Fidel Castro suddenly back in view on Cuban TV
By PAUL HAVEN
Associated Press Writer
HAVANA -- Former President Fidel Castro used his most prominent
television interview since falling seriously ill four years ago to
discuss everything from the threat of global nuclear war to the use of
energy efficient light bulbs.
The one thing the 83-year-old revolutionary leader did not discuss in
his return to the airwaves Monday was events in Cuba, where the
government freed and sent into exile the first of 52 political prisoners
it has promised to release in coming months.
Why Castro agreed to go on the air Monday after so long in the
background was a mystery, as are so many things involving the former
Cuban leader, who has spent a lifetime keeping the world guessing.
Castro provided no answers in the hour and 15 minute conversation on
"Mesa Redonda" - or "Round Table" - a daily Cuban talk show on current
events.
Castro wore a dark blue track suit top over a plaid shirt. He looked
relaxed and lucid, though his voice was raspy and he spoke slowly.
Much of the interview was spent with either Castro reading essays by
someone else or having his own words read back to him by presenter Randy
Alonso. Three academics sat silently nearby as Castro spoke, sometimes
nodding in agreement.
Castro warned that an attack on Iran would be catastrophic for America.
"The worst (for America) is the resistance they will face there, which
they didn't face in Iraq," he said.
The scene at a sparsely lit office at an undisclosed location was
slightly surreal, even in a country that often feels stuck in a 1950s
time warp. It was even unclear whether the interview was live or when it
might have been taped.
At one point, Castro referred to a July 5 article as having been
published six days ago, which would mean the show was taped on Sunday.
Later, however, the program's host read from an essay published Sunday
evening, referring to it as having come out "last night."
As the interview progressed, Castro at times showed flashes of his
prowess as a powerful speaker. At other points, however, he paused for
lengthy periods and shuffled pages of notes he kept in front of him.
Later, he listened as the host read back long tracks from essay's Castro
himself wrote recently.
The former Cuban leader has shunned the spotlight since undergoing
emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006. The illness forced him to
step down - first temporarily, and later permanently - and cede power to
his younger brother Raul. His recovery has been a closely held state
secret, and his health has been the subject of persistent rumors among
exiles in Florida.
Castro remains head of Cuba's Communist Party and continues to publish
his thoughts on world events in opinion pieces.
While Cubans have become accustomed to reading Castro's writings, he has
stayed largely out of the public eye since ceding power, helping Raul
Castro solidify his place as the country's leader after a lifetime spent
in his more famous brother's shadow.
Monday's highly anticipated interview was announced in a front-page
story in the Communist Party daily Granma earlier in the day. Castro has
appeared in videotaped interviews with Cuban television in June and
September 2007, but Monday's appearance was the most advertised and
extensive.
Photos of the elder Castro greeting workers at a science center were
published in pro-government blogs and on state media over the weekend,
the first time he has been photographed in public since his illness.
Following Monday's interview, Cuban media showed footage of workers
watching Castro on large screens set up at their workplaces.
On the street, Cubans reacted with surprise to word of Castro's relative
media blitz.
"I think it will have a positive effect on people," 21-year-old student
David Suarez told the AP. "It will give hope that once again he will
help to solve our problems."
Magaly Delgado Rojo, a 72-year-old retiree in Havana's Playa
neighborhood, said the appearances must have been carefully thought out
by Cuban leadership.
"The photos and now the 'Round Table' appearance are meant to send a
message: 'I am here and I am on top of everything. ... I am a part of
every decision that is being made,'" she said. "This is not casual at
all. This is calculated."
The two Castros have ruled Cuba since overthrowing dictator Fulgencio
Batista in 1959.
Cuba has occasionally released pictures showing Castro in private
meetings with dignitaries, most recently during a visit in February by
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But he had not been
photographed in a public setting since 2006.
Castro appeared in a 50-minute taped interview with Alonso of "Mesa
Redonda" in June 2007 to discuss Vietnam and other topics. He also
appeared on Cuban television for an hourlong interview in September of
that year, knocking down a slew of rumors of his death.
A month later, he phoned in to a live broadcast featuring Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez, a close Castro ally who was visiting Cuba. Castro
sounded healthy and in good humor, but he was not seen.
Associated Press writer Anne-Marie Garcia contributed to this report.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/12/1726442/fidel-castro-to-appear-on-television.html
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