Fidel Castro Denies His Death
HAVANA TIMES — Fidel Castro has again resurrected in the wake of rumors — for the hundredth time — announcing his death in recent weeks. This has happened once a year for decades, with someone in Florida always saying they know someone on the island who told them that he was dead.
His comeback was more than public this time. He met for five hours with Venezuelan Vice President Elias Jaua, and then accompanied the visitor from his home to the National Hotel, where Fidel then spoke with some of the workers there for about 30 minutes.
Rumors of the death of Fidel Castro were published in the exile media in Miami, while other publications around the world echoed the news, thinking the exiles must have had reliable information about the man they’ve hated so much for so many years.
This time, in a few days the news traveled the world. It was even said that Raul Castro sent for his sister Juanita, a Miami resident, for an important family gathering in Havana. But this was in vain, because despite Juanita denying the matter, the rumor continued on.
The house in Laguito
Shortly before Jose Marquina, a Venezuelan doctor who also lives in Florida, said he knew firsthand from a good source that the Comandante had suffered “a cerebral embolism and now he doesn’t know anybody.”
The information he was spreading lacked such seriousness that it placed this dying Fidel Castro in his “house in El Laguito,” when he actually resides in another part of town. Fidel has never lived in El Laguito, since the houses there are normally used as protocol residences.
To top it all off, a supposed Italian journalist, Tommaso Debenedetti, set himself the task of spreading the news of Fidel’s death on social networks, sparking off a craze that even the professional media found difficult to avoid.
From a fake Twitter account, Debenedetti made it appear that the Cuban foreign minister issued a message about a special public appearance by Raul Castro to announce that “Fidel Castro died today,” while adding that “an official communiqué from the Central Committee will be released in the coming hours.”
From Cuba
We foreign correspondents in Havana were bombarded by our editors who, almost daily, asking for news about his death. Colleagues found it hard to believe that everything was only a new invention by the political enemies of Fidel Castro.
In Cuba itself, however, one didn’t detect any alterations of everyday life. Radio stations were broadcasting music, the national media didn’t announce any special program, and Fidel Castro sent a message of greetings to the School of Medicine.
On the island, no one is surprised by the disappearance from public sight of the former president, who left public life years ago. He now has no governmental or party responsibilities, and when he receives a visitor, it’s in private, with no need for press coverage.
Few people expect that his death will be concealed. Since 2006 that eventuality has been worked on. Practically all of the government has been changed without political fissures presenting themselves and with Raul Castro appearing to have consolidated his leadership.
Some sources claim that there is already a national plan for when his death occurs, which includes an immediate announcement, the temporary placement of his body at Revolution Square, a procession around the island, and his burial in the Sierra Maestra.
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(*) An authorized HT translation of the original appearing in Cartasdesdecuba.com.
Could it really be characterized as “paranoia” knowing that Kennedy promised Kruschev that he’d keep his hands off as long as Fidel lives?
Yes, this is an example of what the ‘free press’ that some writers on this website moan for clogs your mind with . Demand for more – a responsible free press.
‘Griffin”, one has to give ‘Moses’ some credit for attempting to appear logical. You completely defy logic but in case it sucks in some brain dead person I think it needs to be addressed.
So you are claiming, by writing “You don’t have to wait till Fidel dies to witness the paranoia” that denies Fidel’s death – which is, in point of fact, reality. Fidel lives!
So reality is paranoia from your perspective.
My advice – keep taking your meds and everything will be okay.
“Anyone who really understands how Cuba works…” Like you? – an American propagandist supporting his government’s 50 plus year economic blockade of the country, expecting it to cause the Cuban people to turn against its government? Remind me not to ask you for your New Year’s predictions.
You think “paranoia alone will cause the Castro regime to announce his passing through behaviours akin to preparations for an enemy invasion”? Actually, the outpouring of respect from around the world is likely to be awesome to witness. Sorry. You can try to set perceptions but I don’t think you stand much chance of success.
I’m almost surprised that Mr Ravsberg didn’t use the opportunity of this despicable media propaganda campaign of lies and stupidities to trumpet the supposed superiority of Western corporate journalism as he usually does.
Moses,
You don’t have to wait till Fidel dies to witness the paranoia. The denials we’ve been hearing already reek of it.
Anyone who really understands how Cuba works should know that when Fidel REALLY dies, it will not be a secret. The impending paranoia alone will cause the Castro regime to announce his passing through behaviors akin to preparations for an enemy invasion. It will be obvious to all.
News flash: Rumors of Fidel’s death have themselves died. They will lie in state inside the rectum of everyone who hates the Cuban Revolution. Burma Shave.
Fidel Castro is denouncing news media “stupidities” incited by “the henhouse of imperialist propaganda.”
For about 10 days, skittish editors around the world sent reporters to chase rumors of Castro’s death. From Caracas, one Nelson Bocaranda claimed that Fidel’s sister Juanita had been summoned to Havana, which she denied in an interview with Wilfredo Cancio at Café Fuerte. She said it is “irresponsible to circulate unfounded rumors” and added that she is “very busy with the campaign for the re-election of Obama, who is the candidate I like and seems to be the best for the country where I have lived for 48 years.”
Once again, rumors that Cuban leader Fidel Castro is on his deathbed or in a “neurovegetative state” have proven to be false. After a letter he had written that was published in state-run newspaper Granma on Thursday failed to stop the rumor mill, the Cuban leader responded directly to the claims in another Granma article published early this morning.
In it, he criticizes the mainstream media for repeating the claims of Venezuelan Doctor Jose Rafael Marquina, the source of the latest round of rumors, and claimed to be doing well despite his advanced age, saying “I don’t even remember what a headache feels like.” He also compared the false claims to those made by the Western press during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when news agencies erroneously reported that the U.S.-backed invasion force was on the verge of reaching Havana when in fact the operation was a massive failure.
The article is accompanied by photos taken by Fidel’s son Alex Castro, which show the former Cuban leader standing with a cane outside in a colorful shirt and straw hat, holding up Friday’s issue of Granma as proof of their date.