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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Castro appearance kills rumours of death
Fidel Castro (CP)
HAVANA, Cuba -- Former Venezuelan vice-president Elias Jaua said Sunday he met with aging revolutionary icon Fidel Castro for five hours and showed The Associated Press photos of the encounter, quashing persistent rumours the former Cuban leader was on his deathbed or had suffered a massive stroke.
Jaua also confirmed the 86-year-old retired Cuban president accompanied him to the Hotel Nacional after their meeting Saturday, in which they talked about politics, history, culture and tourism.
"He had the courtesy of bringing me to the hotel," Jaua said Sunday, adding Castro looked "very well."
Jaua showed a photo of himself seated in a minibus with Castro, Castro's wife Dalia Soto del Valle, a hotel executive and several other people. The photo shows Jaua and Castro smiling broadly; the former Cuban leader is wearing a checked shirt and cowboy hat.
It was Castro's first public appearance in months. A top Hotel Nacional executive said earlier Sunday that Castro dropped off the Venezuelan guest, then stayed on to chat with hotel staff.
"Fidel Castro was here yesterday. He brought a guest and spoke to workers and hotel leaders for 30 minutes," commercial director Yamila Fuster said. Fuster was not present, but hotel director Antonio Martinez is seated next to Castro in the photo shown by Jaua, and told Cuban media later the bearded revolutionary's health was great.
"Fidel is excellent and his health is magnificent," Martinez said in comments carried on the evening news, which also broadcast images of Jaua showing off his photograph with Fidel. "With his cowboy hat, his smile, his ideas, (he was) very coherent and affectionate with the workers."
The news presenter also said Castro would publish an article on Monday, but did not say what it would be about.
Castro's health has been the subject of intense speculation for years, but the rumours gained force in recent days after he failed to publicly congratulate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a top ally, on his Oct. 7 electoral victory. The former Cuban leader has not appeared since March, when he was shown greeting visiting Pope Benedict XVI, and he has also ceased writing his once-constant opinion pieces, the last of which appeared in June.
Castro stepped down in 2006 following a severe illness, handing power to his brother Raul.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 22, 2012 A9
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