Cubans miss Castro at birthday parade

[Gambitt]

Cubans miss Castro at birthday parade
 By staff and agencies
 Last Updated: 2:18pm GMT 02/12/2006
 
 
 Fidel Castro has missed a birthday military parade in his honour amid growing uncertainty about his health.
 
 Cubans were waiting with baited breath to see whether the country’s ailing president would attend the final event of his 80th birthday celebrations.
 
   
 The birthday celebrations took place without Castro
 However Castro, who had missed all of the events so far due to illness, again failed to appear.
 
 Following intenstinal surgery in July Castro appointed his brother Raul interim leader.
 
 Many Cubans has hoped the president would be well enough to attend the parade, but Raul, the defence chief, presided over the event instead.
 
 "In the name of commander in chief Fidel Castro Ruz and my own, I salute you," he told the troops.
 Raul also used the occasion to propose negotiations with the United States to end decades of tense relations.
 
 "Of course, that is, as long as they accept that we are a country that does not tolerate any reduction of its independence, and based on the principles of equality, reciprocity, non interference and mutual respect," he said.
 
 Castro's absence at the parade in Revolution Square is likely to be considered a sign that he will not be back as leader of the country, a fact that Cuba’s 11 million people will find hard to comprehend after more than 40 years with Castro at the country’s helm.
 
 Most of the population have known no other leader and are utterly unfamiliar with imagining significant change.
 
 Nearly 2,000 special guests - including French film star Gerard Depardieu, Castro’s favourite movie actor and a personal friend - flew into Havana to celebrate Castro’s birthday.
 
 He has not been seen in public since he temporarily handed the government over to Raul.