2006 Cuban transfer of presidential duties
Encyclopedia
The 2006–2008 Cuban transfer of presidential duties was a transfer of duties of the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

n presidency
Presidency
The word presidency is often used to describe the administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation...

 from Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

 to the first vice president, his brother Raúl Castro
Raúl Castro
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...

, following Fidel's operation and recovery from an undisclosed digestive illness believed to be diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...

. Though Raúl Castro exercised the presidential duties of the state, Fidel Castro retained the title of President of Cuba
President of Cuba
--209.174.31.28 18:43, 22 November 2011 The President of Cuba is the Head of state of Cuba. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, the President is the chief executive of the Council of State of Cuba...

, formally the President of the Council of State of Cuba
Council of State of Cuba
The Council of State of Cuba is a 31-member body of the government of Cuba, elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. It has the authority to exercise most legislative power between sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power, subject to its approval, and to call the National...

, during this period.

The transfer of duties, which was announced on July 31, 2006, was in line with Article 94 of the Cuban Constitution, which states "In cases of the absence, illness or death of the president of the Council of State
Council of State of Cuba
The Council of State of Cuba is a 31-member body of the government of Cuba, elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. It has the authority to exercise most legislative power between sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power, subject to its approval, and to call the National...

, the first vice president assumes the president’s duties".

Fidel Castro had been in power since 1959
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...

 and President of Cuba since 1976. At the time of his operation in 2006, he was 79 years old. The full details of the illness have yet to be revealed by Cuban officials, which has fuelled speculation about the seriousness of his condition.

After a leading Spanish doctor visited Castro in December 2006 and announced that the Cuban leader was recovering from a digestive problem, Castro began to make occasional appearances on television, radio and print. According to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

, who has made a number of visits to Havana during Castro's recovery period, his Cuban counterpart was "gaining ground" and had resumed "a good part of his duties" by April 2007. Ricardo Alarcón, President of Cuba's National Assembly
National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba
The National Assembly of People’s Power is the legislative parliament of the Republic of Cuba and the supreme body of State power. Its members are elected from single-member electoral districts for a term of five years. The Assembly's current President is Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada. The assembly...

, stated that Fidel Castro would be fit to run for re-election to the assembly in 2008.

On February 19, 2008 Fidel Castro announced that he would not stand for re-election as President at the next meeting of the National Assembly of People's Power. Raúl Castro was elected President by the National Assembly on February 24, 2008.

July 2006 announcement

The transfer of duties was announced in a proclamation read on state television at 9:15 PM by Castro's secretary, Carlos Valenciaga. The proclamation appeared on the Granma website that night and was printed in Cuba's national newspaper Granma
Granma (newspaper)
Granma is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.Its name comes from the yacht Granma that carried Fidel Castro and 81 other rebels to Cuba's shores in 1956 launching the Cuban Revolution.-Editions:...

, the next day. In his statement of delegation, Castro stated: "the operation has obliged me to take several weeks of rest, at a remove from my responsibilities and duties". The proclamation transferred to his brother the functions as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Comandante of the Armed Forces
Military of Cuba
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces consist of ground forces, naval forces, air and air defence forces, and other paramilitary bodies including the Territorial Troops Militia , Revolutionary Armed Forces , and Youth Labor Army .The armed forces has long been the...

, President of the Council of State
Council of State of Cuba
The Council of State of Cuba is a 31-member body of the government of Cuba, elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. It has the authority to exercise most legislative power between sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power, subject to its approval, and to call the National...

 and of the Government of the Republic of Cuba. It transferred other functions to José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera
José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera
José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera was the Minister for Health in Cuba until July 2010.. He is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and a member of the Council of State of Cuba...

, José Ramón Machado Ventura
José Ramón Machado Ventura
José Ramón Machado Ventura, M.D. is the First Vice-President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers in Cuba...

, Esteban Lazo Hernández
Esteban Lazo Hernández
Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández is a vice-president of the Cuban Council of State and a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.- References :...

 and Carlos Lage Dávila
Carlos Lage Dávila
Carlos Lage Dávila is a Cuban politician. Until 2009, he was a Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, and Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. Lage was described as Cuba's de facto prime minister.Lage trained as...

.

Castro also announced in his statement that he had spoken to the Guayasamín Foundation, whose responsibilities included organizing his oncoming 80th birthday celebrations on August 13, 2006. He requested that the group postpone the anniversary until December 2, 2006, the 50th anniversary of the Granma
Granma (yacht)
Granma is the yacht that was used to transport 82 fighters of the Cuban Revolution from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 for the purpose of overthrowing the regime of Fulgencio Batista. The 60-foot diesel-powered cabin cruiser was built in 1943 and designed to accommodate 12 people...

