'Fidel Castro Dead' Stories Likely False Again

Fidel Castro dead rumors are back online today, though Fidel Castro isn't officially dead yet. 'Fidel Castro dead' reports have gone on for years now, even though Fidel Castro's death would mean little now. Even if Fidel Castro isn't dead, his brother Raul is in complete control of the country, with little changing in Cuba and in Cuban/US relations. But if Fidel Castro is dead, it would be more of a symbolic story than a historic one, although these new Fidel Castro death rumors haven't panned out so far.

Reports of Fidel Castro being dead went to the top of Google Trends a few hours ago. However, that is nothing new, since false reports of celebrities dying are posted every few days. Several celebrities have been declared dead more than once, including Miley Cyrus - yet Fidel Castro is a rare case of a fake celebrity death outside of entertainment.

Castro has this distinction because he has supposedly been near death for years. His ailing health caused him to finally give up his power years ago, handing it over to brother Raul Castro. Since then, the long-time "El Presidente" has rarely been seen in public, although he did go on Cuban TV in August 2009.

The Cuban state has kept any news about Castro's health a secret, which makes these Fidel Castro dead rumors quite unauthorized. Perez Hilton tried to report that Castro was dead in 2007, but those allegations were proven false.

Since unconfirmed death rumors are so common nowadays, no one will believe that Fidel Castro is dead until Raul or other Cuban officials say so. But even if it actually happened, or will happen soon, the impact of it would be far less than it would have been decades ago.

When Castro took power, he was the symbol of Communism and the number one enemy of America. In today's time, he is largely forgotten by most Americans, as other threats and concerns have emerged. This has been a primary argument for ending the American embargo on Cuba, although with Raul Castro now in charge, it may still take a long time to end, even if Fidel is gone.

The Fidel Castro death stories will probably go away by the end of the day, assuming they are really false. If they aren't, then days of Cold War nostalgia stories will dominate the media - along with celebration from the right wing and many Cuban citizens, and mourning from Castro's Hollywood supporters and Cuban comrades.

Sources

Snark Food- "Fidel Castro Dead for Real This Time?"

Signs of the Times- "Not Quite Dead Yet: Fidel Castro Appears On Cuban TV"

Daily World Buzz- "Fidel Castro's Death: A Long Goodbye"