Cuba's President Fidel Castro (right) reads a book during a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez in Havana on Friday. The following day ailing leader Castro, who has not appeared in public since July last year, met for more than four hours with Chavez, Cuban state television said. Reuters

"The two revolutionary leaders discussed the history of our nations, the solid and growing bilateral relations, the situation in Latin America and the most serious problems facing humanity," a statement read out on Cuban television said.

Chavez arrived in Havana late on Friday for a weekend visit that would include yesterday's airing of his weekly radio and television program from the central provincial capital of Santa Clara, where the Cuban government last Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the death of revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

The Venezuelan president intended to pay tribute to the Argentine-born Guevara, who helped Castro take power in Cuba's 1959 revolution and was captured and executed in Bolivia.

Wearing the red, white and blue track suit that has become his typical dress during his convalescence, Castro looks pale and serious in one photograph published on the website of the Communist Youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde as he stands and shakes Chavez's hand.

But Castro looks more animated in a second photograph as the pair sit in bamboo chairs at an undisclosed location while he appears to read from a book with a picture of Guevara on the cover while Chavez looks on. In both, Castro's already sparse gray beard seems to have thinned considerably.

The last official image of Castro was a photograph released late last month, showing him looking more robust than in pictures released since he had emergency intestinal surgery in late July 2006 and ceded authority to his younger brother Raul, who continues to head the collective leadership governing the country.

Castro, 81, has not appeared in public in the 14 months since he fell ill and was not expected to make an appearance on Sunday's show. Castro called in live in February to one of Chavez's programs broadcast from Venezuela and the pair chatted for more than half an hour.

Chavez considers Castro his political mentor and has succeeded the Cuban leader as the main opponent of the United States in Latin America.

His left-wing government has provided Cuba with crucial economic support and oil supplies.

Agencies

(China Daily 10/15/2007 page9)