Viva Castro o no?

Rumors are just flying around about Castro. To go right to the horse’s mouth, so to speak, I went to Granma (the official state news organization) this morning but it had no updates at all. Instead, we get bits of news from travelers and dissidents. They report that there may be troop movements in Cuba, though this is not terribly surprising, since this is obviously a time when uprisings would be most expected and so the state will likely crack down even more on any signs of dissent.

The Cuban government released a statement in Castro’s name:

“The most I can say is that the situation will remain stable for many days before a verdict can be given,” the statement said. “In spirits, I find myself perfectly fine. The important thing is that the country is running perfectly well. The country is prepared for its defense by the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the people. Our compatriots will know everything at the appropriate time.”

Although many news reports label this statement as cryptic, I see it as fairly clear cut. He had major surgery, the outcome of which is always dicey for an almost 80 year old, Raúl is in charge, and we’ll tell you when there is more news.

Update: Later in the morning, Granma did release the full statement here.