Fidel Castro makes first public appearance in more than a year

"Full of vitality," according to local media, former Cuban President Fidel Castro made a public appearance for the first time in more than a year on Monday, greeting a Venezuelan delegation.

Reuters noted that there was no explanation as to why the appearance was not reported until Saturday; a local newspaper described the former president as impressing Venezuelans with a "firm, long handshake and a lucid mind," during the meeting at a school where the delegation was visiting as part of a solidarity mission.

The 88-year-old last appeared in public on Jan. 8, 2014, at the opening of a Havana cultural center. He definitively stepped down from power in 2008, at which time his brother, Raul Castro, took over the presidency. Fidel Castro has not made many public outings since, although many Cubans believe he still advises his brother on national and foreign policy issues.

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