“I wish you a happy 80th, and 90th and 100th birthday, with much strength, leading your country and giving the whole world a political and ideological line from Cuba,” said Evo Morales, president of Bolivia, in an interview granted to the Buenos Aires Página 12 daily.

The Bolivian leader highlighted Fidel’s qualities and affirmed: “I believe that he is the best doctor in the world, on account of his mobilizations for health, and also the best teacher, on account of his promotion of education and reading.”

In addition to Página 12, which also reproduced the integral text of Fidel’s message that appeared in yesterday’s Juventud Rebelde, the official Télam news agency and La Nación daily covered the theme, the latter in its digital edition under the title of “Fidel reappears,” with one of the photos published on the island.

PL noted that the digital page of the Argentine TV channel 26Noticias also dedicated various minutes to circulating the message from the leader of the Revolution and included all the latest photos, also shown on the TN Channel, which published the text of Fidel’s letter.

ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT POLITICIANS

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the leader of the Revolution on his 80th birthday. “In Russia we consider you as one of the most brilliant political men and with the most authority in the current period,” he wrote in a message published by the Kremlin, according to AFP.

For its part the Mexican press dedicated various headlines to the Fidel’s birthday, with particular emphasis on his notable recovery after the operation to which he was subjected.

Prensa Latina reported that under the title “Fidel Castro recovers,” “…he is already taking steps and conversing animatedly,” La Jornada notes that the Cuban people are celebrating the leader’s birthday.

It also covers the text published last Saturday in the Granma daily, which compares the leader with the caguairán, a tree of legendary solidity.

For its part, the Milenio daily highlighted the visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to the Cuban capital to greet Fidel in person. Meanwhile, on its digital page, El Universal published the full text of Fidel’s message to the Cuban people and the world, published Sunday.

WORLD SOLIDARITY WITH FIDEL

There were similar repercussions in the Spanish digital, radio and TV media. Some of the main dailies published the document in its entirety. El País published the message on its front page, titled: “Castro promises to fight for his health” and affirms that the Revolution is running perfectly well.

Meanwhile, El Mundo published the full text with the leader’s signature.

Cadena Sur covered the theme by reflecting “Castro Improving,” with a photo in which the president appears with a copy of Granma daily which states: “Absolved by History.”

From Italy the Milan Observatorio, via its president Massimo Todisco, sent “Comandante Fidel Castro congratulations for his 80th birthday and wishes for his prompt recovery,” noting that he “embodies, with his work, the hope of the whole world for a future of peace, without war and without terrorism.” It concludes: “A strong embrace for the Comandante and long life.” (S.E.)

FROM VENEZUELA, LOVE TO FIDEL

CARACAS.—Telephone calls, words of encouragement and thousands of cards from intellectuals, revolutionaries and the people, formed a spontaneous expression of the affection of Bolívar’s nation for Fidel, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Some of those messages were compiled in a program called “Love is Paid with Love,” and handed over to a representation from the island’s embassy in the Museum of Fine Arts in this city. Also announced was a manifesto signed by ministers, deputy ministers, governors and intellectuals, who congratulated the Cuban president and spoke out against any aggression from the empire.