Cuban leader Fidel Castro spoke by telephone with his visiting
Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez on Sunday in a live TV show, the
first of its kind since July 2006.
Cuban leader Fidel
Castro (R) greets his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez in Havana
October 13, 2007.
"There is electricity in the air," Chavez said during Castro's
call to his "Alo, Presidente!" program, which means "everyone is
electrified to hear Castro."
Sunday's television show, broadcast from the eastern Cuban city
of Santa Clara, also aired a 17-minute documentary on Saturday's
four-hour Castro-Chavez meeting.
Castro, 81, appears fragile but alert in the video, in which he
discussed the Argentine guerilla leader Ernesto Guevara, better
known by his nickname Che, who was a key figure in the 1959 Cuban
revolution.
"The ideas of the revolution have been sown all across Latin
America and today's circumstances are more susceptible than ever
for these ideas to sprout for the revolution that Che Guevara spoke
of," said Castro.
Chavez's program was meant to celebrate Guevara who died some 40
years ago in Bolivia, executed by Bolivian government forces while
fighting alongside Bolivian insurgents.
During the program, Chavez described Castro as "sowing
consciousness and of new times," adding that "we have a commitment
to continue sowing, resowing, harvesting and pushing for the
salvation of humanity."
Chavez said that humanity is faced with a choice between
Socialism or barbarity.
Cuba's President Fidel
Castro (R) reads a book during a meeting with his Venezuelan
counterpart Hugo Chavez in Havana October 12, 2007. Ailing leader
Castro, who has not appeared in public since July last year, met on
Saturday for more than four hours with Chavez, Cuban state
television said.
Castro was last seen in public in late July, when he handed over
responsibility to his younger brother Raul Castro on what he
described as a temporary basis to have an intestinal operation.
Chavez arrived in Cuba on Friday for an official visit.
The show was broadcast live from Ernesto Guevara Place, where
Che's bones are kept in a gigantic mausoleum. Also with Chavez on
the show were Cuban high-ranking officials including Vice President
Carlos Lage, Information Minister Ramiro Valdes and Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez Roque.
(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)
