Castro has full mental faculties, brother says

HAVANA (Reuters) - Convalescing Cuban leader Fidel Castro has gained weight, is exercising twice daily and is in full control of his mental faculties in a signal of his recovery, his brother Raul Castro said on Monday.

Fidel Castro, who took power in a 1959 revolution, handed over temporarily to Raul Castro in July 2006 after undergoing stomach surgery for an undisclosed illness, but he has not appeared in public for more than 16 months.

"He has his strong mind as well as mental health, full use of his mental faculties with some small physical limitations," Raul Castro said. "He has recovered quite a lot of weight and muscular mass ... for this all party delegates support him running again."

The comments were some of the clearest recent descriptions of Castro's health, which is considered a state secret by the Cuban government.

Raul Castro was speaking as he stumped for Fidel in his brother's electoral district in Santiago de Cuba. Fidel Castro, 81, was nominated this month as a candidate for the National Assembly, where he must have a seat to remain president.

Last week, in a letter read on Cuban state television, Fidel Castro spoke of his possible retirement for the first time since he fell ill, hinting he might give up his formal leadership posts.

Cuban state media reported that Fidel Castro met last week with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, one of Cuba's closest allies. But no images of the visit have been shown.

Senior Cuban officials say Castro is consulted on major policy decisions.

Despite his absence in public, Castro has remained a presence in Cuban political life by writing newspaper columns and he has appeared in photographs and prerecorded videos and has spoken live with Chavez by telephone.

(Reporting by Patrick Markey and Marc Frank; editing by Eric Beech)