Longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro died late Friday at the age of 90, according to Cuban state TV, and those Twitter users who hail from—or whose families hail from—Cuba were in a celebratory mood. Mostly, they were just ecstatic that their elderly family members who we assume fled Cuba to escape Castro’s dictatorship lived to see the day that Castro would be buried in the ground.
My abuela outlived him that's all I care about https://t.co/j45IaDOZ1J
— Arielle Castillo (@ariellec) November 26, 2016
@nypost my great grandparents, Cuban immigrants, have outlived him. They'll wake up to good news.
— orlando spurs (@OrlandoHotspurs) November 26, 2016
I know a lot of family and friends that are happy the outlived Fidel
— Angel Rodriguez (@ajrod) November 26, 2016
Lmao my mom and grandma are celebrating that Fidel Castro died
— Pablo (@jleemz95) November 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/Anglo_Von_Trapp/status/802386247834550272
Fidel is reportedly dead. I'm crying. Tears of joy!
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) November 26, 2016
I think Fidel is finally dead. And my grandpa, grandma, and mom rejoice. 🇨🇺🎉
— jacqueline (@jacquelinelugo) November 26, 2016
Just called my mom to her to tell her Fidel Castro was dead. I only wish I'd been able to make the same call to my Abuelo and Abuela.
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) November 26, 2016
Cuban friends telling me parents are crying of relief, one is going to buy champagne now. One's parents saved a bottle to drink when he died
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) November 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/clopes1730/status/802404908016275456
MIAMI IT'S LITTTTT 🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺#FidelCastro pic.twitter.com/RZ7pUtuOhV
— liana teresa (@lianateresaa) November 26, 2016
As we know, 2016 has been a year filled with celebrity loss, from David Bowie to Leonard Cohen and from Gene Wilder to Garry Shandling. As far as world politics are concerned, none are bigger than the death of Castro, who ruled Cuba for nearly 50 years and who outlasted 11 American presidents. And for many people on social media, none of those deaths have brought them greater joy.