Fidel Castro silence sparks speculation on health
By PAUL HAVEN
Associated Press
HAVANA -- It's been more than a year since Fidel Castro burst back on
the scene with a spate of public appearances and dire warnings of
nuclear Armageddon. But after a flurry of activity that quieted
speculation about his exit from the world stage, the Cuban
revolutionary's revival tour seems to be over.
Castro has not appeared in public since a key Communist Party meeting in
April when he seemed unsteady and unusually frail. He has also virtually
stopped writing his trademark opinion pieces and didn't make a statement
or release a photograph on his 85th birthday in August.
The silence has prompted the usual death rumors from Miami, propagated
on exile radio and television stations and through social media sites
such as Twitter. Castro's health has even been the subject of a computer
virus embedded in a spam email titled "Fidel is Dead," which features a
doctored, grainy photograph that appeared to show the Cuban leader lying
in a coffin.
In Venezuela, a newspaper claimed Fidel's supposedly failing health
explained why President Hugo Chavez remained in his home country for a
third round of chemotherapy, after receiving treatment in Havana on the
first two occasions.
The Cuban government, as always, has remained silent. Requests by The
Associated Press for comment on Castro's health and on what he does with
his days went unanswered. The government keeps his exact whereabouts a
state secret and has long kept even mundane details of his personal life
private.
"My premise with Fidel Castro is you start with the fact that he's
Lazarus and proceed from there," said Ann Louise Bardach, the author of
"Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington," which
she began writing in 2006 to coincide with Castro's much-predicted demise.
"Whatever you think of him, this man has a life force which is
formidable," Bardach said. "We're not dealing with a normal mortal here.
If there is ever going to be somebody who never dies, it's him."
Castro stepped down in July 2006 and turned over power to his brother
Raul due to a serious intestinal illness that he later said nearly
killed him. He continued to publish opinion pieces, called
"Reflections," in state newspaper Granma but remained out of the public
eye for four years before suddenly reappearing in July 2010. He met then
with economists, diplomats and lawmakers and even attended a dolphin
show at the Havana aquarium.
Before long, Castro was back rallying throngs of supporters under the
Havana sun and had dusted off his olive-green military fatigues. He
seemed to soak up the attention.
He used his return to the limelight to warn about the threat of a
nuclear exchange pitting the United States and Israel against Iran.
Later, as Arab Spring protests roiled both pro- and anti-Western
governments in the Middle East, Castro showed solidarity with longtime
ally Moammar Gadhafi by publishing biting criticism of NATO and the
United States. He wrote that the intervention in Libya was a "macabre
dance of cynicism" designed to seize Libyan oil fields.
In April, Castro relinquished his final official role as Communist Party
chief, making a dramatic appearance with his brother at the close of a
key party gathering. Castro needed the help of a young aide to walk to
his chair as hundreds of delegates applauded, some with tears in their
eyes. Once seated, he seemed to slump over as if losing his balance.
Since then, Castro has made no public appearances, though photographs
and video of him meeting with Chavez and other visiting dignitaries have
been released. His absence has been noted on the streets.
"He seemed so fragile to me the last time he was on television, when we
saw him with Chavez," said Angela Blanco, a 66-year-old Havana resident.
"I'm worried about him because he used to be so strong."
Most surprisingly, the Cuban revolutionary has stopped writing about
world affairs that are clearly close to his heart. He said nothing last
month as Gadhafi's forces succumbed to a rebel offensive and the Libyan
leader went into hiding. He hasn't commented on the recent violence in
Syria, the London street riots in August or the usual political
bickering in Washington, all of which would have certainly drawn
punditry from a more active Castro.
In fact, the Cuban leader has published just one opinion piece since May
26, announcing that Chavez's first round of chemotherapy was a success.
So far this year, Fidel has published his thoughts or statements 37
times, compared with 85 times in 2010, and 111 the previous year,
according to an AP count.
While he has gone on hiatus before, Castro's most recent silence,
coupled with his milestone 85th birthday, has increased the sense that
one of the most energetic figures of the 20th century is slowing down.
Castro himself alluded to his limitations in an apology to well-wishers
after missing outdoor celebrations in April marking the 50th anniversary
of Cuba's victory at the Bay of Pigs.
"Believe me that I felt pain when I saw that some of you were looking
for me on the dais," he wrote. "I thought everyone understood that I can
no longer do what I have done so many times before."
Still, Cuban-American observers have learned from experience to question
whispers that Castro's end is near.
"When you've been following this as long as I have, you don't believe
any news about Castro's health until you read the confirmation from the
Cuban government," said Tomas Bilbao, executive director of the U.S.
Cuba Study Group, a business-backed organization that supports exchanges
with the island. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing's changed."
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