HAVANA (AP):
CUBAN PRESIDENT Fidel Castro's advancing age and ultimately his mortality were brought home yesterday after he fractured a knee and arm when he tripped and fell at a public event.
In a communist society where the 78-year-old leader has played a larger-than-life role for more than four decades, the tumble was the latest reminder that Cuba's commander in chief is an ageing man who will not live forever with an elderly brother as his designated successor.
"I'm all in one piece," Castro declared on state television Wednesday night, after tripping on a concrete step while returning to his seat after an hour-long speech in the central city of Santa Clara.
A medical examination early yesterday confirmed Castro suffered a broken left knee and a hairline fracture in his upper right arm, said an official notice carried by state media.
"His general health is good, and he is in excellent spirits," it said, adding that Castro hoped to be "back in place" soon.
"He asked that it be made known he is in condition to keep overseeing fundamental questions in close cooperation with government and party leaders," the statement said.
Nevertheless, Castro's tumble captured by Associated Press Television News, but not shown by state television cameras was sure to cause speculation about the communist leader's health after 45 years of ruling this island of 11.2 million people.
Castro's health has long been closely watched particularly by his political enemies in Miami, home to a large Cuban exile community.
"Sometimes, people have this idea that he's some sort of god, that he's omnipotent," said Yanisset Rivero, spokeswoman for the Cuban Democratic Directorate, a Miami group that supports dissidents on the island. "It's a sign... that he's human."
