Fidel Castro - Later Years and Retirement: 2008–present

Later Years and Retirement: 2008–present

Following his retirement from the presidency, Castro's health began to deteriorate, with the octogenarian suffering with an ailment that was widely reported to be diverticulitis in the international press, an assertion that the Cuban government refused to corroborate. Nevertheless, he continued to interact with the Cuban people, publishing an opinion column, "Reflections", in the state newspaper Granma, and making use of a Twitter account. He also gave the occasional public discussion or lecture, particularly in times of national uncertainty. In January 2009 Castro asked Cubans not to worry about his lack of recent news columns and his failing health, and not to be disturbed by his future death. He still continued to meet with foreign leaders and dignitaries, and that month photographs were released of Castro's meeting with Argentine president Cristina Fernández.

In July 2010, he made his first public appearance since falling ill, greeting workers at a science center and giving a television interview to the Cuban program Mesa Redonda in which he discussed tensions between the United States, Iran and North Korea. On August 7, 2010, Castro gave his first speech to the Cuban National Assembly in four years. He addressed the body for ten minutes on international affairs and then remained to listen and respond to questions for a further 70 minutes. In his comments he urged the United States not to go to war with Iran or North Korea and warning about the dangers of a nuclear holocaust. When asked whether Castro may be re-entering government, Culture minister Abel Prieto told the BBC, "I think that he has always been in Cuba's political life but he is not in the government...He has been very careful about that. His big battle is international affairs."

On April 19, 2011, Castro resigned from the Communist Party central committee, thus stepping down as leader of the party. Raúl Castro was selected as his successor. Now without any official role in the country's government, he took on the role of an elder statesman. In March 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba for three days, during which time he briefly met with Castro at Havana's Vatican embassy despite the Pope's vocal opposition to the Cuban government. Later that year it was revealed that along with his friend Hugo Chávez, Castro had played a significant behind-the-scenes role in orchestrating peace talks between the Colombian government and the far left FARC guerilla movement that took place in October 2012 in Oslo, Norway, in the hope of putting a stop to the conflict that had raged in the country since 1964.