Cuban leader Fidel Castro is battling to save his life, Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez has said.
Mr Chavez, a close friend of Cuba's left-wing leader, said he hoped Mr
Castro would recover but admitted he faced a hard struggle.
Mr Castro, 80, has not been seen in public since undergoing surgery in
July and handing over political power.
Mr Chavez spoke at the Latin American summit in Brazil in a rare
admission of the state of Mr Castro's health.
Chavez hopeful
Venezuela's president said he spoke to the Cuban leader by telephone for
half an hour several days ago.
I hope he lives 80 more years, I hope he lives 100 more years
Hugo Chavez
Venezuelan president
"He is going through a difficult situation but just like he says, the
machine that they have to fix is 80 years old," Mr Chavez told the
Mercosaur trade summit.
"I cannot give details [of his health] because I am not his doctor, and
even if I was I would not give them to you.
"He's back in the Sierra Maestra and locked in a battle for his life,"
Mr Chavez said.
The Sierra Maestra is a rugged mountain range in south-east Cuba with a
long history of guerrilla warfare.
After Fidel Castro returned to Cuba from exile in Mexico, he and his
fellow rebels hid out in the Sierra Maestra from where they were able to
expand their 26 July Movement, building up their guerrilla forces and
starting the revolution which in 1959 overthrew the regime led by
Fulgencio Batista.
"There are those who want Fidel to die... [but] we have confidence he
will recover completely.
"I don't know when Fidel will die, I hope he lives 80 more years, I hope
he lives 100 more years."
'Slow recovery'
There have been steady reports suggesting that Mr Castro's condition is
extremely serious.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Dr Jose Luis Garcia
Sabrido, head of surgery at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon public hospital,
described Mr Castro's recovery as "slow but progressive".
Dr Garcia Sabrido examined the Cuban leader late last year.
Earlier this week a Spanish newspaper quoted medical sources as saying
Mr Castro opted for a risky medical procedure that led to grave
complications.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6281621.stm
Published: 2007/01/20 07:22:20 GMT
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