Havana, NU Online
Raul Castro made a brief public debut as communist Cuba's leader, welcoming Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to mark ailing Fidel Castro's 80th birthday.
With the iconic revolutionary leader Fidel recuperating from surgery, state television showed his brother Raul, 75, relaxed and smiling and in a warm embrace with the leftist Venezuelan leader, Cuba's staunchest international ally.
<>No audio was heard as Raul Castro greeted Chavez, also all smiles, in a red shirt.It was the first time the bespectacled Raul Castro was seen since his bearded brother handed Cuba's leadership to him July 31 officially if temporarily for the first time in almost 48 years.
Venezuela's oil has helped keep Cuba's economy afloat in recent years. And Chavez -- the only foreign leader here for the occasion -- fancies himself Fidel Castro's anti-US political heir.
In Caracas, a brief statement from Chavez's office said the Venezuelan leader had a "private meeting" Sunday afternoon with Raul Castro and Vice President Carlos Lage, adding that Chavez heads to Jamaica on Monday for a meeting with Prime Minister Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller.
There was no information released on whether Chavez personally gave Fidel Castro birthday greetings, as the Venezuelan leader had earlier vowed to do.
Cuba meanwhile marked Fidel Castro's birthday by releasing photos of the communist leader which erased any doubt that he made it through major surgery, though he warned Cubans to be ready for "bad news."
Fidel Castro said he was "happy" and vowed to fight for his health.
The world's longest-serving head of government had not been seen since he underwent emergency surgery and ceded power to his brother Raul, the defense chief, on July 31.
Since then, neither Castro had been seen publicly, fueling some speculation about the president's health.
With a message reading "I feel very happy," pictures in the Juventud Rebelde newspaper showed the revolutionary leader apparently alert after the operation to halt gastrointestinal bleeding.
"To all of you who wished me health. I promise I will fight for it. ... The country is moving forward and will continue moving forward perfectly well," Castro added.
The Cuban leader was even prepared for complications. "I urge everyone to be optimistic and at the same time always prepared for any bad news there may be," he added. (afp/dar)