 Landing. The letter ended with the Cuban leader's customary pronouncements: "Imperialism will never be able to crush Cuba. The Battle of Ideas will continue advancing. ¡Viva la Patria! ¡Viva la Revolución! ¡Viva el Socialismo! ¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!".

July

  • July 26 – Fidel Castro was present at the 53rd anniversary celebrations of the assault on Moncada Barracks
    Moncada Barracks
    The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermón Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence. On July 26, 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. This armed attack is widely accepted...

    . Prior to that, Castro had just returned from a visit to a Mercosur
    Mercosur
    Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...

     summit in Córdoba
    Córdoba, Argentina
    Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...

    , Argentina
    Argentina
    Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

    , which included a confrontation with a group of journalists over the issue of providing a visa
    Visa (document)
    A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...

     for Cuban dissident
    Dissident
    A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....

     Dr. Hilda Molina
    Hilda Molina
    Dr. Hilda Molina is the former chief neurosurgeon of Cuba. Molina was also a deputy in the Cuban National Assembly but has been a critic of the Cuban government since the early 1990s. Her criticisms focus primarily on Cuba's state-governed healthcare system.In 1987, Molina founded the neurosurgery...

    , as well as a visit to Che Guevara
    Che Guevara
    Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...

    's childhood home. In his announcement printed in the Cuban media, Castro stated that the "days and nights of continuous work, almost without sleep took its toll on my health, put me under extreme stress and my health was affected".
  • July 31 – a proclamation was made transferring control of the responsibilities and functions of the government to Castro's brother, Raúl
    Raúl Castro
    Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...

    . Fidel Castro was subsequently hospitalized because of what the Cuban government said was gastrointestinal bleeding
    Gastrointestinal bleeding
    Gastrointestinal bleeding or gastrointestinal hemorrhage describes every form of hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract, from the pharynx to the rectum. It has diverse causes, and a medical history, as well as physical examination, generally distinguishes between the main forms...

    , which it attributed to stress. Later, a message the Cuban government said was from Castro, saying that his health was stable, was read on state television.

August

  • August 7 – Cuban intellectual and government member, Roberto Fernández Retamar
    Roberto Fernández Retamar
    Roberto Fernández Retamar is a Cuban poet, essayist, literary critic and President of the Casa de las Américas. In his role as President of the organization, Fernández also serves on the Council of State of Cuba. An early close confidant of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, he has remained a central...

    , further fueled speculation of Castro's ultimate demise by saying at a news conference, "They (U.S. Government) had not expected that a peaceful succession was possible. A peaceful succession has taken place in Cuba."
  • August 13 – Castro's 80th birthday, the Cuban government released a statement it attributed to Castro which read: "I ask you all to be optimistic, and at the same time to be ready to face any adverse news... For all those who care about my health, I promise I'll fight for it." The government also released photos showing Castro using a telephone and posing with a recent Granma
    Granma (newspaper)
    Granma is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.Its name comes from the yacht Granma that carried Fidel Castro and 81 other rebels to Cuba's shores in 1956 launching the Cuban Revolution.-Editions:...

     edition dated 12 August.
  • August 14 – the Cuban television channels showed a six-minute clip of Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

     visiting Castro.

September

  • September 3 – Castro was able to write notes and give orders as he recovers from surgery, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

     said. "He's writing already, (before) he couldn't even write, he was in recovery," Chávez said during his weekly Sunday broadcast, showing a handwritten note he said Castro had given him during his surprise visit to Cuba last week. "He already sits up, writes, he has a phone, he gives orders, instructions." Castro's exact health problem is a state secret in Cuba, leading to intense speculation over his condition and the future of Cuba's government. He has not been seen in public since the announcement of the handover. Televised images taken during Chávez's visit showed Castro sitting up and speaking enthusiastically in further evidence that he is recovering.
  • September 5 – the Cuban government releases a letter from Castro stating, "It can be affirmed that the most critical moment has been left behind. Today, I recover at a satisfactory pace."

October

  • October 28 – Images of Castro walking, talking on the telephone and reading the day's newspaper are broadcast in Cuba. Castro also dismisses rumors that he is dead, saying that he is taking part in government decisions, following the news and making regular phone calls.

November

  • November 6 – Cuban foreign minister, Felipe Perez Roque
    Felipe Pérez Roque
    Felipe Ramón Pérez Roque was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba from 1999 to 2009. At his appointment, he was not only the youngest member of the Cuban cabinet but also the only one to be born after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.Pérez Roque was formerly an electronics engineer and leader of...

    , backed away from his earlier prediction that Castro would return to power in early December, further fueling speculation that Castro's health is much worse than Cuban government officials are saying.

