Ex-President Fidel Castro of Cuba, the man who introduced the cold war to the western hemisphere and defender of the Bay of Pigs invasion, died the day after Thanksgiving. No details on the cause of death are announced.

The private funeral for the “Maximo Lider” was held on December 4th, nine days after his official death on November 25th.

Details on the funeral are  a mystery because of Raul Castro, the current president of Cuba and Fidel’s brother, banned international media from attending as well as any type of broadcasting. Raul Castro also banned naming any monuments or streets after him, and even the creation of statues of him.

Fidel Castro had been in bad health for years and resigned in 2006, ending the streak of having power longer than any other leader except for Queen Elizabeth II. When he resigned, he handed is complete power over to his younger brother, Raul.

The United States especially discouraged this switch for Cuba, as the totalitarian leadership would stay in the family and the government would not change.

Cuba and the United States have a controversial history because Fidel’s main goal was a communist revolution, as proposed by Karl Marx, which is the opposite of the United State’s capitalist ideals. In addition to this problem was Cuba’s alliance with Russia during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Olivia Minervini said, “I respect the fact that the ceremony was private since it was a family matter, but the lack of details is surprising.”