Via the BBC: Castro seen in rare TV interview

Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro has made his first TV appearance for three months, ending speculation that he had died or suffered a major relapse.

Mr Castro, 81 has not appeared in public since July last year when he underwent emergency intestinal surgery.

The video contained the requisite “proof of life” elements, which always makes them seem as much like a ransom video than an intereview:

In the taped interview, Mr Castro spoke slowly with long pauses about a range of topics including the strength of the euro against the dollar.

“Yesterday the euro was at $1.41. Oil I think about $84 a barrel,” he said, suggesting that he was up to date on current affairs and that the interview was very recent.

He also showed a copy of a book by former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, which was published this week.

Given that the rumors of his death were rampant just shy of a month ago, one would think that he hasn’t been doing too well, else he would have made it to airwaves before now.

I must confess, this shadow dance over his status continually reminds me of a reverse version of that running SNL joke from the 1970s: “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.”