Cubans get an eyeful of Castro recuperating

CASTRO HEALTH CRISIS

Cubans get an eyeful of Castro recuperating
Cubans tried to decipher the meaning behind new photos and a videotape
of ailing leader Fidel Castro.
Miami Herald Staff Report

HAVANA - Cubans crowded newsstands Monday for a closer look at a new and
more downbeat batch of photos of ailing leader Fidel Castro -- this time
showing him confined to a bed even as he greets friend and ally Hugo
Chávez of Venezuela.

The seven new photos published in Cuba's leading Granma newspaper and a
video of Castro came one day after the smaller Juventud Rebelde on
Sunday ran the first photos of Castro since his intestinal surgery,
apparently sitting on a chair.

But Monday's images showed Castro lying in a hospital bed, looking tired
and with sheets covering him to his torso. The government later released
a 10-minute video of the Chávez meeting, dousing speculation about the
photos' veracity.

For many Cubans, the latest images confirmed that the man who has ruled
them for 47 years was still alive, but did little to ease their anxiety
over a future without him.

On Sunday, a foreboding message from Castro cautioned that while he was
continuing to recover, risks remained and Cubans should be ready for
``adverse news.''

''A lot of people were surprised to see [the photos] because they
thought he was dead,'' a young man named Alexi told The Miami Herald,
adding that he would ''adapt'' to whatever comes. ``Nobody is eternal.''

''He's getting better, that's good,'' said a store clerk named Yanine.
``But a lot of people wish he'd die.''

MEANING OF PHOTOS

Given the careful cultivation of Castro's image throughout his rule, it
remained unclear whether the new pictures of the bedridden leader meant
that his health had weakened after the the first batch was taken, or
he's exaggerating his ailment in order to stage a more triumphant comeback.

Castro, who turned 80 on Sunday, is recovering from surgery for
intestinal bleeding due to undisclosed causes. U.S. specialists have
said such bleeding could be the result of a half-dozen ailments,
including an ulcer or cancer.

The pictures released Sunday and Monday offered no medical clues: There
was no evidence of Castro connected to any tubes or other devices, such
as intravenous bags.

The new set of photos appeared to have been shot in the same white room
as the previous set, although Castro now lay in a hospital-type bed to
the right of the normal bed shown in Sunday's photos. The two-bed
arrangement is usual for Cubans who like to sleep next to their loved
ones in hospitals.

LOCATION UNKNOWN

A wall outlet similar to those seen in hospitals for oxygen and other
hookups can be seen in one of the photos. Heavy tree branches showing
through a window indicate the room is not a ground-floor room. The Cuban
government has never identified Castro's hospital.

All the photos show Castro with a bedsheet covering him from around
mid-torso down. He wears a bright red shirt, Chávez's signature color,
emblazoned with the Venezuelan and Cuban flags and the words
''Venezuela-Cuba.'' Chávez, the Venezuelan president, also wears a red
shirt. Also in some of the photos is Defense Minister Raúl Castro, the
younger brother who Castro anointed as his temporary replacement two
weeks ago.

Oddly, on a nightstand to the left of the hospital bed are a pair of
foot-high dolls of Castro and Chávez, similar to bobble-heads.

MOOD OF THE PEOPLE

Throughout Castro's convalescence, the government appears to have been
operating normally, though the population's mood has been described by
foreigners as dark, confused and anxious over the future.

Raúl Castro's appearance in the photographs -- also a first since he
assumed control -- may signal that he will assume a more active and
visible role.

Whether Castro resumes control or Raúl remains in power, some Cubans
said they don't expect much to change, while others expressed fears of
the reputedly heavy-handed Raúl. But it's difficult to decipher real
sentiments in a country where criticizing the government can land people
in jail.

''People are afraid about the future,'' a baker named Denis told The
Miami Herald. ``They don't know what will happen next. People are afraid
of change.

''The people chant revolutionary slogans on the street, but they
complain in private at home,'' he added.

Fernando, who was buying a lunch of rice, beans and a piece of meat,
said it is a delicate time for Cuba. ''The American government will try
to take advantage of any weakness, pushed by the Cubans in Miami,'' he
said. ``We must be careful.''

Copies of Monday's edition of Granma were selling quickly, as Cubans
swarmed newsstands. On Sunday, few people seemed to be aware of the
photos published by Juventud Rebelde.

In an article accompanying the photographs under the headline An
Unforgettable Afternoon Among Brothers, Granma reported that Castro and
Chávez shared ``more than three hours of emotional exchange, anecdotes,
laughs, photos, gifts, a frugal snack and the happiness of close
friendship.''

The video of the encounter, which aired on Cuban television Monday
night, showed Chávez and Raúl doing most of the talking, but Castro is
heard in the background laughing and saying a few hard-to-decipher words.

PRAISE FROM CHAVEZ

Granma quoted Chávez, Castro's closest political ally and economic
supporter, as expressing wonderment over Castro's toughness in the face
of his health crisis.

''What kind of human being is this?'' Chávez reportedly asked. ``What
material is it made of?''

Granma's lead front-page photo showed Chávez and Raúl standing at
Castro's bedside. All three smiled as Chávez and Castro held the edges
of a large portrait of the Cuban leader. The newspaper said it was a
gift from Raúl to Chávez.

The newspaper described the visit as ``unforgettable, shared by brothers
linked by blood and cause, which brought renewed strength and
encouragement to the Comandante, bloodied in a thousand battles and
seeking a new victory for life.''

In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Snow sidestepped a question
about whether ''adverse news for Cuba'' would be ``good news for the
White House.''

''We'll have to find out. I mean, heaven knows,'' Snow said.

Drew Blakeney, spokesman for the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, said
the Cubans' reaction to the photographs fell into three main categories:

''One being fear of and uncertainty about a future without the leader,''
Blakeney told The Miami Herald via e-mail. ``After all, most have known
nothing else, and all their lives have been deprived of information
about the outside world. Their fears have been shaped and stoked by a
lifetime of propaganda.

''Another common reaction is frustration that the long nightmare
continues,'' Blakeney said. ``Finally, some people feel genuine
affection and sympathy for the leader.''
This report came from Miami Herald staff writers in Havana; Lesley Clark
in Washington; Juan O. Tamayo in Miami, and translator Renato Pérez. It
was written by Nancy San Martin in Miami.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/front/15274886.htm