Castro's Historic Role

Yesterday in Rio Hugo Chavez paid high praise to Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Rio de Janeiro, Jan 19 (Prensa Latina) President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela highlighted the historic role played by Cuban President Fidel Castro, saying the leader of the island´s revolution "is one of those men who never die."

Speaking to the Legislature in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, on Friday, Chavez revealed he held a half hour telephone conversation with Fidel Castro a few days ago.

We all must die someday, the Venezuelan president said, but Fidel is one of those men who will never die, who will live forever.

"We want him to recuperate, and we have faith that he will recuperate fully," he said, recalling that the Cuban president said in 1953, history will absolve us (alluding to himself as well).

Chavez said that it´s been more than 50 years and "you [Fidel] have been absolved by history, I am beginning."