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Tuesday marked the first time in 47 that Cuban president Fidel Castro has was not officially in charge of the country. Castro handed the reigns of government over to his brother, Raul, apparently after undergoing surgery. Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon denied contentions that Fidel Castro had died or that he was near death. With that said, Raul Castro, acting president, has not been seen in public. Cuban exiles in Miami took all of this as a sign that Fidel Castro had, in fact, died. The exiles took to celebrating in the streets of Miami. Back in Cuba, the primary television news broadcast provided no details whatsoever Fidel Castro's condition. The anchor stated that Castro had the people's unconditional support. Fidel Castro has been in power in Cuba since the success of the Cuban Revolution, actually taking power on January 1, 1959. Castro drove out dictator Fulgencio Batista. Batista was supported by the United States government. Castro is longest ruling head of government in the world today. The most recent speculation about Castro's health was a 2005 report that he suffered from Parkinson's disease, which Castro has denied. |
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