29 November, 2006 - Published 11:48 GMT

Castro fails to show

The Cuban president Fidel Castro has issued a statement saying that ill-health has prevented him from attending the opening gala of five days of events to mark his eightieth birthday.

The president, who's suffering from an unspecified gastric ailment, has not been seen in public for over four months.

Last July, he handed over his principle powers to his brother Raul Castro and postponed his birthday celebrations, which had been scheduled to be held in August.

The statement signed by Fidel Castro was read out to hundreds of his admirers who'd gathered to hear a concert in Havana's Karl Marx Theatre.

Unable to attend

The Cuban leader offered his regrets that he was unable to attend.

He wrote that his doctors felt that he was not ready for such a challenging engagement.

It's now unclear whether Mr Castro will appear at any of the events that are being held here in his honour over the coming days.

Since he was taken ill last July, he's only been seen in officially-sanctioned photographs and videos.

The most recent showed him both speaking and walking, but clearly weak and gaunt.

Illness a state secret

President Castro's health is officially a state secret in Cuba.

While senior ministers have repeatedly said that he is recuperating well from a gastric illness, almost no further details have been revealed.

There is speculation that this coming Saturday, he will attend a military parade in the capital.

If he does not, many will wonder whether the president will ever return to power.