In a statement that has further raised speculation over the fate of dictator Fidel Castro, Cuba’s Communist Party on Thursday stressed it would stay in control no matter what happened to the convalescent leader. The statement again failed to clear up questions over whether Castro is dead or alive, and doubts over who is in actually charge of the island nation now.

Cuban Communist Party statement fuels speculation that Castro is dead

In a typically cryptic message analysts said was designed to dispel fears of a disorderly transition of power, the main Communist newspaper Granma printed part of an old speech by Cuba’s temporary leader, Castro’s brother Raul.

In the speech, delivered on June 14 to army officers and first printed in Granma the following day, Raul Castro said, “Only the Communist Party …. can be the worthy heir of the trust Cubans have placed in their leader.”

The question of who will actually succeed Fidel Castro is not simple to answer. The story continues below the fold.

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Two days after the unprecedented handover of power in Cuba from dictator Fidel Castro to his brother, Raul, neither man has made a public appearance or been show in media reports. The questions being asked by many is, where are Fidel and Raul, what is happening out of sight, behind the scenes, and — most important of all — is Fidel Castro dead?

Demonstrator in Miami’s Little Havana with sign Is Castro Dead?”

A slight but perceptible mobilization of police in Havana’s streets was accompanied by a tightening of security at the country’s exit points, along with a mobilization of Communist Party activists and rapid response brigades. Cubans are pondering the fate of their leader of nearly five decades after he reportedly underwent gastrointestinal surgery.

A top official said Wednesday that Fidel Castro, 79, remained “very alert” following his operation, and continued to closely follow domestic and international affairs. However, no pictures have been shown of the island nation’s leader, and he has not been seen since last week.

As the hours have lengthened into days since the announcement of Fidel Castro’s health crisis, neither he nor his brother Raul, named as temporary replacement to Fidel on Monday, have appeared in public or made any direct statements to the media. Their continuing absence, along with the increasing security measures in Cuba, are stoking concerns over the country’s future.

National Assembly Speaker Ricardo Alarcon told US-based Pacifica Radio’s “Democracy Now” show that he had spoken Monday and Tuesday with Fidel.

“Of course, he is forced to have a period of rest. He underwent complicated surgery,” said Alarcon. “But he is very alive and very alert as always, very interested in what’s going on around him and around the world,” he said.

Despite Alarcon’s claim to have spoken with with Castro, the ailing dictator’s absence from public view has continued to fule speculation that he might be comatose, more gravely ill than reported…or worse.

Details of Castro’s health have been declared an official state secret because of, Cuban government sources state, the continuing threat posed by the United States. Rather than bringing reassurance, the move has prompted questions of what health details could be dangerous to the state — except confirmation of Castro’s death.

“They should have appeared,'’ said Rolando Anderson, a vendor in Havana’s historic center. “There are many people asking questions.'’

More news from Cuba and Florida below the fold.

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It is not often that a new line of cigars comes along that is truly exceptional. It was a pleasure, therefore, to learn of the new Lot 23 cigar line from Perdomo that is exceptional in several ways.

Lot 23 Cigars from Tabacalera Perdomo

The newest cigar line from Tabacalera Perdomo S.A., Perdomo Lot 23, was released last month at the 2006 RTDA show in Las Vegas. It is a very special line, named after one of the company’s prestige tobacco farms near its factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. One of the things that makes the Perdomo Lot 23 special is that both the filler and binder for the new cigar are made exclusively from Cuban-seed tobacco grown on that one highly fertile farm.

“Perdomo Lot 23 is very special for our company because it was a project that my father, Nicolas Perdomo, Sr., pioneered as we started to expand our growing operations in 2000,” said Nick Perdomo, Jr. “My father and I selected a plot of land near our factory that was untouched. We cleared the entire field, ran thorough soil analysis and carefully prepared the grounds. This land was so fertile that we knew it would provide some incredible tobacco, and it did. I believe that we have met my father’s strict expectations of quality throughout our growing operations and our manufacturing facility. The final product is a premium cigar that is extremely flavorful and is available at a very competitive price point.”

A very competitive price point indeed. In fact, a price so low for a cigar of this quality that I found it hard to believe when I first heard it.

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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.”

Fidel Castro with his brother Raul (left) in June 2001. Photograph: Reuters

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.

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Fidel Castro has temporarily relinquished the presidency of Cuba to his younger brother and chosen successor Raul because of a sudden health crisis. It is the first time since he came to power in 1959 that the Cuban dictator has given up power.

The surprise move was announced live on television by his secretary, Carlos Valenciaga, who read a letter purportedly written by Castro to explain the crisis. “The operation obligates me to undertake several weeks of rest,” said the letter. Extreme stress from recent public appearances in Argentina and Cuba “had provoked in me a sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding that obligated me to undergo a complicated surgical procedure.”

The relinquishment of power was said to be temporary, and of “a provisional character.” There was no immediate appearance or statement by Raul Castro.

Celebration and hope in Miami’s Little Havana at news of Fidel Castro’s illness

Cubans exiles took to the streets in Miami’s Little Havana district Monday night after news spread of Castro’s sudden illness. In the wake of the statement concerning Raul’s “temporary” succession, one question is running through the exile community in the United States.

Is Fidel Castro already dead?

The story continues below the fold with details from the Associated Press, the Miami Herald, Reuters and other sources.

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Sir Winston Churchill just might end up getting back his trademark cigar after all.

Paul Gudgin, director of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, has spoken out against the onstage smoking ban in Scotland. One Scottish MP has warned that the country is in danger of becoming an international laughing-stock because of their “Calvinist and puritanical” views.

Check below the fold for more information on the over-zealous crusade against smoking in this corner of the United Kingdom that is being termed “so bloody stupid” by wiser, if not cooler, heads.

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