Castro condition reported "very serious" (updated)

By Ed Lasky

Reuters reports that Fidel Castro is in "very serious" condition due to complications from what should be routine surgery.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro is in serious condition after a series of three failed operations on his large intestine for diverticulitis complicated by infection, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Monday.

Castro, 80, suffered a serious infection that worsened to peritonitis, the newspaper's Tuesday edition said, citing two medical sources at the Madrid hospital where a surgeon who visited Castro in December works. The report was posted on the newspaper's Web site on Monday.

Castro's prognosis is "very serious" and he is being fed intravenously, the paper said.

It is tempting to take pot shots at the Cuban medical system, but Castro is in his 80s and mutliple operations would be stressful. The colon is fuyll of bacteria, and inbfections are common.

Update: Michael Morris writes:

The BBC and The Guardian seem to be at loggerheads about the true state of Castro's health.

On December 27^th, the BBC proudly printed an article on the nonsense about Castro being close to deaths door:

A leading Spanish surgeon who flew to Havana last week to examine Cuban leader Fidel Castro says he does not have cancer or need further surgery.

On returning to Spain, Jose Luis Garcia Sobredo said Mr Castro was recovering well and was in good spirits.

Dr Garcia went to Havana in response to a humanitarian request from the Cuban government, a Spanish official said.

Dr. Garcia Sobredo seems very sure that there is nothing seriously wrong with Castro and he will make a recovery very soon - no doubt causing cheers to be heard from the BBC.

Today, the Guardian prints a story quoting Spanish newspaper El Pais saying Castro is not getting better, but instead, is quickly deteriorating and close to death.

The paper said that in December, when Mr. Sabrido visited, Mr Castro had an abdominal wound that was leaking more than a pint of fluid a day, causing "a severe loss of nutrients".

Was the good doctor lying, or putting on an optimistic spin? Or was he forced to say this by the Cubans? Or are the media having a hard time getting their story straight?