Castro Seen In Rare TV Appearance

(CBS)  The following was reported and written by CBS News producer Portia Siegelbaum in Havana, Cuba.

Cubans got a brief glimpse of their former president, Fidel Castro, on video released on their main evening newscast Tuesday.

Castro, who was sidelined by complications following intestinal surgery in 2006, was seen with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro, his younger brother who took over the presidency of the island in elections last February.

A thin but animated Castro, dressed in an open-neck track suit over pajamas, is seen in a spirited conversation with the other two men in an unidentified garden setting. There is no audio, but the government news anchor said the three were discussing the global food crisis and the U.S. elections, among other issues.

It's been exactly five months since video and photos of Castro, 81, have been made public. The last occasion was in mid-January, when he met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The official Cuban media reports that Castro met with Chavez for three hours on Monday and for two hours Tuesday before the Venezuelan leader left for home.

In the video, said to be from Tuesday's meeting, Castro, who is seen both sitting and standing, is making his trademark hand gestures as he speaks vigorously. Nothing was said about the state of his health, which remains a closely guarded secret, and it is impossible to draw any conclusions from the latest video, especially as he cannot be heard speaking, nor is he seen walking.

No pictures were released when Chavez visited Castro last March, nor when he was visited by Bolivian President Evo Morales last month. Morales said following that meeting that the elder Castro was "thin but lucid."

Venezuelan state television broadcast remarks made by Chavez before his departure from Cuba Tuesday describing their conversation:

"We were revising the entire plan for energy exchanges and the strengthening of refinery capacity and production of petroleum and petrochemicals."

[keithle1]

Die already. We''re sick of you. Communism...give me a break. If it was so great, the world would have embraced it. Look how quickly the USSR collapsed with little if any bloodshed. Supposed to be all about "the people." What a joke. Gimme a break. Stalin was a real friend of "the people."

Capitalism rules. Self-interest. People taking care of their families. Money & improving one''s lot in life never go out of style.

Anyone leaving the USA to spend the rest of their lives in Cuba, North Korea or China?

[von_marko]

Was that Castor at the Obama convention dressed as a Muslim women??

[sepa2]

Why degrading communism. It had a check on capitalism. Now without it capitalism is running amock.

[Mccarthyaw]

It was Bush who was thankful for 9-11. Let the neocons have the war they wanted with that as their cover.

[faith_in_w]

I bet all the liberals stood and cheered just like they did on 9-11.

[Mccarthyaw]

Posted by whatinthewld at 05:25 AM : Jun 18, 2008

You are completely right. A US president should be hated by the entire world. A prime example of Bushy. He''s done wonders.

[demslie]

Chavez was discussing with Castro how they may not have to overthrow the US Government afterall, if Obama becomes the next president. They both really like Obama. Obama is so well liked by Europe, South America and the Muslim nations,.........shouldn''''t that be an alarm?

Posted by whatinthewld

I agree. Democrats have traveled to the North Korean Communists and the Cuban Communists and The Chavez Communists to tell them all what a wonderful Government they all have and who terrible the United States is. O''Bama is ashamed of America so, I guess we know who the leaders of the "Free" would will be, not U.S.

[tmn]

It''s so good to see Fidel back at it again.

:-)

[whatinthewld]

If the rest communist and muslim part of the world likes a US Presidential candidate, shouldn''t that be a warning to us?

[whatinthewld]

Chavez was discussing with Castro how they may not have to overthrow the US Government afterall, if Obama becomes the next president. They both really like Obama. Obama is so well liked by Europe, South America and the Muslim nations,.........shouldn''t that be an alarm?