Ailing Castro laughed, joked and snacked with Chavez
CUBA: An alert, but bedridden Fidel Castro laughed, joked and
snacked with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the first video images
of the ailing Cuban leader since he temporarily gave up power following
surgery two weeks ago.
He appeared frail, but in good spirits during the brief video, aired
on Monday on Cuban state television in what appeared to be an attempt to
allay uncertainty about his recovery.
The only disclosure about Castro's health has been that he underwent
surgery for intestinal bleeding and provisionally put brother Raul in
charge on July 31. Since then, Cuban officials have insisted he was on
the mend, but have given no clear idea if or when he can return to
power.
The video was made on Sunday when Chavez, Castro's leftist ally and
fellow fierce U.S. critic, flew from Caracas to visit Fidel on his 80th
birthday.
"What kind of human being is this? What's he made of?" asked Chavez
at one point as he sat in a chair next to Castro's bed and marveled at
his condition.
Chavez brought a dagger that belonged to South American independence
hero and Venezuelan patriot Simon Bolivar as a birthday gift for Fidel,
who in turn gave Chavez a drawing of himself by Mexican artist David
Alfaro Siqueiros.
Chavez said he was doing his own portrait of Fidel, but joked that he
had a difficult nose to draw and needed plastic surgery. "What, more
surgery?" quipped Castro, as brother Raul held the drawing up for Chavez
to see.
Chavez did most of the talking during the six-minute long video and
was later said to have described the meeting as "the best of all the
visits I've ever made."
The two leaders ate what appeared to be yogurt - not the birthday
cake Chavez had promised to bring - looked at photos from a Castro trip
to Venezuela and wrote in notebooks.
Both wore bright red shirts during what Communist Party newspaper
Granma called "An Unforgettable Afternoon Among Brothers."
Earlier on Monday, Granma published several photos from the
encounter.
On Sunday, newspaper Juventud Rebelde published the first photographs
of Castro since his surgery.
Havana, Tuesday, Reuters. |