HAVANA — President Fidel Castro fell as he left the stage after a televised speech last night, but he quickly recovered his composure and assured Cubans that he was “all in one piece.”
Mr. Castro, 78, was shown sweating and sitting in a chair at the live outdoor event in the central city of Santa Clara after the fall.
“Maybe I broke my knee … but I am all in one piece,” he said jokingly. His immediate condition was not known.
The fall was not televised and it was not clear exactly what happened after the communist leader wrapped up a speech at a graduation ceremony for arts instructors and was leaving the stage. However, several of his security men could be seen running, evidently to assist him.
During his brief appearance on camera afterward, Mr. Castro was sweating profusely and said that he preferred to leave the area in a Jeep rather than an ambulance. He encouraged those at the event to continue with their musical program.
Mr. Castro’s knees seem to bother him more in recent years as he has grown older.
The incident did not appear nearly as serious as it did in June 2001, when the Cuban leader for the past 45 years apparently fainted before a crowd of thousands during a speech in the scorching sun.
At that time, Mr. Castro joked that it was only a rehearsal to see what kind of burial he would get.
The earlier incident provoked intense speculation about Mr. Castro’s health, and what will happen in Cuba after he dies.
The health of Mr. Castro has long been closely watched — particularly by his political enemies in Miami, home to a large Cuban-exile community.
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