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HAVANA - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro congratulated ally Hugo Chavez on his landslide re-election as Venezuelan president, according to a message published today.
"Your victory was conclusive, crushing and without parallel in the history of our Americas," said the brief note signed by Castro and published by ruling Communist newspaper Granma.
"We Cubans are happy," he said.
Chavez, re-elected on Monday, produced the typewritten letter at a news conference in Caracas on Wednesday. He said the neat signature showed that Castro was on the mend.
"Fidel Castro has reappeared and here is the letter he sent me. Judging by the signature he continues to recover," Chavez said, adding that he had no doubts as to Castro's recovery.
Castro failed to show up last week for delayed celebrations of his 80th birthday and a military parade marking the start of his revolution 50 years ago. His absence has fuelled speculation that he is very ill or close to death.
The Cuban leader was apparently too ill to meet with visitors who attended his birthday celebrations, such as Bolivian President Evo Morales, who has joined Castro and Chavez in opposing US policies in Latin America.
It was unusual for Castro not to call Chavez by telephone to congratulate him on winning another six years in office.
Castro has not appeared in public since he underwent emergency surgery to stop intestinal bleeding in late July. He was forced to hand over power to his brother Raul Castro.
Venezuela has helped keep the Cuban economy afloat by providing oil shipments with preferential financing that Cuba pays for with billions of dollars in medical services.
- REUTERS
