# Are they going to announce Castro's death today? \[08-24-2007\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 24, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831 "2007-08-24T21:38:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/1 "2007-08-24T21:38:19Z")
Obviously not a reliable source, but [Perez Hilton](http://perezhilton.com/) (he of Cuban descent) is reporting [all over his website](http://perezhilton.com/) today that he has sources claiming that Castro’s death will be announced by the US government today and that they are just waiting for law enforcement to prepare themselves in Miami before making it official. Has anyone else heard this from more reputable sources today? I believe it’s getting some mention on Drudge as well. ETA: I know Perez is a gossip rag, but he’s been right about a lot of things in the past. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/2 "2007-08-24T21:39:36Z")
[QUOTE=HelloNinja] Obviously not a reliable source, but [Perez Hilton](http://perezhilton.com/) (he of Cuban descent) is reporting [all over his website](http://perezhilton.com/) today that he has sources claiming that Castro’s death will be announced by the US government today and that they are just waiting for law enforcement to prepare themselves in Miami before making it official. Has anyone else heard this from more reputable sources today? I believe it’s getting some mention on Drudge as well. [/QUOTE] I’ve been all around Miami today, and if law enforcement are making any type of preparations, they are certainly doing it out of the public’s eye. You may say, obviously, but there are no roadblocks, barricades or any other sign that it is anything but business as usual… ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/3 "2007-08-24T21:44:50Z")
Here’s a quote from Perez… > [@](#): > > Update: An official announcement is still expected today. We are hearing that law enforcement wants to wait until rush hour traffic is over in Miami. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/4 "2007-08-24T21:49:54Z")
Doesn’t Castro die every hour, on the hour? I mean, this is, what, the 4,000th announcement of his death? ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/5 "2007-08-24T21:53:31Z")
[Cuba Foreign Minister Says Castro Health Rumors Untrue](http://www.nbc6.net/news/13965316/detail.html?rss=ami&psp=news) Take it or leave it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/6 "2007-08-24T21:56:35Z")
But Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/7 "2007-08-24T22:02:27Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] [Cuba Foreign Minister Says Castro Health Rumors Untrue](http://www.nbc6.net/news/13965316/detail.html?rss=ami&psp=news) Take it or leave it. [/QUOTE] On the other hand, your link says Castro is “being informed and consulted constantly.” Which, I’ll point out, is not incompaptible with his being dead. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/8 "2007-08-24T22:32:39Z")
Wait, how exactly is this supposed to work? The US government knows Castro is dead, but is holding off announcing the death until they can mobilize law enforcement in Miami? Except how can the US government censor this news? There’s like, you know, the internet? Which is international? And there are other countries? Which have news too? And why would the US government “announce” that Castro is dead? Wouldn’t that be done by, you know, the Cubans? Even if the CIA had obtained proof that Castro was dead but the Cubans were keeping it secret, why would they bother “announcing” it? What would be the purpose? They wouldn’t announce it, they’d leak it to the various news agencies. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/9 "2007-08-24T22:40:23Z")
Hmmmmm? 6:39 PM EDT in Miami. You’d think rush hour is over. What’s the hold up? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/10 "2007-08-24T22:42:42Z")
Actually, [he died in 1981.](http://www.uncoveror.com/castro.htm) [But he can still dance!](http://www.deadcastrodance.com/) ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/11 "2007-08-24T22:47:06Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Hmmmmm? 6:39 PM EDT in Miami. You’d think rush hour is over. What’s the hold up? [/QUOTE] The Marlins are playing, pendajo! We don’t want to mess up the game. The annoucement will be on a secret radio station at 3am…Castro is still dead. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/12 "2007-08-24T22:47:36Z")
And this stupid rumor started over a week ago. [http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/08/17/perez-hilton-is-fidel-castro-dead.aspx](http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/08/17/perez-hilton-is-fidel-castro-dead.aspx) Pretty pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/13 "2007-08-24T22:49:10Z")
If a gossip columnist with an axe to grind and a website that is that hard to look at manages to scoop every major media organization in the country, I will have to reassess my dictum that 90% of everything posted on the Internet is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/14 "2007-08-24T23:09:54Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] And this stupid rumor started over a week ago. [http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/08/17/perez-hilton-is-fidel-castro-dead.aspx](http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/08/17/perez-hilton-is-fidel-castro-dead.aspx) Pretty pathetic. [/QUOTE] Astro’s dead?! Did anybody tell Elroy? ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/15 "2007-08-24T23:51:07Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Astro’s dead?! Did anybody tell Elroy? [/QUOTE] RUT-RO! ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/16 "2007-08-24T23:54:42Z")
The smart money says not. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/17 "2007-08-25T00:05:20Z")
If they do, the points calculation in the [Death Pool](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398513) is going to change a lot of standings. Not mine, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/18 "2007-08-25T00:08:51Z")
[QUOTE=HelloNinja] Obviously not a reliable source, but [Perez Hilton](http://perezhilton.com/) (he of Cuban descent) is reporting [all over his website](http://perezhilton.com/) today that he has sources claiming that Castro’s death will be announced by the US government today and that they are just waiting for law enforcement to prepare themselves in Miami before making it official. Has anyone else heard this from more reputable sources today? I believe it’s getting some mention on Drudge as well. ETA: I know Perez is a gossip rag, but he’s been right about a lot of things in the past. [/QUOTE] I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but that site looks as serious a source as your typical myspace page. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/19 "2007-08-25T00:42:07Z")
Personally, I hope Fidel clings to life at least until January 2009. I do **not** want W to get any more ideas about adding to his legacy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831/20 "2007-08-25T02:29:58Z")
In the past few months, the Cuban state-run media has told people to prepare themselves for Castro’s demise. But the current party line is that his health is improving and he’s off the critical list. If he were truly dying, it would seem strange that the Cuban government would be setting itself up to be discredited. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-they-going-to-announce-castros-death-today-08-24-2007/416831.md?page=2)