HAVANA, Cuba, CMC – Cuban President Fidel Castro who is recovering from surgery to stop intestinal bleeding said his health condition is now a state secret, state-owned television Cuba Vision has reported.
A newscaster on the station’s nightly late night news on Tuesday read a message from the 80-year-old leader who on Monday, for the first time in his 45 years in power, gave over temporary power to his brother Raul.
“I cannot invent good news because it would not be ethical and if it was bad news the only one to benefit would be the enemy. In the specific situation of Cuba, due to the plans of the Empire, my health situation has become a state secret that cannot be told constantly and my people should understand this.”
“I cannot fall into the vicious circle of the parameters of my health status that constantly moves during the day. I can say that it is a stable situation, but the real evolution of my health status takes time,” Castro’s statement said.
The Cuban leader said the best he could say was that it would be “many days” before he could issue a verdict on his health.
Noting that his state of mind was perfectly well, Castro said he was grateful for the many messages received by people all across the world and added “I regret causing so much concern and havoc to my friends in the world”.
“The important thing is that things in the country are going well and will continue to perfectly go well. The country is prepared to defend itself by the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the people.”
“Our people will know everything in due time as it happened before when I fell. We have to struggle and work,” he said.
Cuban officials say the bleeding was linked to the stress of travelling to South America recently.
But over in Miami, Cuban exiles have begun a carnival-style death-watching, dancing in the streets.