Castro is eating solid foods, statement says

A statement signed by Fidel Castro sought to reassure Cubans on Wednesday that the 80-year-old leader was recovering well from difficult surgery, saying his weight was stable and he was eating solid foods after months of intravenous feeding.

In the most detailed assessment of Castro’s health since shortly after he fell ill 10 months ago, the statement said: “It wasn’t just one operation, but various. Initially it wasn’t successful, and that had a bearing on my prolonged recuperation.”

The message, sent by e-mail to foreign journalists and expected to be published in state newspapers, did not say when Castro might appear in public again or reassume Cuba’s presidency. It also said Castro was taking medicines orally.

Castro shocked Cuba in July when he announced that he had undergone intestinal surgery and was ceding power temporarily to his 75-year-old brother, Raul, the defense minister. He has not been seen in public since, and his condition and exact ailment have been state secrets, though top officials have insisted that he is recuperating steadily.

Two weeks after Castro fell ill, Cubans received a sober greeting saying he faced a long recovery from surgery and warning that they should be prepared for “adverse news.”

A January article in the Spanish newspaper El Pais described Castro as being in “very grave” condition after at least three failed operations. It was denied by the Cuban government.

“I tell everyone simply that I am getting better and maintain a stable weight of about 80 kilograms,” or about 176 pounds, Wednesday’s statement said, adding that the greatest risks to Castro now are age and the effects of not taking proper care of his health over the years.

“No danger is greater than those related to age and health, which I abused in risky times,” the statement said.

The statement said that for weeks after Castro stepped down, Cubans and foreigners spoke about a date when he might reappear “with my olive-green uniform.”

Castro has been seen wearing a track suit in photographs and videos released in state media.

The comments on his health came in the second half of a statement about food production. There have been 11 written communiques signed by Castro in recent weeks, most lashing out at U.S.-backed plans to use food crops to produce biofuels.