World | Fidel Castro Venezuelan Doctor: Fidel Castro Suffered Stroke Says he is close to a vegetative state: Miami Herald By Liam Carnahan Posted Oct 19, 2012 6:49 AM CDT Copied In this Feb. 10, 2012, file photo released by the state media website Cubadebate, Fidel Castro attends a meeting with intellectuals and writers at the International Book Fair in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Cubadebate, Roberto Chile, File) Fidel Castro has suffered a serious stroke, says a Venezuelan doctor claiming to have inside information on the former Cuban leader's health, reports the Miami Herald. He says that the condition is "very close to a neurovegetative state," and that Castro has trouble eating and speaking, and that he recognizes no one. The former leader hasn't been seen in public since March, and the doctor says it's unlikely he'll be seen again, though he could live for weeks with his current condition. He also says his condition is what prompted Hugo Chavez's recent trip to Havana. Read These Next Why the Brightline of Florida is called the 'Death Train.' Trump's new targets for prosecution: Smith, Wray, and Garland This is one very public, visible way to look for love. Next year's COLA increase is up slightly from 2025. Report an error