Castro looking stronger in new TV images

Havana, Jan 31: Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro was shown on state television for the first time in three months, meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Havana.

Castro, 80, looked stronger but still frail in images of the two-hour meeting with Chavez on Monday.

The Cuban leader dropped from public view six months ago after undergoing emergency surgery for intestinal bleeding. His illness is a state secret.

Castro relinquished power for the first time since his 1959 revolution when he handed over government duties temporarily to his brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro, on July 31.

Fidel Castro was last seen on an Oct. 28 video clip looking very frail and walking with difficulty.

Reuters >