Ailing Castro Takes First Sick Leave

Cubans at home and abroad were yesterday adjusting to the news that, for the first time in nearly half a century, Fidel Castro is not running the country. After surgery for intestinal bleeding, the veteran leader, due to celebrate his 80th birthday shortly, has handed over power, at least temporarily, to his brother, Raul.

The dramatic announcement, which came in the form of a proclamation, was read out yesterday on Cuban television. Reaction in Cuba would appear so far to be muted, but in Miami, home to the largest number of anti-Castro Cuban exiles, crowds cheered in the streets and some speculated that Castro might be dead. All rather presumptuous given that he has so far survived 638 plots and attempts on his life, as logged by the Cuban authorities.

Raul, 75, has enjoyed an increasingly high profile over the past few months, prompting speculation that a changeover might be imminent. But yesterday's announcement that the world's longest-serving leader was standing aside still came as a surprise. He has survived previous health scares, suffering a fall in 2004 and suggestions last year that he had Parkinson's disease. Last week he addressed a rally of 100,000 Cubans and mocked the latest of many US plans to remove him.

In a frank and detailed explanation, Castro spelled out why he feels unable to carry on, at least for the time being: "As a result of the great effort exerted to visit the Argentinian city of Cordoba, [for a Latin American summit] and to visit Alta Gracia, the city where Che [Guevara] grew up, together with my participation in the commemoration in Granma [of an anniversary of one of the major events of the revolution] days and nights of non-stop work with hardly any sleep led my health, which has withstood every test, to undergo extreme stress and a breakdown."

The statement said the stress had led to an acute intestinal crisis which had necessitated complicated surgery. "The surgery makes it necessary for me to take several weeks of rest away from my duties and posts," he added. "Since our country is threatened by the US government under circumstances such as these, I have made the following decisions." He then detailed the ways he would be replaced.

Last month the Bush administration revealed plans aimed at removing Castro, coordinated by the US government's Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba which has an $80m (£43m) budget for the task.

Earlier this week Mr Bush spoke of the plan 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," he told WAQI-AM Radio Mambi." No one knows when Fidel Castro will move on. In my judgment, that's the work of the Almighty."

A White House spokesman said yesterday: "We can't speculate on Castro's health but we continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom." Castro's closest ally, Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, said on a visit to Vietnam that he was sure that his friend would recover, adding "Viva Fidel Castro!"

The summit of the non-aligned countries, due to be held next month in Havana, will go ahead. The birthday party, to which various dignitaries had been invited, is postponed until December 2, the 50th anniversary of the landing of Granma, the boat on which Castro arrived during an early attempt to overthrow the Batista regime.

Yesterday's message from Castro also contained rallying cries to the 11 million Cubans on the island. "I have not the slightest doubt that our people and our revolution will fight until the last drop of blood to defend these and other ideas and measures that may be necessary to safeguard this historic process." It concluded with the familiar "Hasta la victoria siempre [Ever onward to victory]."