Cuba’s longtime revolutionary leader Fidel Castro died Friday at the age of 90. During Castro’s reign, Audioslave was one of the few American bands permitted to play a concert in the country. The band’s guitarist Tom Morello marked Castro’s death, writing on Twitter, “In Cuba Audioslave visited former country club turned free school for gifted musicians. #RIPFidel #Vivalarevolucion.”
Update: In a subsequent Instagram post, Morello wrote, “While I don’t agree with all that Fidel Castro did there is ample reason why he is vilified in the US and yet remains a huge hero throughout the Third World. By defying Yankee imperialism for 50 years, instituting the best healthcare, child immunization and literacy systems in the Western Hemisphere (surpassing the US and Canada), exporting doctors to country’s in need all over the globe (the Bush administration turned down his offer to send medical teams to New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina), and being an unrepentant advocate of the poor and exploited it is no surprise that millions will mourn his passing.”
Morello, who is also a member of Rage Against the Machine and Prophets of Rage, has long championed Communist revolutionary figures such as Castro and Che Guevera. Speaking about the latter in a 1996 interview, Morello said, “We’ve considered Che a fifth band member for a long time now, for the simple reason that he exemplifies the integrity and revolutionary ideals to which we aspire. He was an amazing example of courage, a guy with humanitarian ideals and the will to act on them. He went from being a medical student and doctor in Mexico City helping the lepers, to overthrowing the horrific Batista dictatorship in Cuba, to fomenting revolution in Africa, to Bolivia where he was murdered by the CIA. Everywhere there was injustice, Che showed up. That’s a pretty good resumé.”
