS SITE. IT IS NOW
A PHYSICAL PLACE TO REPLACE THE
PHYSICAL PERSON.
>> ONE CHAPTER CLOSING IN
CUBA'S HISTORY AS WE PRESS THE
FAST-FORWARD BUTTON TO GO
FORWARD ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN WITH CUBA IN THE FUTURE.
WE REALLY SORT OF DON'T KNOW,
AS WE HEARD.
>> IF THINGS COME TO PASS THAT
WE HEARD LAST NIGHT AND SO MANY
PEOPLE HERE, NOTHING REALLY CAN
CHANGE ANYTIME SOON. IT'S A
GENERATIONAL QUESTION, I THINK,
>>REPORTER: FOR OUR FINAL