Why do Latin Americans still hold on to the idea of socialism,and Fidel Castro?

The only success that I can see he has had is that, he stayed in power for almost 50 years. All of the other U.S. supported dictators of his time are either dead from coup's, exiled from their own country or in prison like Noriega. I guess that says a lot for the guy's staying power, his people be d@amned.