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Spanish Doctor Disputes Rumors that Castro has Cancer

Despite the widespread belief that Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, is suffering from intestinal cancer, a Spanish doctor has told the media that he has examined Castro?s case and the cancer diagnosis is simply untrue. Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, chief of surgery at the public hospital Gregorio Maranon de Madrid in Spain, said that Castro is on a long road to recovery following intestinal surgery in June but there was a possibility that the 80 year-old would recover enough to lead his country again.

The United States believes that Castro is suffering from a form of cancer in or around his abdomen, despite being told the contrary by Cuban health officials. The fact that Castro has not been seen in public since June 2006, has only added fuel to this idea. Castro was reportedly even too weak to attend his own eightieth birthday celebrations, even when they was moved from August to December in the hope that he would be strong enough by then.

There are some who are questioning whether Dr. Sabrido?s diagnosis can be relied upon. While he claimed to have met with the leader?s doctors and read over his medical file, he did not in fact examine Castro himself. Dr. Sabrido was also brought to Cuba on a government aircraft and the Cuban Embassy was responsible for all the details surrounding the trip, including the press conference that the doctor gave local and international media. Other world leaders continue to visit Castro. Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, has met with him several times and Brazil?s president is due to visit Cuba in the middle of January.