Chavez still in denial about Fidel

It wasn't so long ago that Venezuelan autocrat Hugo Chavez alleged that rumors of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's imminent demise were untrue.

Well, I think we all know what to expect from Chavez when it comes to the topic of his hero, don't we?

Chavez is starting to change his tune, somewhat, finally acknowledging that the 80 year old Castro is "fighting for his life". Comparing Castro's fight against peritonitis to his more famous struggle against Fulgencio Batista, Chavez declared:

Fidel is in the Sierra Maestra again. He's fighting for his life. We don't know; we want him to recover, and he continues progressing, although slowly.

To date, Chavez is the only one who is saying that Fidel is "progressing", but then again, optimistic lies and hyperbole are a part of any good dictator's handbag, so when Chavez comes out makes this sort of statement, the rest of the world can be assured that Castro will be dead by February.