HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro was undergoing intestinal surgery and provisionally handed over power in the Communist island nation to his brother Raul, according to a statement read on Cuban television Monday night.

 

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/07/31/cuba.castro/index.html

 

:stunned: its definitely the end of the world.. as I know it.

MIAMI (AP) -- Cubans in the exile community waited Monday night to hear news about Fidel Castro's health after officials on the island announced he had temporarily relinquished presidential power to his brother Raul due to intestinal illness.

 

"This is a clear reminder that the end of the Castro regime is approaching, and that the only solution is free elections and the rule of law," said U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami late Monday night.

 

The Cuban leader said he had suffered intestinal bleeding, apparently due to stress from recent public appearances in Argentina and Cuba, according to the letter read live on television by his secretary, Carlos Valenciaga.

 

Cubans in Miami have long waited for the day that Castro would relinquish his control of the island.

 

Outside the famed Cuban restaurant Versailles in Little Havana, a crowd gathered late Monday night. People on the side of the street waved Cuban flags, cheered, danced and hugged as drivers honked their horns.

 

But Joanna Gonzalez, spokeswoman for Raices de Esperanza or Roots of Hope, an umbrella organization for Cuban-American university students and young professionals, cautioned that the transfer of power to Raul Castro symbolized only a continuation of the current regime.

 

"We long for the day when power transfers in Cuba are the results of a free, democratic process and reflect the wishes of the Cuban people, not the preordained wishes of a dictator" she said. "Although this transfer of power is being characterized as temporary, the oppression under which the Cuban people live is enduring and continues."

 

U.S. Coast Guard Spokesman Dana Warr said officials were being briefed on the situation but no aircraft, boats or people had been called up.

 

Some Cuban leaders said they were surprised that the announcement of his illness was done in such a public manner.

 

"It's very early to give an opinion," said Janisset Rivero, executive director of the Cuban Democratic Directorate, which supports dissidents on the island.

 

"We will be watching what they are saying in and outside of the island," she said. "To often it is very different."

 

Castro said that extreme stress "had provoked in me a sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding that obligated me to undergo a complicated surgical procedure."

 

Castro also requested the celebration of his 80th birthday on Aug. 13 be postponed until Dec. 2, the 50th anniversary of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces.

 

Raul Castro, who turned 75 in June and who has been taking on a more public profile in recent weeks.

 

CUBA CUBA EL PUEBLO TE SALUDA!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Cubans in Miami are going crazy.. it's 12:40pm and there's hundreds out in the streets celebrating. And I thought it was wild when the Heat won the championship.. thankfully it's quiet around where I live, excluding some nut throwing fireworks of course. :uneasy:

 

I honestly don't see much point in all these celebrations though, if he passes away Raul will take over and he's much worse. Nothing is going change and the island still won't be free.

 

 

Horrible I know, but I can't help.. :evil:

 

 

:smartass:

Hello Victaniac & berrywoman!:)

Hmmm! Raul - wasn't he the one who talked Fidel into Communism in the first place?! At least he's 75 - so how long can he reign?

I'll bet everyone's glad in Miami that Castro's going!! That's one heck of a long wait, though what's next might not mean much change will occur.. Better stay tuned..

-Chuck

ESTOS YANQIS...MUCHO MAKEPOVERTYHISTORYY NO SE QE MAS PERO BIEN QE LO HACEN PARA HACERSE LOS BUENITOS...

PORQE QE CUBA NO SE META CON EEUU NO QIERE DECIR QE NO SEA LIBRE...ES MUCHO MAS LIBRE QE CUALQIER PAIS INFLUENCIADO POR EEUU(OSEA TODOS)...

NO SE PARA QE ME METI EN ESTO...ME DA BRONCA ESAS PELOTUDECES

ENCIMA PONEN AA LOS CUBANOS COMO SI FUERAN NO SE QE

EN FIN...

ME FUI

PERO REPITO

 

 

CUBA CUBA EL PUEBLO TE SALUDA!!!!!!!

Primera, yo no soy ninguna "Yanqui." Soy Hispana y tampoco me creo en la buenita, asi que haz me el favor y tira para otro lado.

 

Cuba no es libre y por mas vueltas que tu le des, el comunismo no es la solucion para nada. Tu puedes tener tu opinion, y yo la mia.

Why does America not like Cuba? Whats Castros track record?

Es verdad,y disculpame si te ofendi pero vos me decis qe tire para otro lado y vos me tiras a mi si qeres respeto primero tenes qe saber respetar...

Es verdad' date='y disculpame si te ofendi pero vos me decis qe tire para otro lado y vos me tiras a mi si qeres respeto primero tenes qe saber respetar...[/color']

Si tu quieres respeto tu eres quien debes aprender a demostrarlo primero. Llamandome una Yanqui y decir que yo privo en buenita por tener Make Poverty History abajo, no te ganara amigos y por cierto ningun respeto.

 

Termino aqui.

Tenes razón,

Besote grande y qe tengas una linda noche

:laugh3: por favorrrrr

Well, the history is complex! It has to do with large sugar corporations - US Sugar in particular, not getting their way in Cuba after the revolution. That, and Castro turned to Communism on the advice of his brother Raul, after apealling to the US for aid in his fight for Cuban liberation from the regieme in power. After the missle crisis in the 50's, which almost ended in a catastrophic nuclear war, the US - Cuban relationship has been poor politically ever since.

I do agree Cuba needed reforms at the time, but Communism was not the answer! Besides that, having one leader for eons isn't a healthy thing, no matter the country. Wish we hadn't hurt the little folks with sanctions all these years, though... If anything, opening trade would have encouraged change, I think. Apparently, the rest of the world thinks so too!

That's my understanding in a nutshell!

-Chuck

Well is Castro good or bad?

!Estos Espanoles! Porque' no pueden apenas escribir en ingles!:) Makepovertyhistory requiere un cierto cambio politico serio en los USA, y estamos trabajando en ese! Estoy apesadumbrado que no ha sucedido mas pronto, pero las marcas de la corrupcion cambian aqui dificil. Apenas espero que lo que sucede en Cuba esta a la mejora de la gente cubano, y mientras que Castro ha hecho muchas cosas finas para la gente cubano, a su tratamiento pobre de voces disidentes no presagia bien para las derechas de ciudadanos cubanos. Tenemos nuestros propios problemas tambien - ambos direccion de la necesidad. !Con Recuerdos! - tirada

 

Carlos

Castro, like all leaders, is a mixed blessing, I think. On the one hand, he made sure everyone gets good medical care and had/has access to a quality education, but on the other, he severly mistreats anyone with opinions other than his, and obviously has no notion of the concept of term limits! Economically I think neither extreme is healthy for a country, though our (US) embargo hasn't helped either. And anyone who rules for that many years is bound to create an atmosphere of corruption that is unhealthy.

So, I would say a change of leadership in Cuba is long overdue!!

-Chuck

Viva la Cuba!

No hay problema, solo un malentendido. Como dices tu, "Cuba, Cuba el pueblo te saluda!" :smiley:

I cant wait til Castro dies.

I know this is a 'Cuba Libre' thread.. but we have to keep in non-Spanish ok!! :P

 

Yo soy latina tambien.. y no me molesta a mi.. pero si es un foro publico.. ;)