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NEW YORK - The prognosis for Fidel Castro, the Cuban President who has not been seen in public since last July, appeared bleak last night after one of his closest allies, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, publicly admitted that he was "fighting for his life" in a Havana hospital.
Mr Chavez, who was speaking to fellow Latin-American leaders at a summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, offered no details of the Cuban leader's condition.
He has regularly offered commentaries on the illness of President Castro; until now, however, they had been notably more upbeat.
If his death is indeed only days away or even hours away, Cuba stands on the threshold of an uncharted political era.
Mr Castro has controlled the island with an iron fist since 1959, when he and his rebels, including the late Che Guevara, staged their socialist revolution.
The 80-year-old Mr Castro was admitted to hospital on 26 July for emergency intestinal surgery and quickly handed power to his brother Raul.
Mr Chavez said he had spoken to Mr Castro by telephone for half an hour a few days ago.
He compared the leader's medical struggles to his military campaign more than four decades ago.
Earlier last week the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Mr Castro had undergone three operations on his stomach, all of which apparently failed.
Last week, the US Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, said the Cuban leader had been speaking with a series of Latin-American visitors recently, apparently in an effort to ease any transition of power after his death and create a "soft landing" for Cuba and his brother, Raul.
"From the point of United States policy, we don't want to see that happen," Mr Negroponte said.
"We want to see the prospects for freedom in that country enhanced as a result of the transition.""I cannot give details because I am not his doctor, and even if I was I would not give them to you," Mr Chavez said.
In a clear reference to the US, he added: "There are those who want Fidel to die.
We have confidence he will recover."But the more cautious tone of Mr Chavez's remarks will inevitably spur speculation that Mr Castro is indeed close to losing his battle.
"I hope he lives 100 more years," the Venezuelan leader said, before noting that age is not on Mr Castro's side.
- INDEPENDENT