Watch CBS News

Cuba Releases First Castro Letter Since July

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – In the wake of rumors about his failing health, the Cuban government-run newspaper Granma has published a letter by former leader Fidel Castro.

Castro, 86, hasn't been seen in public since video images showed him greeting a visiting Pope Benedict XVI in late March, and the last of his essays known as "Reflections" was published June 19.

The letter, the first to be made public since July, congratulates a Cuban medical institute on its 50th anniversary.

Castro, whose revolution seized Cuba in 1959, left office in 2006 due to a life-threatening intestinal condition. His younger brother Raul now serves as president.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.