Pictures of Fidel Castro are everywhere in Cuba. His life in front of the camera began in the early 1950s when he launched the Cuban Revolution. Backed by several dozen guerrilla fighters, he toppled General Fulgencio Batista and took power.

He quickly became a thorn in the side of his nearby neighbor, the United States.

CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar reports.

In 1961, Castro defeated U.S.-backed paramilitary fighters who landed at the Bay of Pigs. The U.S. president then put in place a crippling trade embargo, or “blockade.” In pictures, Cubans were seen suffering and struggling. But Castro appeared strong.

He began appearing in what would become his trademark – a cigar, green shirt, beard and hat.

Today in Cuba, images of Fidel Castro are everywhere：outside people’s homes and inside，in newspapers and on television.

Fidel Castro reportedly wanted it that way using his image to keep his legacy alive.

The images as equally as powerful for those who oppose Fidel Castro. In Miami, many Cuban-Americans are using his picture to celebrate his death.

Imani Cheers on the power of iconic imagery

Images of political leaders and average people have shaped opinions on important topics and important ideas about how the world contends with certain issues. To discuss in details how powerful images contribute to attention on refugee crisis, CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Imani Cheers, assistant professor of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.