Castro could return soon, says official

HAVANA, March 2 (UPI) -- Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro "could return to work" soon, said Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, The Miami Herald reported Friday.

Roque's remarks came during his visit to Honduras and followed similar remarks by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close Castro ally.

Castro spoke Tuesday on a Venezuelan radio show, the first time the ailing leader made a live address since falling ill in July.

Speaking on Chavez's morning radio program earlier this week, Castro said he was recovering well and had "lots of energy."

The 80-year-old Cuban president stepped down in late July -- supposedly temporarily -- and appointed his brother Raul Castro as the communist island's interim leader.

There has been much speculation regarding Castro's illness, which the Cuban government considers a state secret. At the time of his stepping down, Cuban officials said he was suffering from a gastro-intestinal illness that required surgery.

U.S. officials have openly speculated that Castro is suffering from terminal cancer, a notion that Havana denies.