Castro still on deaths doorstep?

Cuban official recants Castro assertion
By VANESSA ARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
Mon Nov 6, 6:23 PM ET

HAVANA - Cuba's foreign minister stepped back Monday from an earlier assertion that Fidel Castro would return to power in December and declined to say whether the ailing Cuban leader would be well enough to attend next month's celebration of his 80th birthday.

Less than two months after telling The Associated Press he expected Castro to be fully back at the helm in early December, Felipe Perez Roque said he could not discuss when Castro will return.

"It's a subject on which I don't want to speculate," the minister told the AP in an interview. Castro's return "will come when it's the right moment."

Perez Roque said he meets with Castro frequently and the Cuban leader is steadily recovering from his intestinal surgery.

"He looks good. I see that his recovery is advancing," he said. "We are optimistic, and happy. The only ones who are sad are our enemies, who were all prepared to celebrate (his death)."
Up until his illness, Castro was known for micromanaging projects, leading massive marches along the Malecon coastal highway and giving hours-long speeches. Perez Roque declined to speculate on whether the Cuban icon would ever be such an active leader again.

"Whether things will be like before is a very difficult topic," the minister said. "And I don't have the information, or the capacity, to say."

Castro has not made any public appearances since July 26, when he announced he would undergo surgery and temporarily transferred power to his younger brother Raul. The Cuban government has treated Castro's ailment as a state secret, releasing only sporadic videos and photographs to prove he is recovering.

A video released late October on state-run television showed the Cuban leader defiantly denying rumors that he was on his deathbed. Yet some Cubans say they were surprised to see how frail he still was.

Castro turned 80 on Aug. 13. But when he announced his surgery, he said celebrations would be delayed until Dec. 2.

Perez Roque told the AP in New York in September that he expected Castro to be back by early December.

"I have no questions in my mind that we will be able to celebrate his birthday in December as he deserves," he said at the time.

On Monday, he refused to speculate on when Castro might return, saying only: "The important thing is his recovery, which he's doing in a serious and persistent manner."

The transfer of power to Raul Castro went smoothly, and while many Cubans grumble about economic struggles on the island they have seemed to accept the younger Castro as their leader, albeit temporarily. Perez Roque acknowledged that the Cuban government faces some discontent, and even said some changes could be on the horizon.

"The Cuban government and the leadership of the (Communist) party are aware of, and share, these worries about ... difficulties with the quality of life of the people," he said. "All of our efforts are focused in the direction of finding solutions to these problems."