Castro receives
congratulations on 81st
birthday
Cuban leader Fidel
Castro turned 81 on
Monday with
congratulatory messages
pouring in from many
nations. He did not
appear for official
celebrations.
In late July last year,
he handed power to Raul
Castro, his younger
brother and the nation's
defense minister, in
order to undergo surgery
for intestinal bleeding.
He has not been seen in
public since then, but
writes regularly in the
nation's newspapers on
current affairs.
Belarus President
Alexander Lukashenko, in
his message, said that
year after year Castro
has strengthened
political dialogue and
friendship between the
two nations.
An organization called
the Latin American and
Caribbean Voluntary Work
Brigade congratulated
Castro, saying he has
been "a vivid example of
the most noble of
causes: the fight
against injustice." The
message was signed in
the name of 250 brigade
members across 11
nations.
From Buenos Aires, the
First Ernesto Che
Guevara Museum and Cuban
Solidarity School sent a
message of
congratulations
expressing immense
happiness at having
Castro as their "angel
of tutelage."
In Bolivia, leading
newspapers published
messages of
congratulations praising
Castro for surviving
attacks by the U.S.
Central Intelligence
Agency.
Dominica's El Mundo
newspaper praised him as
a symbol of "dignity in
the Americas" and wished
him a full return to
health.
Spanish press also
reported Castro's
birthday, detailing the
failed CIA attacks on
him and saying that an
atmosphere of calm
continued to reign in
Cuba more than a year
after its leader handed
power on a temporary
basis to his younger
brother.
Cuban press cheered
Castro's birthday,
describing him as an
"indefatigable
gladiator." Cuba will
honor him by showing
documentaries on his
life on state
television, the press
reported.
Ramon Labanino, one of
the five Cubans jailed
in the United States for
alleged spying, said in
his message that he was
"deeply proud of having
a commander from the
race of titans." He
wished Castro "all
possible health and
vitality and many more
birthdays."
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