CASTRO: STILL NOT DEAD AND LOVING IT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 004970


E.O. 12958: DECL: (X6)
TAGS: PREL PGOV CU
SUBJECT: CASTRO: STILL NOT DEAD AND LOVING IT

REF: HAVANA 4932

(U) CLASSIFIED BY PRINCIPAL OFFICER MICHAEL G. KOZAK,
REASONS 1.5 (D).


1. (C) IN AN EFFORT TO DEFINITIVELY LAY TO REST RECENT
RUMORS ABOUT THE DEATH OF FIDEL CASTRO, USINT OFFERS SOME
ITEMS THAT MAY HELP DISPEL THE ALLEGATIONS.


CONG. CAMPBELL: FIDEL CASTRO APPEARED FIT
--------------


2. (C) FIDEL CASTRO WAS PRESENT FOR SOME TWO HOURS AT
AN AUGUST 29 RECEPTION IN HONOR OF A U.S. GROUP ON A
PRIVATE TRIP TO CUBA. THE GROUP INCLUDED CONGRESSMEN TOM
CAMPBELL (R-CA) AND MARSHALL SANFORD (R-SC). CAMPBELL
MADE A POINT OF DEBRIEFING PRINCIPAL OFFICER THE
FOLLOWING MORNING. IN DESCRIBING CASTROS APPEARANCE
DURING THE RECEPTION, CAMPBELL AND HIS WIFE SAID THEIR
GENERAL IMPRESSION WAS THAT CASTRO SEEMED TO BE FIT FOR A
71-YEAR-OLD. CASTRO MOVED AND SPOKE SOMEWHAT CAUTIOUSLY,
SAID CAMPBELL, BUT NOT UNUSUALLY SO FOR HIS AGE.
DESCRIBING CASTRO, THE CAMPBELLS USED PHRASES LIKE
"CASTRO LOOKED TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH FOR A MAN OF HIS
AGE," "DID NOT HAVE A PAUNCH," "WAS INITIALLY CAUTIOUS IN
WHAT HE SAID, BUT WARMED UP LATER," "HIS EYES FOCUSED
WELL," AND "HE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY, BUT MOVED
AROUND FINE." CAMPBELL NOTED THAT CASTRO STOOD
THROUGHOUT THE TWO HOURS THAT THEY OBSERVED HIM DURING
THE RECEPTION AND MENTIONED THAT CASTRO CONFESSED TO
HAVING GIVEN UP DRINKING AS WELL AS COMMENTING ON THE
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SMOKING. THESE COMMENTS OCCURRED IN
THE COURSE OF A CONVERSATION WITH A U.S. NUTRITIONIST WHO
WAS PART OF THE SAME GROUP. CASTRO SAID HE HAS ON
DOCTORS ADVICE LOST WEIGHT AND EXERCISES "SOME," EATS
YOGURT AND HAS QUIT DRINKING AS WELL AS SMOKING, AND
FEELS GOOD. HE DRANK ORANGE JUICE DURING THE RECEPTION.
CAMPBELL ADDED THAT CASTRO AGREED TO END THE RECEPTION
WITH A PRAYER. REV. SUAREZ, OF THE CUBAN COUNCIL OF
CHURCHES AND A MEMBER OF THE CUBAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
(ANPP) BEGAN WITH THE WELL-KNOWN "BLESSED ARE THE
PEACEMAKERS..." WHICH CASTRO FINISHED FOR HIM "...FOR
THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD."


3. (C) THE CAMPBELLS SAID THAT CASTRO WAS VERY SERIOUS
DURING THE CONVERSATION THAT THEY AND OTHER MEMBERS OF
THEIR GROUP HAD WITH HIM. THE CONVERSATION RANGED
WIDELY, WITH CASTRO TAKING AN INTEREST IN VIRTUALLY EVERY
TOPIC. CASTRO SPOKE ABOUT AIDS AND THE HIGH COST OF
TREATING THE DISEASE; ABOUT THE "EL NINO" WEATHER
PHENOMENON; WAS ATTENTIVE BUT REMAINED SILENT WHEN THE
BENEFITS OF ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE INTERNET WERE
MENTIONED; SPOKE IN PASSING OF THE NEED TO BE VIGILANT
AGAINST CORRUPTION; AND WAS "EFFUSIVE" IN PRAISING
EFFORTS BY SOME IN CONGRESS TO EXEMPT FOOD AND MEDICINE
FROM THE EMBARGO. DURING THE CONVERSATION, CASTRO
RETURNED A COUPLE OF TIMES TO PRAISING THE CHINESE MODEL
OF ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH POLITICAL STABILITY AND SEEMED
UNWILLING TO CRITICIZE CHINA. HE DID CRITICIZE RUSSIA,
BUT SPOKE IN SOME DEPTH ON THESE MATTERS WITH MRS.
CAMPBELL WHO RUNS A PROJECT IN RUSSIA PROMOTING FREE-
MARKET PROCESSES.


4. (C) COMMENT: CONGRESSMAN AND MRS. CAMPBELLS
DESCRIPTION OF CASTRO AT THE AUGUST 28 RECEPTION IS ABOUT
AS GOOD A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF CASTRO AND HIS CURRENT
STATE OF HEALTH AS ONE COULD HOPE FOR, SHORT OF A
DOCTORS EXAMINATION. EARLIER THAT DAY, A USINT OFFICER
SPOTTED CASTRO SITTING IN THE BACK OF HIS OFFICIAL CAR
DRIVING ALONG THE MALECON AND CASTRO WAS RELIABLY
REPORTED TO HAVE ATTENDED THE RECENT INDONESIAN NATIONAL
DAY RECEPTION AFTER THE OTHER GUESTS, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL
OFFICER, HAD DEPARTED. CLEARLY, CASTRO IS MOBILE, ALERT
AND ALLOWING HIMSELF TO BE SEEN IN PUBLIC, UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL.


5. (C) CONGRESSMAN CAMPBELL HAS NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO CLEAR THE FOREGOING ACCOUNT.

KOZAK