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How Ill is Fidel Castro?

Rumors are abounding that Cuban President, Fidel Castro is suffering from terminal cancer, after his doctors announced that he was too frail to attend the ceremony to mark the opening of his 80th birthday celebrations in Havana. Castro handed temporary power over to his brother, after he underwent emergency surgery in July. Since then, he has not been seen in public and many are speculating whether Castro will ever recover.

Recently, more than 5000 people crammed into a Havana theater to listen to a note written by the frail leader, being read out. In the text, Castro apologized to his people that he would not be able to attend the celebrations, which were moved from August to December in the hope that he could be there to join in the celebrations. In the note, Castro also delved into politics, including criticism of US President, George Bush. "I sign off with the great pain of not having been able to personally give you thanks and hugs to each and every one of you," the note ended.

Washington experts have long speculated that Fidel Castro is much sicker than he is willing to let on to his public. Since his operation, only official, censored photographs of the leader have been published, leading many to suspect that the Cuban authorities are trying to hide his true condition. Castro is due to attend celebrations in honor of the 50th anniversary of his arrival in Cuba and many are wondering if his attendance (or lack of) will be the tell-all regarding his condition.