By Luis R. Varela, Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)-- Cuban exiles in Puerto Rico, both supporters and sometime opponents of Cuban-American National Foundation founder Jorge Mas Canosa, lamented the leader's death Sunday.

"Today in Miami a great patriot died and all Cuban exiles are in mourning,'' said Manolo Martinez, secretary general in Puerto Rico of Indpendent and Democratic Cuba.

"Mas Canosa made an extraordinary contribution to the fight against (Cuban President Fidel) Castro and his death is a great loss for Cuba,'' he added.

Guillermo Toledo, spokesman for Movement Cuba 21, said, "Mas Canosa was a fighter for the freedom of Cuba who did much to end the tragedy of the Cuban people. As Cubans we have to be sad for the death of a fighter.''

One of the sad aspects of Mas Canosa's death, said Mercedes Ortiz, a former political prisoner in Cuba, is that he "died without being able to see the homeland free.''

Angel Padilla, president of the Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Committee, which often took positions at odds with Mas Canosa's hard-line, confrontational tactics, said he lamented Mas Canosa's death.

"Although I disagreed with his methods of fighting against Castro, because I do not favor the U.S. embargo of Cuba, I believe he made a contribution to the effort of all of us to bring democracy to Cuba,'' Padilla said.

Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, an exile leader who lives in Miami but was visiting in Puerto Rico Sunday, said the tactics of confrontation pursued by Mas Canosa have been losing support.

Gutierrez favors dialogue with Castro.