*** scroll down for updates *** The Adidas jacket found! *** Fidel is not holding a newspaper, he is holding a proof copy.

On this 80th birthday of Fidel Castro, Juventud Rebelde, the Cuban periodical for communist youth, published four new photos of the dictator. In one picture, clearly intended to prove he is alive, he is holding a section of the August 12 issue of Granma.

Despite being dressed in a sporty Adidas outfit, El Chefe was not shown jogging.

Download the four Castro photos Juventud Rebelde published today: [one] [two] [three] [four].

The publication also printed an accompanying letter from Fidel himself, addressed to all “compatriots and friends of Cuba and the rest of the world.” The letter reads somewhat like a farewell address, with a series of exhortations to keep on fighting and marching and “defeating the empire” (I think that’s us), and no suggestion of when Fidel might emerge from wherever he is hidden.

See for yourself. My own translation of the entire note:

Dear compatriots and friends of Cuba and the rest of the world:

On this day the 13th, I have arrived at 80 years of age.

To say that my physical stability has improved considerably is not to make up a lie. To assert that the period of recovery will be brief and that some risk does not still exist, would be absolutely incorrect.

I suggest you all be optimistic, but at the same time always ready to face any adverse news.

To the people of Cuba, infinite gratitude for your affectionate support. The country marches and will continue marching perfectly well.

To my brothers in arms, eternal glory for resisting and defeating the empire, demonstrating that a better world is possible.

Today, August 13, I feel very happy.

To all those who wished my health, I promise you I will fight for it.

And for all of us who do not wish his health, there’s still the Dead Castro Dance.

UPDATING TO ADD: It should go without saying that with such a dubious provenance, these photos are not in any sense authenticated. In fact, there are three possibilities:

• The photos are genuine, and Castro is alive. It may be that these are actual photos of Fidel Castro, showing him alive on this day, just as they claim to be.
• The photos are fake, and Castro is dead. I can find no telltale evidence of retouching, but of course the possibility cannot be ruled out. I mean, it’s not as if it would be difficult. Go ahead, try one yourself, if you’re of a mind.
• The photos are genuine, and Castro is dead. The pictures may have been taken prior to Castro’s death. The one of him holding yesterday’s paper would seem to preclude this possibility, but he is holding a supplemental section of the paper, not the front section. In the newspaper industry, supplemental sections are always printed well before the main sections of the paper. A section like the one Castro is holding, which appears to be an historical retrospective, could have been printed months ago.

That last possibility sure would explain a lot, such as: why no photos until now, and why no public appearances at all. But as always with this island prison, we see as through a glass darkly.

AND THEN THIS: As “Stef” points out in the comments, there is evidence that the section Fidel is holding is a proof copy, not the printed issue. It is larger than the real newspaper (notice the big blank margins), it is creased backwards (the cover should be showing when folded), and just look at this:

It’s a staple in the top left corner! Even in Cuba, newspapers are not held together with staples.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Just to remind you, I am considered something of an expert on fake photos, in Managua.

MORE EVIDENCE: Fools R Us notices that the lesions on Castro’s face, visible in his most recent authentic photos, are missing here!

(He also claims that the newspaper is a “very obviously and badly Photoshopped copy,” which I disagree with. I think the photos are genuine, but old, and do not depict what the government is claiming.)

THE REAL PAPER… was printed with spot red ink (Reuters Photo). That should take care of that: Fidel was definitely not holding one of these:

AND THAT ADIDAS JACKET! Here’s a real news photo of El Comandante standing with Jimmy Carter, in 2002. Unless I miss my guess, that’s our Adidas. I found it here. (You have to keep clicking the right arrow until you get to photo 6. Sorry.)

Carter visited Cuba in May 2002. He attended a baseball game with Fidel Castro on Tuesday, May 14. See this CNN story and scroll down for another photo of the Adidas jacket from another angle.

FINAL UPDATE: Today, August 14, there are more new photos! I started a new post about those, and will not be updating this one again. Except to say…

NOW HE’S ON VIDEO TOO! Details here.