Ailing Castro Takes Comfort in Chavez Victory

Dec. 5, 2006 — -- Cuban President Fidel Castro was too ill to attend his 80th birthday party and a military parade on Saturday, but he no doubt took comfort in Sunday's landslide re-election of friend and ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Castro's designated revolutionary successor in Latin America will now govern for six more years, guaranteeing political and economic support for the Communist-run Caribbean island as a new leadership takes shape.

After missing last week's birthday events, Castro also failed to meet individually with visitors such as Bolivian President Evo Morales, sparking new speculation that his health had deteriorated and discussion about what would happen in Cuba when he died.

When Castro made the stunning announcement July 31 that he had undergone emergency surgery for intestinal bleeding and provisionally handed power to younger brother and Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro, the world may have been just as surprised by the absolute calm that followed.

There were no riots, no uprising, no mass exodus or Cuban-Americans taking to their boats to rescue relatives caught in a potentially bloody fight for power.

There was no conflict with the United States. Raul Castro managed to make a smooth transition to power, and Cubans went about their daily lives as if nothing unusual had occurred.

What exactly ails Castro -- and even where the bearded iconic figure is recovering -- are carefully guarded secrets.

Nevertheless, the calm has continued and most likely will for quite some time.

Cuba is in better economic shape and less isolated than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union left it bankrupt and near collapse in the early 1990s. And it may stay that way for a while.

"I suspect that as Fidel weakens and approaches death more help and assistance from Venezuela will be forthcoming," said Frank Mora, a Cuba expert at the National War College in Washington, D.C.

"Chavez sees it as his obligation and promise to Fidel not to allow the Revolution to collapse after Fidel is gone," Mora said.