It’s been nearly 9 months since Fidel Castro was seen in public, but new photos released Saturday suggest that Castro’s health is getting better not worse. The photos show Castro wearing his now ubiquitous Adidas track suit and speaking with Chinese official Wu Guanzheng.
The news has thrown a wrench into preparations being made in this country for Castro’s death. As word spread that Castro was ill and relinquishing most of his power to his brother Raul in July, American nightclub owners squealed with delight about the possibility of building Cuban outposts of their clubs. In August, Tommy Puccio, co owner of several hotels and clubs in Miami told the New York Daily News that he wanted to be “the first one to serve Jell-O shots in Cuba. Here it is 2006, and it might just be reality now.” And in late January, the city of Miami announced plans to throw a huge “Castro is dead” party at the Orange Bowl, complete with souvenir t-shirts and live entertainment.
It’s still unclear how Castro’s health or his brother’s planned economic changes will affect Cuba in the long run, but for now at least, the Jell-O shots will have to wait.
–Amaya Rivera
