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Cuba to celebrate Castro birthday Cuba waits for Castro to reappear
(about 4 hours later)
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans are expected to attend a military parade in Havana to mark the 80th birthday of President Fidel Castro on Saturday. The Cuban capital, Havana, is gearing up for a military parade in a few hours with speculation mounting whether the ailing Fidel Castro will appear.
Speculation is mounting about whether the ailing Communist leader will make an appearance at the event. The event, on a key date in the Cuban revolution, is part of delayed 80th birthday celebrations for Mr Castro.
President Castro underwent emergency intestinal surgery at the end of July and has not been seen in public since.President Castro underwent emergency intestinal surgery at the end of July and has not been seen in public since.
He has so far missed out on five days of festivities. Birthday celebrations were originally due in August. Officials say he is recovering but his absence has raised questions about his health and Cuba's political succession.
Mr Castro's absence has raised questions about the seriousness of his condition and his political succession. Birthday celebrations were originally due in August and President Castro has so far missed five days of festivities this week.
Recuperation Continuity
Soviet-era tanks, missile launchers, even a few Mig fighter jets will be on show in Havana's Revolution Square. At a gala on Friday attended by several Latin American leaders, Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage said Mr Castro's health was improving and that the country would remain socialist long into the future.
About 300,000 Cubans are expected to attend. Most Cubans have known no other leader
The celebration was initially scheduled when the Cuban leader turned 80 in August, but was moved to December after he became ill and temporarily transferred power to his brother, Raul. "In Cuba, there will be no succession. There will be continuity." Mr Lage said.
The event is now to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Mr Castro's return from exile in Mexico. "When Fidel is no longer with us, his work his ideas and his example will be," he went on, before adding: "Fidel is recovering. We will have him among us, he will keep leading and we will ask him to keep doing so for some years more."
The Cuban government insists he is recuperating well and will continue to lead the country. Soviet-era tanks, missile launchers, even a few Mig fighter jets will be on show in Havana's Revolution Square, with some 300,000 Cubans expected to attend.
The president was due to attend a concert earlier this week, but instead he sent a message apologising that he needed more time to recuperate. Many on the island are expecting President Castro to take the opportunity to make his first public appearance in four months on such a significant date.
His last appearance on Cuban television, looking frail and wearing pyjamas rather than his trademark military fatigues, was over a month ago. Exactly 50 years ago to the day, Mr Castro made another comeback, returning to Cuba from exile in Mexico to launch a guerrilla war aided by Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
But the longer Fidel is out of the public eye, the more questions there will be about the future of his revolution, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Havana. Three years later, their 9,000-strong force overthrew the regime of Fulgencio Batista.
More time
If President Castro does not attend Saturday's parade, it will be a sign that it is unlikely he will be back holding the reins of power, correspondent say - a development that would be life-altering news for Cubans, most of whom know no other leader.
Birthday celebrations were initially scheduled when the Cuban leader turned 80 in August, but were moved to December after he became ill and temporarily transferred power to his brother, Raul.
President Castro was due to attend a concert earlier this week, but instead he sent a message apologising that he needed more time to recuperate.
His last appearance on Cuban television, looking frail and wearing pyjamas rather than his trademark military fatigues, was moer than a month ago.