Castro undergoes surgery, relinquishes power

updated 3:40 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2006

HAVANA - Fidel Castro, who took control of Cuba in 1959, rebuffed repeated U.S. attempts to oust him and survived communism’s demise almost everywhere else, temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul on Monday night because of surgery.

Castro, less than two weeks away from his 80th birthday, did not appear on the live television broadcast in which his secretary read a letter from the Cuban leader. It was the first time in 47 years of absolute rule that Castro has given up power.

In the note read by secretary Carlos Valenciaga, Castro said he underwent surgery after suffering gastrointestinal bleeding, apparently due to stress from recent public appearances in Argentina and eastern Cuba. It was not immediately clear when the surgery took place.

“The operation obligates me to undertake several weeks of rest,” the letter read. Extreme stress “had provoked in me a sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding that obligated me to undergo a complicated surgical procedure.”

Castro, who has been affected in the recent past with occasional health problems, said he was temporarily relinquishing the presidency to his younger brother and successor Raul, the defense minister, but said the move was of “a provisional character.” There was no immediate appearance or statement by Raul Castro.

The calm delivery of the announcement appeared to signal that there would be an orderly succession to Raul should Fidel become permanently incapacitated.

Miami Cubans cheer news
The announcement drew cheering crowds in the streets in Miami. People waved Cuban flags on Little Havana’s Calle Ocho, shouting “Cuba, Cuba, Cuba,” hoping that the end is near for the man most of them consider to be a ruthless dictator. Many of them fled the communist island or have parents and grandparents who did.

The elder Castro asked that celebrations scheduled for his 80th birthday on Aug. 13 be postponed until Dec. 2, the 50th anniversary of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Castro said he would also temporarily delegate his duties as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba to Raul, who turned 75 in June and who has been taking on a more public profile in recent weeks.

It was unknown how serious Castro’s condition was. But “any major surgery in a 79-year-old person is life-threatening,” mainly because of risks for complications such as pneumonia, blood clots and strokes, said Dr. Stephen Hanauer, gastroenerology chief at the University of Chicago hospitals.

In power since the triumph of the Cuban revolution on Jan. 1, 1959, Castro has been the world’s longest-ruling head of government. Only Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, crowned in 1946, and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, crowned in 1952, have been head of state longer.

The “maximum leader’s” ironclad rule has ensured Cuba remains among the world’s five remaining communist countries. The others are all in Asia: China, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea.

Cubans 'shocked'
Streets in Havana, including the coastal Malecon highway where young people often congregate, were typically quiet late Monday. In Old Havana, waiters at a popular cafe were momentarily stunned as they watched the news. But they quickly got back to work and put on brave faces.

“He’ll get better, without a doubt,” said Agustin Lopez, 40. “There are really good doctors here, and he’s extremely strong.”

In the nearby Plaza Vieja, Cuban musicians continued to play for customers — primarily foreign tourists — sitting at outdoor cafes. Signs on the plaza’s colonial buildings put up during a recent Cuban holiday said, “Live on Fidel, for 80 more.”

“We’re really sad, and pretty shocked,” said Ines Cesar, a retired 58-year-old metal worker. “But everyone’s relaxed, too. I think he’ll be fine.”

When asked about how she felt having Raul Castro at the helm of the nation, Cesar paused and said one word: “normal.”

A leading Cuban government opponent in Havana said she believed Castro must be gravely ill to have stepped aside temporarily.

“It’s almost the same as death,” Martha Beatriz Roque said in a telephone interview. “No one knows if he’ll even be alive Dec. 2 when he’s supposed to celebrate his birthday.”

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