December

  • December 2 – Castro failed to show for a parade celebrating his 80th birthday, further fueling speculation that he was gravely ill and would never return to power.
  • December 24 – while Cuba continues to deny U.S.-made claims that Castro is suffering from a terminal cancer, on December 24, 2006, Spanish newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya
    El Periódico
    El Periódico is Spanish for "The Journal" and may refer to*El Periódico de Catalunya *El Periódico...

     reported that Spanish surgeon José Luis García Sabrido has been flown to Cuba on a plane chartered by the Cuban government. Dr. García Sabrido is an intestinal expert who further specializes in the treatment of cancer. The plane that Dr. García Sabrido's traveled in also was reported to be carrying a large quantity of advanced medical equipment.
  • December 26 – shortly after returning to Madrid, Dr. García Sabrido held a news conference in which he answered questions about Castro's health. He stated that "He does not have cancer, he has a problem with his digestive system," and added, "His condition is stable. He is recovering from a very serious operation. It is not planned that he will undergo another operation for the moment."

January

  • January 16 – Spanish paper El País states in a large article that Castro is in critical condition after three operations and that Castro is now fed through an infusion. According to El País, Castro suffers from a severe infection of the abdominal membrane.
  • January 20 – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez claims Castro is "fighting for his life", a Spanish surgeon, who had not examined Castro believed that the Cuban was "in a grave condition".
  • January 30 – Cuban television and the paper Juventud Rebelde show a fresh video and photos from a meeting between Castro and Hugo Chávez said to have taken place the previous day.

February

  • February 28 – Castro makes a surprise phone call to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Chávez
    Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

    's radio talk show Aló Presidente
    Aló Presidente
    Aló Presidente is a largely unscripted talk show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez which is broadcast on Venezuelan state television and radio stations every Sunday at 11:00 AM...

    , and the two leaders converse live on air for thirty minutes. During the conversation, Castro declares that he now has "more energy and strength".

April

  • April 21 – Top Chinese
    People's Republic of China
    China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

     official Wu Guanzheng
    Wu Guanzheng
    Wu Guanzheng was the head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, an anti-corruption body from 2002 to 2007.-Career:...

     meets Fidel Castro
    Fidel Castro
    Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

     and Raúl Castro
    Raúl Castro
    Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...

     in Havana
    Havana
    Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

     for bilateral talks between the two countries. Fidel Castro is photographed shaking hands with the Chinese official and is reported to have gained back some of the weight he lost during his illness.

May

  • May 1 – Castro failed to make a public appearance at May Day celebrations in Cuba for only the third time in nearly five decades.
  • May 29 – Castro writes about his illness for the first time, stating that he had three operations to halt the intestinal bleeding that sidelined him in July 2006. He adds that he was fed by intravenous lines and catheters "for many months" before making a slow recovery.

December

  • December 18 – Castro hints at the possibility of retiring for the first time, stating that his "basic duty is not to cling to office".

February

  • February 19 – Castro officially resigns as President of Cuba, declaring that he "will not aspire to or accept" the presidential position nor that of the commander-in-chief, therefore ending a 51-year incumbency.
  • February 24 – The National Assembly of People's Power unanimously selects Raúl Castro
    Raúl Castro
    Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...

     to succeed Fidel
    Fidel Castro
    Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

     as President of Cuba
    President of Cuba
    --209.174.31.28 18:43, 22 November 2011 The President of Cuba is the Head of state of Cuba. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, the President is the chief executive of the Council of State of Cuba...

    .

Caribbean

Along with well wishes from many leaders from around the world, the prime minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....

, Dr. Denzil Douglas
Denzil Douglas
Denzil Llewellyn Douglas has been Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis since July 1995. He leads the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party. He is the longest serving Prime Minister Saint Kitts and Nevis has ever had....

 wished the "political legend" Castro a swift recovery on behalf of the Caribbean Community
Caribbean Community
The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy...

 (CARICOM). Douglas was unwavering in his support, saying, "At this challenging time for the people of Cuba, we of Caricom want them to know that we wish for President Fidel Castro a successful recovery, and soon. He has proven to be a great friend of the Caribbean and of all poor and developing countries struggling for a better life for their peoples."

Douglas also warned against trying to create instability during the transition, adding that "We in CARICOM sincerely hope that as President Castro...recovers, and acting President Raúl Castro takes on the very demanding responsibilities as Head of State, that there would be no adventurism on the part of any and from whatever quarter, to create problems for the Cuban people..."

Thereafter Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...

's Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony
Kenny Anthony
Kenny Davis Anthony is a Saint Lucian politician who was the fifth Prime Minister of Saint Lucia from 1997 to 2006. As leader of the Saint Lucia Labour Party, he was Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2011 and returned to office as Prime Minister on 30 November 2011 following the 2011...

 also issued a series of well wishes for his Cuban counter-part. Dr. Anthony said he was just as surprised as the Cuban people and the rest of the world by the sudden news of President Castro's illness. But, he added, he was "also confident that he is receiving the best medical care in the world, because the quality of health care in Cuba is exceedingly good and I'm sure he is being given the very best medical care. In his press release the Saint Lucian Prime Minister also said, "The Cabinet of Ministers, and indeed the people of Saint Lucia, have much admiration for the Cuban President and his personal interest in making humanitarian and social assistance available to Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean, especially in the fields of health and education."

