Raul Castro speaks out for first time since brother ceded power

Posted on Fri, Aug. 18, 2006

Raul Castro speaks out for first time since brother ceded power
BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com

Cuba boosted the nation's ''combat capacity'' by activating thousands of
militia the day after Fidel Castro announced he was ceding power due to
an intestinal illness, his brother Raúl said in today's edition of
Cuba's Communist Party daily, Granma.

In his first public comments since Fidel announced his illness July 31,
Raúl Castro, the nation's defense minister, said he increased military
presence in Cuba, calling out reservists, militia and Special Troops in
the face of a pending threat from the United States.

''I decided to substantially raise our combative capacity and
readiness,'' he told Lazaro Barredo, editor of the Communist Party's
Granma newspaper.

He said he made the move because of the ``political/military situation
that has been created.''

Raúl skirted the editor's first question: How's Fidel?

Fidel announced July 31 that a heavy work load and lack of sleep had
caused sustained intestinal bleeding. He handed the reins of power to
Raúl, and was not seen again for another two weeks, when the government
released a video of him on his 80th birthday Sunday.

Raúl said Fidel's ''exceptional physical and mental nature'' helped him
have a ''satisfactory and gradual'' recovery.

''On behalf of all the people, I will begin by congratulating and
thanking the doctors and the other compañeros and compañeras who have
attended to him in an excellent manner, with an unsurpassable
professionalism and, above all, with much love and dedication,'' he
said. ``This has been a very important factor in Fidel's progressive
recovery.''

Castro dedicated the bulk of his interview to blasting United States
policy on Cuba, an in particular its Commission for Assistance to a Free
Cuba report. He accused Bush of ``interventionist policy.''

''It is not my intention to exaggerate the danger,'' he said. ``I never
have done so.''

He also responded to criticism that he had been out of public view since
his brother fell ill.

''As a point of fact, I am not used to making frequent appearances in
public, except at times when it is required,'' he said.

``I have always been discreet, that is my way, and in passing I will
clarify that I am thinking of continuing in that way.''

Miami Herald translator Renato Pérez contributed to this report.

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