In a written statement purportedly from Fidel Castro that was read on state television Tuesday, the Cuban dictator said that his health was “stable” after surgery. The statement, indicating the severity of the intestinal surgery Castro underwent on Monday, stated “I can not make up positive news.”

The statement went on to say that his health was “stable,” and “as for my spirits, I feel perfectly fine.” The statement, which sounded more like a hospital update bulletin than a personal note, was read by presenter Randy Alonso on a daily public affairs program.

The statement went on to say that Castro expressed his gratitude for the good wishes he received from leaders and supporters around the world, and called on Cubans to remain calm and maintain their daily routines.

“The country is prepared for its defense,” he said in the statement. “Everyone needs to struggle, and work.”

The real question, of course, is whether or not this second statement was actually written or dictated by Fidel Castro.

No details have been given on where or when the Cuban dictator’s surgery took place. No photos or video of him have been shown. No indication has been given of how successful the surgery was — if indeed it was successful. No prognosis has been given.

The situation is remarkably similar to what occurred in the former Soviet Union when an upper echelon leader died suddenly and without warning and the official word was that they were “convalescing at the Black Sea.” Similar enough, in fact, to keep the rumors of Castro’s death alive.

More from Miami and Cuba below the fold.

Castro’s comments came after Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon dismissed suspicions among anti-Castro exiles that the Cuban leader was dead, said the president’s “final moment is still very far away.”

Raul Castro, the island’s acting president, was nowhere to be seen as Cubans began to worry about what comes next and exiles in Miami celebrated a development they hoped signaled the death of a dictator. Cuban dissidents kept a low profile while watching for signs of Castro’s condition.

“Everything’s normal here - for the moment,” said hospital worker Emilio Garcia, 41, waiting for a friend at a Havana hotel. “But we’ve never experienced this before - it’s like a small test of how things could be without Fidel.”

‘’The next 36 to 72 hours are going to be crucial in Cuba,'’ said Andy Gomez, a senior fellow at the Unversity of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

The key signals may be first revealed by United States satellites. ‘’Looking at the special forces base south of Havana, if we see heavy tanks moving around, then we can be sure that Castro is gravely ill or close to death,'’ said Gomez, who has spent years studying Cuba.

Other major indicators: If Raúl Castro doesn’t speak in public in the next 72 hours, it might indicate that he is not in firm control of the power his brother left him with.

Gomez questions whether Raúl will be able to obtain the absolute power that Fidel has always had. ‘’The three army generals now,'’ the ones who control the three large areas of the country, ‘’are Fidelistas, not Raúl men.'’ And one of them has such a strained relationship with Raúl that they haven’t talked in a long time.

‘’Our [satellite] telescopes need to be watching troop movements very carefully,'’ Gomez said.

‘’I think Raúl is going to have to have collective leadership,'’ Gomez said. He suggested that Fidel’s temporary ceding of power might indeed be a test to show who sides with Raul and who doesn’t.

Alarcon rejected the notion that Castro’s condition could be critical. He told the government’s Prensa Latina news service that the Cuban leader is known for fighting to the very end, but said his “final moment is still very far away.”

Alarcon also expressed disgust over celebrations taking place in Miami’s Cuban exile community, “vomit-provoking acts” he said were being led by “mercenaries and terrorists.”

He called on Cubans to unite and follow the example of Castro, who “watches over every detail and takes measures to confront any enemy aggression.”

The main newscast on state-run TV gave no details of the 79-year-old leader’s condition, but ran a string of man-on-the-street interviews with Cubans wishing him well and professing confidence in the revolution’s staying power. The anchor said Castro had the people’s “unconditional support.”

It was unknown when or where the surgery took place or where Castro was recovering. Alarcon called the surgery a “delicate operation” but provided no details.

The Venezuelan government, Cuba’s closest ally, said Cuban officials reported Castro was “advancing positively” and leftist Argentine lawmaker Miguel Bonasso said Castro aides told him the leader was resting peacefully.