U.S.: Castro's health better but still delicate
BY PABLO BACHELET
pbachelet@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON --
Fidel Castro's health is improving and the 80-year-old leader is
increasingly involved in Cuba's foreign affairs, but he is unlikely to
ever retake full command again, a senior U.S. intelligence official said
Tuesday.
The U.S. government believes Castro underwent a botched operation to
treat diverticulitis before he all but disappeared from public view on
July 31, the official said in a briefing for two journalists who cover
Cuban issues.
The intelligence community has not entirely ruled out the possibility
that Castro may be suffering from cancer and continues to believe his
prognosis is possibly complicated by other illnesses, including
Parkinson's disease and Crohn's disease, the official added.
Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the digestive tract and
complications that range from arthritis to diseases of the liver and
biliary system. Parkinson's is a degenerative disorder that causes
stiffness, difficulty with balance and stifled speech.
The official said that ''all these possibilities are not mutually
exclusive,'' meaning Castro could be suffering from a combination of
maladies.
''What seems obvious is that over the past couple of months, Castro's
health seems to be on the upswing,'' said the official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity. ``He seems to be following, particularly foreign
affairs, very carefully.
''It still seems unlikely, at least to me, that he'll regain the full
range of control he had before the end of July,'' the official added.
On July 31, Havana announced that Castro had undergone surgery for an
undisclosed intestinal ailment and was handing power over to his 75-year
old brother Raúl and six other trusted lieutenants.
The official noted that Fidel Castro met last Friday with members of a
Chinese government delegation for one hour. Though he looked healthier
than in previous appearances and seemed to have put on some weight, the
indications are that Castro's health is still precarious.
''An 80-year-old man who's gone nine months and still wears a track suit
when he meets with foreign dignitaries suggests this is an extremely
serious illness still, even if he is on the road to recovery,'' the
official said.
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