Spanish government wishes Castro a 'speedy recovery' 02/08/2006 00:00

2 August 2006

MADRID – The Spanish government has wished Fidel Castro a "speedy recovery" after news that the Cuban dictator is temporarily handing power over to his brother Raul due to illness.

The announcement that Castro would hand over power for the first time in 47 years prompted speculation about what kind of regime would come after the communist leader’s death.

It also divided world leaders with some stating they hoped the moment marked the transition to democracy and others sending well-wishers’ messages to Cuba.

Spanish socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, holidaying with his family in Lanzarote, told the press he wished Castro a speedy recovery.

Deputy prime minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, was in Colombia on a tour of Latin America. She had just completed a visit to Bolivia to talk to president Evo Morales about the future of Spanish businesses in the country.

She sent her best wishes to Castro and appealed to the Cuban people to act "responsibly".

She added that the future of Cuba "will be decided by all the Cubans" with support from the international community.

For his part, Felipe Gonzalez, ex-socialist Spanish prime minister, believes the temporary transfer to power is the "first test" of what will happen "at any moment".

"We’ve already seen Fidel with health problems and even a serious fall," he said, on a visit to Costa Rica. "At the moment there is only one new fact and that is the transfer of power, and I can guarantee that nothing which Fidel and his team do is free; that act is significant and not precisely of his health".

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news