Castro's prognosis

Havana

Fidel Castro is suffering from colon, stomach, or pancreatic cancer and is unlikely to live out the year, U.S. intelligence officials said last week. In recent photographs, Castro appears gaunt and weak, with a dark lesion on his neck; he is dressed in loose clothing that may hide a colostomy bag. Intelligence officials said it does not appear that Castro is receiving chemotherapy, since he has not lost his hair or beard. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque added to the speculation over Castro's health when he backed away from an earlier prediction that the leader would return to work in December. U.S. officials are reportedly preparing for an influx of refugees from Cuba after Castro's death.