Ramon Eusebio Castro, the elder brother of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and current president Raul Castro, passed away in Cuba Tuesday morning at the age of 91, according to The Washington Post.
Cuban state media reported that his body was cremated and his remains would be transferred to his birthplace Biran in the eastern province of Holguin. However, the cause of his death was not revealed by state media.
"He was always complementary of his brothers. He was family man. However, I never heard him get into a discussion on politics," his Florida-based farmer friend John Parke Wright told NPR. "He had a good sense of humor. Ramon Castro was fun to be with."
The elder Castro was imprisoned by Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1953, according to Havana Times. He actively participated in the liberation war and helped in organizing supply networks for guerrilla groups in the eastern part of country.
Ramon did not follow his younger brothers and largely kept a low profile throughout his life while staying away from political power. However, he was a founding member of the Communist Party of Cuba and served as a deputy in the National Assembly.
Ramon was a farmer by profession and served as an adviser to the Ministers of Agriculture and Sugar. He also served as the director of the Genetic Special Plan at Valle de Picadura, according to Press Latina.
