Fidel Castro Allegedly Appears In Public After Stroke Rumors

Just days after reports that Fidel Castro had suffered a massive stroke that left him on death’s door unable to speak, a conflicting report has come out saying the former Cuban dictator has appeared in public.

Reuters reports that Elias Jaua, former Venezuelan vice president, claims to have met with Castro just this weekend. Jaua showed reporters pictures allegedly from the Saturday meeting. In the photos, Fidel Castro appears to be well. Castro is shown smiling broadly while wearing a checkered shirt with a wide brim hat. He accompanied Jaua to Venezuela’s Hotel National, and spoke with the hotel’s general manager.

“Yes, he was here yesterday, the same old Fidel with his beard and pink cheeks. He was fine,” Hotel National GM Antonio Martinez Rodriguez, general manager told Reuters on Sunday.

The 86-year old Castro, the Huffington Post reports, had not appeared in public since March, when he was shown greeting Pope Benedict XVI on the pope’s historic visit to Cuba. His lack of appearances fueled rumors of his failing health, or that he was near death. Those reports gained some credibility when Venezuelan doctor Jose Marquina claimed to know first-hand sources that confirmed Fidel Castro had suffered a stroke and was near death.

A letter alleged to be from Castro was published last Thursday by state media, but the rumors still swirled. The state newspaper ran a brief story about Castro’s meeting with Jaua, but did not run an accompanying photograph. Jaua and Martinez were the only two to officially comment on seeing Castro, and it could not be independently confirmed that the former Cuban leader was out and about. Castro’s sister and son have both spoken out saying that he is fine.

Fidel Castro initially resigned power as a result of medical conditions in 2006, and transferred the presidency to brother Raul Castro in 2008. Since then Fidel has remained involved and active with Cuban politics, mainly by writing letters and editorials.