America’s Health Intelligence Service

Sunday, November 12th 2006
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Take from this what you will. After going under the knife and making headlines a few months ago for not appearing in public or in the news for several days (some even saying at the time that he was dead), Castro’s health is questioned again,

The government believes Fidel Castro’s health is deteriorating and that the Cuban dictator is unlikely to live through 2007.

That dire view was reinforced last week when Cuba’s foreign minister backed away from his prediction the ailing Castro would return to power by early December. “It’s a subject on which I don’t want to speculate,” Felipe Perez Roque told The Associated Press in Havana.

U.S. government officials say there is still some mystery about Castro’s diagnosis, his treatment and how he is responding. But these officials believe the 80-year-old leader has cancer of the stomach, colon or pancreas.

He was seen weakened and thinner in official state photos released late last month, and it is considered unlikely that he will return to power or survive through the end of next year, said the U.S. government and defense officials.

Pancreatic cancer is a terrible disease. Then again, it would be ridiculous to take the government’s dice throwing on Castro’s health as anything more than “educated” voodoo.