Chavez says Fidel Castro has recovered almost fully

Jun 13, 2007, 17:55 GMT

Havana - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday that he had seen for himself the 'almost total recovery' of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Left-wing populist Chavez met with Castro in Havana on Tuesday and attended a cultural event with interim Cuban leader Raul Castro, who temporarily took over power when his brother underwent intestinal surgery on July 31, 2006.

'It is not easy to come to a public event in Havana without Fidel, Chavez said. 'Only the realization ... of his almost total recovery, of his state of mind, of his everlasting intelligence, youth for ideas and reflection already cause relief, joy and a lot of optimism in my soul.'

Chavez said Castro could be ready to return to work soon, though he was not trying to rush the Cuban president.

'I think the time is coming to put on one's uniform,' Chavez said of Fidel, 80. 'The days will come and he will say it himself.'

The Venezuelan president arrived Tuesday in Havana on a surprise visit at the invitation of Castro himself. The two leaders met for six hours, Chavez said.

'We almost got close to our average in meetings, seven or eight hours. We could have kept going, but it was enough,' Chavez said.

No footage of the meeting has been aired.

The Venezuelan president - one of the main allies of the Cuban government - last visited Cuba on January 29. Bolivian President Evo Morales also visited Castro last week, although no footage of the meeting was shown.

Last week Fidel Castro appeared in his first televised interview during his 10-month recovery. The elderly Cuban leader was last seen in public on July 26, 2006.