Chavez admits Castro gravely ill

[240 is Back]

From the BBc


Cuban leader Fidel Castro is battling to save his life, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said.
Mr Chavez, a close friend of Cuba's left-wing leader, said he hoped Mr Castro would recover but admitted he faced a hard struggle.

Mr Castro, 80, has not been seen in public since undergoing surgery in July and handing over political power.

Mr Chavez spoke at the Latin American summit in Brazil in a rare admission of the state of Mr Castro's health.

Chavez hopeful

Venezuela's president said he spoke to the Cuban leader by telephone for half an hour several days ago.

"He is going through a difficult situation but just like he says, the machine that they have to fix is 80 years old," Mr Chavez told the Mercosur trade summit.

"I cannot give details [of his health] because I am not his doctor, and even if I was I would not give them to you.

"He's back in the Sierra Maestra and locked in a battle for his life," Mr Chavez said.

The Sierra Maestra is a rugged mountain range in south-east Cuba with a long history of guerrilla warfare.

After Fidel Castro returned to Cuba from exile in Mexico, he and his fellow rebels hid out in the Sierra Maestra from where they were able to expand their 26 July Movement, building up their guerrilla forces and starting the revolution which in 1959 overthrew the regime led by Fulgencio Batista.

"There are those who want Fidel to die... [but] we have confidence he will recover completely.

"I don't know when Fidel will die, I hope he lives 80 more years, I hope he lives 100 more years."

'Slow recovery'

There have been steady reports suggesting that Mr Castro's condition is extremely serious.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Dr Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, head of surgery at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon public hospital, described Mr Castro's recovery as "slow but progressive".

Dr Garcia Sabrido examined the Cuban leader late last year.

Earlier this week a Spanish newspaper quoted medical sources as saying Mr Castro opted for a risky medical procedure that led to grave complications.

[Camel Jockey]

Does this mean cubans wont be contraband in the future?

[240 is Back]

the cigars or the dudes on rafts?

[Hedgehog]

Sadly, we will most likely have to wait for Raoul Castro's demise as well before any hopes of democracy on Cuba.

Unless USA completely overhauls its trading policy, and opens up for trade with Cuba, then I predict Cuba will boom and start democratization within 5 years.


or rather, the democratization would start immediatly, but the bigger effects would be seen in 5 years or so.

-Hedge

[bmacsys]

Sadly, we will most likely have to wait for Raoul Castro's demise as well before any hopes of democracy on Cuba.

Unless USA completely overhauls its trading policy, and opens up for trade with Cuba, then I predict Cuba will boom and start democratization within 5 years.


or rather, the democratization would start immediatly, but the bigger effects would be seen in 5 years or so.

-Hedge

Hedge your saying if the USA opens up trade now that it will do more to undermine communism than the embargo currently does?

[Hedgehog]

Hedge your saying if the USA opens up trade now that it will do more to undermine communism than the embargo currently does?

Yes.

Compare China and Cuba. Or any other communist, or former communist country.

China may be the biggest success of the Bush Administration. Or rather, the only one?

Bush has been working furious to keep the trade growing with China.

And China is opening up.

IMO, where the economy of a country goes, sooner or later, the political system is bound to follow.

Credit where credit is due. China's been handled pretty well by GWB IMO.

-Hedge

[240 is Back]

This would be a prime time to snatch up Cuba.

I got a feeling the guy that follows Raoul is gonna get the honeymoon suite with hugo Chavez.

We've done that dance before.