Letter read on TV is clearest sign he may relinquish power
By Ray Sánchez | Havana Bureau
December 18, 2007
HAVANA - In one of the clearest signals that Fidel Castro might give up
his formal leadership posts, the ailing head of state said in a letter
read on television Monday that he will not cling to power forever.
"My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, or even less to
obstruct the path of younger people, but to share experiences and ideas
whose modest worth comes from the exceptional era in which I lived,"
Castro wrote at the end of a lengthy letter about the Bali summit on
global warming.
The message from the 81-year-old Castro was his first reference to his
possible retirement since he temporarily handed power to his younger
brother, Raul, the defense minister, in July 2006. Fidel Castro has not
been seen in public in the 17 months since announcing he was undergoing
emergency stomach surgery for an undisclosed illness.
In the same letter, however, Castro evoked the example of renowned
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who turned 100 on Saturday.
"I think like (Oscar) Niemeyer that you have to be of consequence up to
the end," he said.
In the letter read on the nightly Mesa Redonda current affairs program,
Fidel Castro did not say when or if he will permanently step aside. Some
Cuba watchers, however, interpreted his message as the beginning of the end.
"I may be going out on a limb but I'm interpreting this to mean that
it's the clearest signal yet that's he not going to continue to be the
head of government," said Brian Latell, senior research associate at the
University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.
Castro remains the president of Cuba's Council of State, making him the
socialist island's head of government.
The National Assembly, to which Fidel Castro was nominated last month,
could formalize his retirement as head of state when it meets to approve
council of state members in March.
"He's gravely handicapped," said Latell. "Increasingly the Cuban people
are aware of this. … The Cuban people basically have moved on with the
understanding that he's not coming back and the rest of the leadership
is prepared to move on."
Despite his physical absence from public life, Castro currently is a
candidate for re-election as a deputy to the National Assembly, or
parliament, during Jan. 20 national elections.
Within weeks after that balloting, the newly formed parliament is
expected to select a new Council of State and its president.
Cuba's unchallenged leader since 1959, Castro has held the council
presidency since its 1976 creation.
When the parliament re-elected Castro to his sixth term as Council of
State president in March 2003, Castro said he would stay in power only
as long as he felt he was contributing.
On the streets of Old Havana last night, life went on as usual.
"Fidel may not continue as president, but as long as he is alive he will
be the face and heart of our revolution," said Rogelio Suarez, a
32-year-old barber. "As long as he is with us, he will be our leader."
Ray Sánchez can be reached at rlsanchez@sun-sentinel.com.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-flrndcuba1218sbdec18,0,7486330.story
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