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 Thursday, May 23, 2013
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Fidel Castro Delegates Functions for Health Reasons |
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PRENSA LATINA
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Tuesday, August 01, 2006 |
FIDEL CASTRO IN THE 21ST CENTURY
He has survived numerous assassination attempts by the US government and Cuban exiles. He has lived through a US invasion and terrorist bombings in land and in the air. And while other countries fell or merged with others after the fall of the Soviet Union (Cuba’s principal trading partner at one time) he kept his country afloat. Today Cuba is slowly experiencing accelerated economic growth due to new trading deals with China and Venezuela. While recovery for the nation is at an upswing, its de facto leader, at 79, is struggling with his health. Photo: Debate Cuba
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 uban President Fidel Castro provisionally delegated his responsibilities Monday evening as leader of State, government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), and the Communist Party (PCC) for reasons of health.
In a proclamation [.pdf] to the people of Cuba, the Revolution leader explained that he was also temporarily ceding his national and international State obligations for education, health and energy savings.
First Vice President General Raul Castro Ruz, who is also Minister of the FAR and Second Secretary of the PCC, assumed the functions of Commander-in-Chief of the FAR, State Ministerial Council president, and First Secretary of the PCC.
According to the message read by Carlos Valenciaga, State Council member and secretary of the revolutionary leader, President Castro’s health had been under extreme stress, provoking intestinal bleeding.
The president said that his visit a little over a week ago to Argentina, where he participated in the MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market) Summit, the closing of the Peoples Summit at Córdoba University and visited Altagracia, the childhood home of hero guerilla, Ernesto Ché Guevara, took a great deal of force.
On top of that, when he returned to Cuba, he immediately attended the celebration for the 53rd anniversary of the assault on Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Garrisons (July 26, 1953) in eastern Granma and Holguin Provinces.
“Days and nights of continuous work, almost without sleep took its toll on my health, put me under extreme stress and my health was affected,” the proclamation read. “This provoked an intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding and forced me to undergo a complicated surgery,” Fidel Castro informed, adding that all details are contained in the x-rays, endoscopes, and filmed materials.
The surgery requires strict rest for several weeks from responsibilities and “as our country is threatened in such circumstances by the United States government,” the statesmen took the appropriate decisions.
In addition, he provisionally delegated his functions as principal force for national and international public health and education programs to PCC Political Board members Jose Ramon Machado Ventura and Esteban Lazo Hernandez, respectively.
Ministerial Council Executive Committee Secretary Carlos Lage will manage the national energy revolution in Cuba and collaborate with other nations in this field.
"All funds corresponding to the three programs of health, education and energy will continue as I have personally prioritized,” the State leader indicated.
Lage, also Central Bank of Cuba president minister, Francisco Soberon, and Chancellor Felipe Pérez Roque, who accompanied Fidel Castro in these affairs, will remain in charge of these resources and will constitute a committee for that objective.
The leader of the Revolution demanded “the Cuban State and nation must focus attention on development of the Non-Aligned Countries Summit, which will take place in Havana September 11 to 16, “with the utmost brilliance.”
The 50th anniversary celebration of the landing of Granma, which President Castro led, and his 80th birthday celebration (August 13), “which thousands of personages have generously wished to share” will be postponed until December 2.
"I ask the Party Central Committee and the National Peoples Power Assembly (Congress) to firmly support this proclamation,” he emphasized.
Fidel Castro said he hasn’t the least doubt that the people and the Revolution will fight to the last drop of blood to defend these and other ideas should it be necessary to safeguard this historic process [without him].
"Imperialism will never defeat Cuba, the battle of ideas will continue,” the leader stressed, and gave “viva” to the homeland, the Revolution, and socialism.
The proclamation, signed by the statesman at 7:22 PM local time concluded with the emblematic “Until the Final Victory.”
Prensa Latina (sus/ccs/ucl)
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