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Castro steps down temporarily
01/08/2006 07:24 - (SA)
Havana - Fidel Castro, who took control of Cuba in 1959, temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul on Monday night because of surgery.
Castro, less than two weeks away from his 80th birthday, didn't appear on the live television broadcast in which his secretary read a letter from the Cuban leader. It was the first time in 47 years of absolute rule that Castro has relinquished power.
In the note read by secretary Carlos Valenciaga, Castro said he had suffered gastrointestinal bleeding, apparently due to stress from recent public appearances in Argentina and eastern Cuba.
"The operation obligates me to undertake several weeks of rest," the letter read.
Castro said he was temporarily relinquishing the presidency to his younger brother and successor Raul, the defence minister, but said the move was of "a provisional character." There was no immediate appearance or statement by Raul Castro.
Longest-ruling head of government
The calm delivery of the announcement appeared to signal that there would be an orderly succession to Raul should Fidel become permanently incapacitated.
The elder Castro asked that celebrations scheduled for his 80th birthday on August 13 be postponed until December 2, the 50th anniversary of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces.
In power since the triumph of the Cuban revolution on January 1, 1959, Castro has been the world's longest-ruling head of government. Only Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, crowned in 1946, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth, crowned in 1952, have been head of state longer.
Streets in Havana, including the coastal Malecon highway where young people often congregate, were typically quiet late on Monday. In Old Havana, waiters at a popular cafe were momentarily stunned as they watched the news.
In the nearby Plaza Vieja, Cuban musicians continued to play for customers - primarily foreign tourists - sitting at outdoor cafes.
'Castro must be gravely ill'
A leading Cuban government opponent in Havana said she believed Castro must be gravely ill to have stepped aside temporarily.
"It's almost the same as death," Martha Beatriz Roque said. "No one knows if he'll even be alive December 2 when he's supposed to celebrate his birthday."
In Washington, White House spokesperson Peter Watkins said: "We are monitoring the situation. We can't speculate on Castro's health."
Across the Florida Straits in Miami, exiles waved Cuban flags on Little Havana's Calle Ocho, shouting "Cuba! Cuba! Cuba!" and hoping that the end is near for the man most of them consider to be a ruthless dictator. There were hugs, cheers and dancing as drivers honked their horns.
Over nearly five decades, hundreds of thousands of Cubans have fled Castro's rule, many of them settling in Miami.
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