Cuban Revolutionary Juan Almeida Bosque Dead From Heart Attack

Juan Almeida Bosque (file photo)One of the original leaders of the Cuban revolution has died.

Cuba'scommunist government says Vice President Juan Almeida Bosque - one ofjust three Cubans to hold the title of Revolutionary Commander - diedFriday from heart failure. He was 82-years-old.

Almeida wasborn in February of 1927 in Havana and began working in construction. After meeting Fidel Castro he took part in the 1953 attack on theMoncada military barracks in the city of Santiago de Cuba, an incidentthat failed militarily, but that helped to start the Cuban revolution.

Afterprison and exile Almeida returned to Cuba with Fidel Castro, helping tolead the fight against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in Cuba'sSierra Maestra mountains.

Almeida was considered one of the moreinfluential voices in Cuba's government following the successfuloverthrow of Batista in 1959. And he continued to play an importantrole under both Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul, who becamepresident last year.

The Cuban government has declared Sunday a day of mourning.


Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.