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Castro receives get-well wishes from presidents

HAVANA: President Fidel Castro, recovering from a fall that broke his kneecap and an arm, has received get-well wishes from the leaders around the globe, state media reported Saturday.

Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Nestor Kirchner of Argentina and Sam Nujoma sent their wishes, along with Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Presidents Vicente Fox of Mexico, Ricardo Lagos of Chile and Martin Torrijos of Panama also sent their regards, said the Communist Party daily Granma said. “The telephones at the Foreign Ministry have been inundated with calls from people wishing Fidel a rapid recovery,” Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told reporters after an event at Havana University early Friday evening.

The Cuban leader tripped and fell Wednesday night after giving a graduation ceremony speech in the central city of Santa Clara, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Havana. A medical examination later showed Castro’s left kneecap was broken into eight pieces and his right arm was fractured. The president underwent an operation early Thursday to reconstruct his kneecap and set his arm.

Castro sent a written message to the Cuban people late Thursday, providing details about his operation and assuring them he was well and remained fully involved in government affairs. No more specific information about his condition has been released since.

In a separate article in Granma, Cuba criticized US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher for declining Thursday to wish Castro a speedy recovery.

“What else can be expected,” the article said, from US officials “who howl at the mere mention of the word Fidel?”

Expressing uncertainty about the seriousness of Castro’s injuries, spokesman Richard Boucher said, “I guess you’d have to check with the Cubans to find out what’s broken about Mr. Castro.”

He added: “We, obviously, have expressed our views about what’s broken in Cuba.” ap

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