Excellent! Fidel Castro 'takes turn for the worse'

Cuba watchers from Miami to Washington in the United States were on high alert on Tuesday, reacting to widely circulating but vague reports that Fidel Castro's health had taken a serious turn for the worse.

While recognising that this kind of speculation about the former Cuban president happens periodically - most recently in August 2007 - those who deal with Washington on a regular basis said authorities were not taking it lightly.

"High sources in Washington are saying that reliable sources have said that he has taken gravely ill," said University of Miami's Andy Gomez, who serves as an adviser to the US Task Force on Cuba, an arm of the Brookings Institution think tank comprising academics and former diplomats.

"They are monitoring this very closely, including looking for additional movements of security and troops. So far, none of this has happened."

Castro's continued absence from public view, an unusually long break from published essays, failure to schedule private chats with recent visiting presidents and veiled remarks by Venezuelan ally Hugo Chavez has elevated the unconfirmed reports of the Cuban leader's pending death.

US officials from the State Department acknowledged that they were aware of the reports on Castro's health but denied they were monitoring troop activities on the island.

Government sources in Cuba have said that Castro remained in control as recently as October, even making calls and barking orders to high-level officials. Sources on the island this week said Castro's recent absence was because he was exhibiting memory loss and incoherence.

LNK

Excellent! Fidel Castro 'takes turn for the worse'

Excellent! Fidel Castro 'takes turn for the worse'

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