United States

On July 31, just hours prior to the announcement of Castro's condition, U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 told WAQI-AM, a Spanish-language radio station in Miami, "If Fidel Castro were to move on because of natural causes, we've got a plan in place to help the people of Cuba understand there's a better way than the system in which they've been living under. No one knows when Fidel Castro will move on. In my judgment, that's the work of the Almighty." On August 2, Senator Robert Bennett
Robert Foster Bennett
Robert Foster "Bob" Bennett is a former United States Senator from Utah and a member of the Republican Party. In 2006, Bennett was tapped to serve on the Senate Republican Leadership Team as Counsel to the Minority Leader, United States Senator Mitch McConnell...

 (R-Utah) said President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 told him the administration was surprised by the announcement of Castro's illness, "The president's comment was that everybody was caught by surprise, and we'll have to wait and see what U.S. action is necessary. I think all of us can say we had no idea this was coming."

Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 met in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 to discuss "A Democratic Cuba After Castro", as many senators argued that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 should have a plan in case the United States would need to offer any help to Cuba during a transfer of duties.

Cuban-American Senator Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...

 has stated that he and many other Cuban-Americans regard Raúl Castro
Raúl Castro
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...

 as a temporary figure and not someone who can lead Cuba into the future. This, of course, assumes that President Castro will in fact not return to power, a notion that cannot yet be confirmed.

There were celebrations among the large Cuban-American population of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

, Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

, and several other smaller Cuban exile communities throughout the US opposed to the Cuban Revolution.

On August 3, 2006, the White House released the following statement.
Since September, various doctors and US intelligence officials have gone on record to state that they believe Castro has cancer of the pancreas
Pancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...

, stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

 or colon
Colon (anatomy)
The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...

 and will not return to power. An Associated Press report of November 2006 stated that multiple U.S. government officials believe Castro has terminal cancer and will not live through 2007.

Latin America

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...

 and President of Bolivia
President of Bolivia
The President of Bolivia is head of state and head of government of Bolivia. According to the current Constitution, the president is elected by popular vote to a five year term, renewable once...

 Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...

 both made statements of support for Castro's recovery. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...

, the Brazilian president
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...

 and a long-time friend of Castro, said "Cubans alone should decide on a possible presidential successor. The succession process is a decision the Cuban people will have to take".

Numerous Latin American publications, including Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

's La República
La República
La República is a center-left newspaper published in Lima, Peru. It is one of the two main national dailies sold all over the country since it was founded on May 3, 1981. The paper was founded by Gustavo Mohme Llona, a former member of the Peruvian Congress...

, and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

's La Razón
La Razón
La Razón is used as a name for newspapers in the Spanish-speaking world including:*La Razón , Argentina*La Razón , Bolivia*La Razón , Ecuador*La Razón , Peru...

, ran front-page articles about the event, featuring pictures of a frail-looking Castro, head in hand. Others, such as Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

's La Crónica de Hoy
La Crónica de Hoy
La Crónica de Hoy is a Mexican newspaper published in Mexico City. The newspaper was launched in 1996 by its founder, Pablo Hiriart. La Crónica de Hoy has been directed by journalist, Guillermo Ortega Ruiz, since 2007....

 and El Sol de México, focused on the bond between Castro and his brother Raúl, the former showing a picture of the two walking together, the latter a picture of an elderly Fidel with arm held aloft by Raúl.

Many segments of the Latin American press have viewed this as an event of extraordinary magnitude. For instance, a headline in Peru's La República declared Castro's cessation of duties to be "the end of an era", while Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

's El Universal
El Universal (Caracas)
El Universal is a major Venezuelan newspaper, headquartered in Caracas with an average daily circulation of about 150,000. The online version carries news, politics, sports, economy and more....

 said the event was "unprecedented in 47 years of power."

On August 5 2006, the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian newspaper Folha de São Paulo reported that Cuban authorities had informed Brazilian president Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...

 that Castro's health was much worse than what the Cuban government had previously admitted in public. According to the report, Castro is actually suffering from intestinal cancer and will be unable to resume control of the Cuban state. The Brazilian government quickly denied that the report was accurate. Folhas editors responded to the government's denials by saying their sources were aides to the president.

See also

  • Politics of Cuba
    Politics of Cuba
    Cuba is constitutionally defined as a "socialist state guided by the principles of José Martí, and the political ideas of Marx, the father of communist states, Engels and Lenin." The present Constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the "leading force of society and...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK