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Castro to Mark 80th Birthday in Recovery
 HAVANA (AP) - It was supposed to be the ultimate tribute, several days of parties and concerts to mark Fidel Castro's 80th birthday. But instead of listening to folk music and attending conferences on his legacy, Castro is expected to spend his birthday Sunday in bed, recovering from surgery for intestinal bleeding.| "¡Commandante! ¡We have Generalissimo Franco on line one for a wonderful birthday greeting!" |
A few Cubans say it won't be long before Castro is giving five-hour speeches once again, but many believe he will never be quite the same.| He's going to be much more stable real soon now. |
Details on Fidel Castro's whereabouts and medical condition are a mystery. On Friday, it was unknown whether any birthday celebrations would take place this weekend. A long list of leftist international artists and foolish intellectuals all of whom should know better had planned to travel to Havana to fete Castro on his big day, but after the announcement of his illness, the celebration was pushed back to December. Top officials in recent days have said he is recuperating and should be back to work in upcoming weeks, reassuring many Cubans. But some skeptics say they believe the situation may be more grave than officials admit. Many doubt the Cuban leader will make even a brief appearance to cut his cake Sunday - especially after hearing close friend Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's remark Thursday that Castro is in a "great battle for life."| Kiss of death right there. |
Posted by: Steve White 2006-08-12 |
