A leading Spanish surgeon has flown to Cuba to treat Fidel Castro, a Spanish newspaper reported Sunday. Castro, 80, has not appeared in public since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July. Since then here has been little information from Cuba regarding his condition. Castro has placed his younger brother, Raul, in charge of government. Barcelona-based El Periodico said Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, chief surgeon at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital, was taken to Havana, the Cuban capital, Thursday on a Cuban government chartered flight. The newspaper said he took with him medical material not available in Cuba.
Although aware of Castro's condition, Sabrido was to examine him in person before deciding whether the Cuban leader should undergo more surgery, El Periodico said. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close ally of Castro, recently denied reports that the Cuban communist leader was suffering from cancer. No one was available Sunday at either the Gregorio Maranon hospital or the Cuban embassy to comment on the Spanish report.