Spanish newspaper: Castro's condition is "grave"

Cuban dictator Fidel Castro continues to display his downright saucy disregard for dead pool bettors everywhere. Since poor health forced him to transfer his duties to brother Raul in July of 2006, the Cuban government has kept a tight lid on the true condition of their critically ill caudillo. However, information on the planet's longest reigning living dictator can't stay secret forever, and Castro's condition has been a gold mine of leaks and rumors.

Brazilian sources leaked information that Castro was suffering from either stomach or colon cancer - a report echoed by the US government. Cuban officials moved quickly to quash cancer rumors, but new reports have leaked to the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Castro's condition is now "grave", and that the 80 year old Marxist tyrant is finally at the end of the line.

El Pais cites two surgeons at a Madrid hospital (where a Spanish surgeon brought in by the Cubans to work on Castro resides) as the source of new information about Castro's condition, saying that Castro has a "severe infection" related to failed colostomy surgery.

Castro bucked a trend by surviving through 2006, but I will be amazed if he survives until February at this rate. Perhaps I could accelerate the process by finishing my Castro Top 10 list entry; it certainly did the trick for poor old Turkmenbashi. Anyone still taking entries in their dead pool?

UPDATE: Damn, that was fast! The Spanish surgeon who treated Castro denies leaking any information.

UPDATE II: Looks like el capitán de la revolución is responsible for his own turn for the worse. Silly dictator. Leave the medical decisions to the doctors.