How do you know when a communist is lying? When he opens his mouth. They are hiding something big. Otherwise, they would parade around photos and interviews and you-name-it to prove their point. If that's not what's happening I'll eat my hat (but not my UM Baseball 'Canes cap).

I still think they are dead.

This 'mystery' is heading in two opposite directions:

Either

1. The Kagasstro is not all that sick, which would be the case is we are to believe the Kagasstro media - and which means that he's engaging in a 'fire drill' for when the real moment comes. Plus allows his to 'resurrect' again to the consternation of his enemies.

OR

2. Kagasstro's on ready to bite-the-dust, and the regime is doing everything possible to 'buy some time', because Raul is scared shitless about segments of the army, people, govt, and is trying to consolidate his control. Hence the 'mobilization' of the reserves and brigadas.

Here's an Idea: The MSM can speculate that fidel has a different illness every day. As the days pass and Cuban monkeys deny each disease we can check them off until we get a diagnosis.

Granted, all Cuban instituations are based on the lies perpetuated by Fidel and his comrades. However, I don't think they're lying about Fidel's condition. Alarcon and Lage are not about to come across as overt liars. It can't be promised that Fidel will return to power in the following weeks, and then have him suddenly die. I feel Raul hasn't been seen in public because it would be intepreted as Fidel being out of the picture completely forever, and that's not the case. Fidel will be back, unfortunately.

"Alarcon and Lage are not about to come across as overt liars."

What the hell do you think they've been doing all these years? Defending fidel.

Yup, we know they're liars, but the average Cuban doesn't.

London Telegraph reports the following:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/06/wcastro06.xml

Where was it that I read that whoever gives information about the presidents health or whereabouts will be jailed because giving information about fidel would be considered high treason? If this is true, then how is it possible that all of these people who are supposedly so close to Castro are saying any of this?

Good piece by the UK.

A notable from the article:

""The opposition has no fear as we have been jailed and threatened and bullied already. But the Cuban people are too scared and intimidated to take to the streets," said Mr Espinosa, 65.

The people have been taught, bullied, and threatened to "live in fear" all their lives, that they don't even know when they've reached the point of not being afraid.

You know, that's the regime's greatest fear....that the people some day may NOT BE AFRAID. Therefore, the constant bullying (brigadas, repudios, etc..) to maitain that constant 'fear' in the people's minds.

But, if we're going to expect a 'revolt' out of thin air, it appears highly unlikely. Witness the comments by these dissidents.

I'd like to add my humble opinion about the matter. I see Castros health issue as 2 possible scenarios.

1)The grimmer view. "I feel Raul hasn't been seen in public because it would be intepreted as Fidel being out of the picture completely forever, and that's not the case." Camaguey makes a good point. The reason why no one has seen or heard from Raul could simply be because Castro fears the second his brother picks up the reigns and addresses the Cuban people, the Cubans will realize the world didn't stop rotating and the sky didn't come crashing down. Castro, no matter how gravely ill he may be still wants to truly be in control of the Cuban people, and that total, absolute control would be tarnished if Raul made public appearances and statements proclaiming himself as the leader. If Raul did parade himself around in his weeks as leader, the Cuban people's attention would shift to this new guy. Castro's return would be much less dramatic. It'd be like.. "Oh, you again?". Plus, I don't see Castro as the sharing type.

The 2nd Scenario is the one I'm leaning towards. If the Cuban Government was really going to pull a miraculous Jesus-like resurrection and this whole thing was a major "GOT-CHA!", then they've been doing a horrible job. Yes, the tyrant hasn't been seen or heard of in weeks. But what's more telling is the downplaying of fidel's condition by his own people. The past week we've constantly heard communist leader's stating the bearded bastard is "feeling fine" and "recovering well", and diffusing any talk of a serious illness. Obviously his henchman aren't setting the stage for a proper miracle revealing akin to "Extreme Makeover". If Castro plans on jumping out of his own birthday cake as a grand come-back his commie reps would say "See, told-ya so,We were telling you the truth all along".(Causing me to drop dead of shock). This chain of events would yet agian make Castro's comeback much less dramatic and not cause any "He MUST be a Saint!" headlines for the lefty papers. Whichever way you look at it, we all know the Murderer is far from Superman and has gotta croak one day. My view is that the dictator has cancer and his health is slowly declining (The more painful, the better) and will die in the coming weeks. His henchmen are anticipating it, thus the downplaying of his current health as to not cause jubilation and uprising through out Cuba. But the Commie leaders are praying for that .001% chance that Fidel will heal, thus the reason for not shoving Raul into the spotlight just yet.. for fear that it will be to soon. It's a waiting game. And I hope Fidel's turn is up.

Guys, don't believe in the regime officials' statements on Castro.

I don't believe them until I see Castro in public.

Communists are liars by nature.

Let me muddy the waters a bit:
1. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15207470.htm
this article speaks volumes of the possible reason that political parties have done nothing about Cuba and will do the least possible.
2. castro's stooges are currently running around the world comforting the worries of other countries. Could they be paving the way for the new leader? Could they be out of country conveniently in the event of necessary asylum?
3. Could castro have had an "embarrassing" surgery and played it up to make him look like superman?
4. Could all this be an excuse to crack down on the dissidents as well as quell any potential uprising due to the continued and continuing deterioration in Cuba?
5.chavez is supposedly visiting Cuba, why did he wait so long? If castro was truly that sick then chavez would have gone before the surgery as well as right after. Is castro alive and now chavez wants to visit? OR is castro dead and chavez is trying to help prop the regime?

Nothing to this point in Cuba makes any sense so these points are for chewing on.

I just find it interesting that these two characters (Balaguer and Lage) are doing God-knows-what around Latin America, when they've just been named to the governing Junta.

My mom tried to talk call my brother in Cuba yesterday and no se pudo comunicar...anybody having the same propblem???