| Cuba's interim leader, Raul Castro, has denied a U.S. | | | | cancer. He is gravely ill, his recovery will take at least |
| media report that his brother, President Fidel Castro, | | | | months, before he can make a public appearance. |
| is dying of cancer and will not return to power. Raul | | | | And, even then, it may be more of a long farewell |
| Castro said his brother is resting, but works each day | | | | than a true return to power." |
| a little more. Some Cuban experts in Miami say the | | | | Julio Cesar Alfonso is a Cuban doctor, now living in |
| long-time Communist president of the Caribbean | | | | exile in Miami. He is also president of the non-profit |
| island is gravely ill. | | | | organization, "Solidarity without Borders," a group |
| Ever since Cuban President Fidel Castro had intestinal | | | | founded by foreign medical doctors in the U.S. to help |
| surgery in late July and temporarily ceded power to | | | | other doctors. He says Mr. Castro was diagnosed |
| his brother Raul, Cuban authorities have been | | | | with intestinal cancer when he traveled to France in |
| adamant that their fiery leader will return to power. | | | | 1997, and has probably been receiving treatment for |
| At an anti-U.S. trade embargo rally last week, Cuban | | | | it. He said the cancer has now likely reached a |
| Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said Fidel Castro | | | | terminal stage: |
| is recovering, and will soon be back "leading the | | | | "Castro looks very sick," he said. "He has lost more |
| revolution." | | | | than 40 kilos in 15 or 20 days. One can see that he |
| A report in Time magazine this week cites unnamed | | | | acts like someone who is seriously ill. It's not the |
| U.S. officials saying many in the U.S. government are | | | | normal behavior of Castro, when he's conversing with |
| now convinced that the 80-year-old Castro has | | | | people like [Venezuelan President Hugo] Chavez or |
| terminal cancer, and will never return to power. | | | | other foreign dignitaries." |
| In Communist Cuba, details of Fidel Castro's health | | | | Several weeks ago photos were released of Mr. |
| are a state secret. One official quoted in the Time | | | | Castro meeting with President Chavez in a private |
| magazine report cautioned that intelligence reports | | | | setting. |
| could be wrong, and that there is no definitive proof. | | | | The eyes of many experts are now on interim leader |
| Hans de Salas is a research associate at the | | | | Raul Castro. The 75-year-old defense minister was |
| University of Miami: | | | | long under the shadow of his older brother, but has |
| "It's all speculation at this point," said Hans de Salas. | | | | been seeking a higher profile recently. Two weeks |
| "We can neither verify, nor inherently doubt the | | | | ago, he delivered his first nationally televised speech |
| possibility that Fidel Castro may be dying of terminal | | | | at the close of a trade union congress. |