Chile Publishes Photos Of Fidel Castro, Bachelet

The pictures show Castro standing next to Bachelet, dressed in a white, gray and black track suit and smiling.

Chile's presidency on Friday posted photographs of Fidel Castro with visiting Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on its website, showing the former Cuban leader smiling and in apparently good health.

After the meeting in Havana on Thursday, Bachelet said they chatted for 1-1/2 hours and that Castro, 82, bombarded her with statistics and questions about Chile's economy.

The pictures published on www.presidencia.cl show Castro standing next to Bachelet, dressed in a white, gray and black track suit, smiling and in apparently good health.

Castro had surgery for an undisclosed intestinal ailment in July 2006 and has stayed out of sight since then except for a few photos and videos in which he has at times appeared frail.

He was rumored last month to be in serious condition but the Cuban government insists he is still active and working, and Bachelet's comments appeared to support that view.

Three weeks ago, Argentina's presidency posted a photograph of Castro with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez during her visit to Cuba last month.

"He is in very good condition," Bachelet told reporters in Havana, saying Castro was "very agile" and "active."

In a column published later on the Internet, Castro described their meeting as "friendly" and said Bachelet had "done me the honor of listening to me with interest."