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Caribbean-Latin America
Castro Says He's Stable After Surgery
2006-08-02
HAVANA -- Fidel Castro said Tuesday that he was stable and in good spirits after surgery, according to a statement read on state television, as the Communist government tried to impose a sense of normalcy on the island's first day in 47 years without the bearded leader in charge.

“...the threat posed to his government by the United States means his health must be treated as 'a state secret.'”
Castro, who temporarily handed power to his younger brother Raul on Monday night after undergoing intestinal surgery, indicated the operation was serious when he said: "I can not make up positive news." But he said his health was "stable," and "as for my spirits, I feel perfectly fine," according to the statement read by moderator Randy Alonso on a daily public affairs program. He said it would take some time for doctors "to provide a verdict" on his recovery. Castro apologized for not giving more details, but said the threat posed to his government by the United States means his health must be treated as "a state secret."
Posted by:Fred

#16  "meet the 75 yr old boss, same as the old boss"

/apologies to the WHO
Posted by: Frank G   2006-08-02 19:34  

#15  And when he kicks the bucket, in comes his brother for another round of repression.

The more things change,....
Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden   2006-08-02 18:25  

#14  You're not fooling anyone. you know. You'll be stone dead in a minute.
Posted by: Raul   2006-08-02 15:59  

#13  "Castro Says He's Stable After Surgery"

Great news! He was never stable before....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2006-08-02 14:17  

#12  That deserves a rimshot iblis!
Posted by: Tony (UK)   2006-08-02 13:39  

#11  "the fact is that the majority of the Cuban people still dislike the US more than they dislike Castro"

Why? Do they all read the NYT?
Posted by: Iblis   2006-08-02 13:13  

#10  the fact is that the majority of the Cuban people still dislike the US more than they dislike Castro

The Cuban feelings towards the U.S. are irrelevant. What's relevant is their feelings on the gap between what their lives are and what their lives could be with a different government.

Cubans may be as happy and content as the media portrays them. Or they could be yearning for a lot more, as indicated by the hundreds of thousands that take to boats and rafts whenever the government communicates that it will hold its fire for a week.
Posted by: DoDo   2006-08-02 12:03  

#9  Â“The country is prepared for its defense,” he said, apparently to assure Cubans the island was safe from potential U.S. attack.

Yeah, right. Having delusions of grandeur again are we Fidel?
Posted by: mcsegeek1   2006-08-02 11:58  

#8  the fact is that the majority of the Cuban people still dislike the US more than they dislike Castro

Who cares?
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-08-02 11:39  

#7  I'm feeling better, I think I'll go for a walk ...
Posted by: Fidel   2006-08-02 09:55  

#6  ...Let me point something out - as much as I'd like to see El Commandante assume room temperature, the fact is that the majority of the Cuban people still dislike the US more than they dislike Castro. Yes, there are many people who want to leave Cuba, and they should be welcomed. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of Cubans around who remember the Bad Old Days under Batista (which the population THEN blamed on us), and a lot of Cubans believe the propaganda Fidel has been spewing all these years. US Government policy and statements on Cuba for the last 40-something years has been based in great measure on the beliefs of (and political support from) Cuban exile leaders who say that one good push will bring it down, or Castro's death will be the signal for la segunda revolución - but that's not really likely to happen, at least not this time. More likely is after Raul takes power, a quiet struggle will develop between the Party faithful and the military as to who takes over when Raul shuffles off this mortal coil.
All of the above, BTW, comes from a good friend who spent 7 years in Cuba as a missionary before ALL missionaries were expelled a couple years back. (Castro and the Party have been quietly pushing Santeria as an alternative to Christianity.) Don't remember hearing about it? Don't feel bad, it didn't even make a ripple in the MSM. After all, their buddy Fidel MUST have had a good reason for throwing them out, so why make it hard on him? My friend mentioned a conversation he had with a Cuban militiaman who said that El Commandante assured them that the world stood beside them in expelling the missionaries - and bueno, it must be true, not a single news story anywhere.
We will see a state funeral unlike any since the death of Mao, and the tears will be sincere and real...and life in the Socialist Paradise will go on. Sad, depressing, but true.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-08-02 07:55  

#5  We'll all be happy when he's "stable" on the stainless steel table.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-02 07:29  

#4  Stable like Arafat?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-08-02 07:24  

#3  "I'm not dead yet!"
Posted by: Chavigum Shusing6264   2006-08-02 02:37  

#2  "Generalissimo Francisco Franco said that he is closely following all developments..."
Posted by: PBMcL   2006-08-02 01:59  

#1  He's never been stable...
Posted by: imoyaro   2006-08-02 01:38  

00:00