In English - Chavez says Fidel is "In charge" of duties.

Chavez Says Fidel Castro Is `In Charge' of Duties

Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who in the past month has written three articles attacking the U.S. and met a top Chinese official, is ``in charge'' and largely recovered from intestinal surgery, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said.

Chavez, a Castro ally, referred to a 10-page letter he received from Castro yesterday in which the Cuban leader predicted the ascendancy of China as a preeminent world power. Castro, 80, ceded power in July for the first time since 1959 to undergo surgery for what was reportedly diverticulitis.

``I see an improvement in Fidel's health. He is in good spirits, and I feel that Fidel is in charge,'' Chavez said in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where he and the presidents of Bolivia and Nicaragua are meeting with Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage. Haitian President Rene Preval also attended the gathering.

Chavez's comments came during meetings of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, a group created by Cuba and Venezuela to decrease dependence on the U.S. in the region. Castro hosted the group's first summit in April last year, but failed to attend to this year's celebration of the third anniversary of the group, known as Alba.

Castro's absence left Chavez, 52, as the summit's most prominent speaker.

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