Miami, Florida, February 19, 2008Waving Cuban flags, people in the bed of a pickup truck in Miami's Little Havana celebrate Cuban leader Fidel Castro's resignation.

Castro, 81, announced on Tuesday that he was resigning after 50 years in power. Before resigning, he was the world's longest-serving head of state.

Castro said he was relieved to he stepping down, adding that the process of selecting Cuba's next government had left him exhausted, the Associated Press reported.

"The night before, I slept better than ever," Castro wrote in a Friday newspaper column. "My conscience was clear and I promised myself a vacation."

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