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Fidel Castro breaks silence on Chavez's weekly radio show

Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro broke a month of public silence on Tuesday, speaking by phone to his closest ally, Hugo Chavez, on the Venezuelan president's daily radio show and saying he felt "more energetic."

"Hello there, illustrious and dear friend, how are you?" Castro asked Chavez by telephone at the start of their 25-minute conversation on the Hello President show.

"What joy hearing your voice, and knowing you are well, gives us," Chavez replies.

"I am listening here to Hello President," Castro said, mentioning a discussion on Venezuela's gross domestic product.

"I am making progress, I feel more energetic, with more strength and more time to study," Castro added. "I am have gone back to being a student."

Castro, 80, has only been seen in official Cuban television and newspaper images since handing power to his brother Raul Castro, 75, in late July while he recovers from gastrointestinal surgery. He has met with a few visitors, including Chavez, in Havana.

The Cuban leader encouraged those concerned about his recovery to be patient.

"I urge everyone to be patient, calm, and to be happy, if everyone is calm, the country keeps moving forward, which is the important thing. ... I also ask for tranquility for myself," Castro added, "to be able to get my new duties done."

But "I cannot be talking every day," Castro added, "and get into the habit of making news every day."

"You are like a great oracle who has become a defender of life, of the species," Chavez told Castro. "For that I congratulate you; you struggle with people's moral compass and work to educate people.

"We hear you, and we are so happy to hear you, and hear about your recovery; keep recovering," Chavez told his friend.
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