Cuban TV Shows Castro Meeting Chavez

Cuban state television on Tuesday showed a video of Fidel Castro meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

They are the first images of Castro since video released on October 28, three months ago, reports CBS News producer Portia Siegelbaum from Havana. Shortly after that video was released, Castro reportedly suffered a major setback. There has been no official information on his condition but speculation had the 80-year-old Castro at death's door.

The report said the 10-minute video clip was taped on Monday, in a private meeting that was not previously publicized.

Castro, who was standing, looked alert and heavier than in previous images that had showed him appearing very thin and frail. Dressed in a red, white and blue track suit, the 80-year-old was also shown sitting and drinking orange juice.

Castro's medical condition is a state secret, but Cuban authorities deny he suffers from terminal cancer, as U.S. intelligence officials have claimed.

The latest images seemed to be aimed at knocking down the most recent round of reports about Castro's health, including a report in the Spanish newspaper El Pais earlier this month that described his health as "grave."

"Whatever else is true of transition in Cuba, the long goodbye will last a while longer," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk, "and whether or not Raul Castro stays at the helm, decisions will be made by Fidel Castro with no major change in Cuba."

Citing two medical sources at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital, the newspaper said intestinal operation failed when a suture burst, leaving the Cuban leader in grave condition. Cuban officials have denied the account.

The hospital's chief surgeon is Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, who flew to Cuba in December to treat Castro. But Garcia Sabrido said in an interview posted on CNN's Web site last week that El Pais' account of Castro's condition being grave was wrong.

It is unclear how the Cuban public will react to today's photos, adds Siegelbaum. Cubans have generally complained that they are being kept in the dark with no updates on his health status.