*** 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.
Good thinking..
Before I continue ,first of all I don´t wish him dead.
Fidel has copies in his hand. The newspaper Granma is more yellow colored, and a little bit smaller. What Fidel has are copies of the special edition, edited together what the saturday Granma.
They are copies because you see at his finger at the left top corner a clamp (una grapa in spanish). The format of the paper is also A3 which is another proof of copy.
Thanks for the insider info, Stef. I thought the blank margins were odd, but I didn’t know what size Granma trimmed to. I also noticed it is creased backwards. Good catch on the staple!
This story was broken by:
http://www.fools-r-us.blogspot.com
And the original comparison pictures can be seen there.
Compare Fidel’s newspaper with the actual edition of the same paper in this AP photo.
I thought they usually include the color in a proof. Fidel’s is b/w with different margins (his copy is about the same on the sides, but the top margin is much bigger).
Thanks, Orsino and Hector. I have updated the post. There are different kinds of proofs. Color proofs cost a good deal more than “blackline” or “contact” proofs. Usually for simple spot color work like this, a color proof is not necessary.
Oops, Reuters photo, not AP.
In any case, I don’t think the newspaper in the photo is real. I think they took an unpublished photo of him holding up some sort of paper or document and added the image of Granma. That is just an opinion, partially based on how dark the blacks on his newspaper are compared to the contrast in the rest of the photo.
It isn’t that big of a deal though. These photos were put out as propaganda, and either he is alive or isn’t and we’ll find out soon enough.
I think y’all are missing the most obvious problem with the photo: even if it is not a Photoshop fake, there is no way to tell when it was taken. He isn’t holding today’s London Times, or even today’s El Universal (the largest Central American newspaper). He’s holding a paper that HIS GOVERNMENT controls with a generic headline, unreadable copy, and no visible date. The layout and copy for major stories is often predesigned. A few years ago people found a number of obituaries for still-living people on CNN’s website (just “insert date here”). Should we be surprised that a closed Communist government may have ordered a prewritten generic “Nothing is wrong, the Great Leader is fine” story and then photographed the leader with a copy of said newspaper? In this case, it’s not even the actual newspaper, but a black and white proof copy, “insert date here.” The only question in my mind is whether he is dead or in a coma.
Castro Latest Photo Dupe?
Nah, no propaganda here. LOL Puhlease. I’d hate to find myself driving behind this guy on the highway. I say he’s out of it, at the very least. Sean Gleeson has the scoop.
All true, Michael, except for the part about “missing the most obvious problem.” I keep repeating that I don’t think the picture is retouched, but I think the Cubans are lying when they say it was shot today, for pretty much the reasons you state. Thank you for amplifying my own thoughts.
Oh, and of course it’s a “Special Edition” newspaper, so there are no other headlines on the front page which might suggest a time frame.
Communists suck.
My appologies, I skimmed and didn’t notice you made similar comments in the middle.
our thoughts and prayers go out to you castro! get well soon!
If any readers have any info on what year the Cuban Olympic Team(s) were wearing that jacket, we’ll be able to ascertain just how old is the photo
Excellent point, Fausta! I have just e-mailed the press relations people at Adidas asking exactly that. Meanwhile, if any readers would like to volunteer that information, that would be swell.
The simplest explanation. It’s real and he’s wearing makeup to make him look less pale.
Like minds - been doing the same thing myself today here….
http://stickynotes.squarespace.com/journal/2006/8/13/conflicting-images.html
Look at the third line in the far right column. The line has more print in Castro’s version of the paper than in the red ink headline version.
No, the right-hand column has twelve lines of text in both photos.
good work guys. You have again showed why communists are never, ever to be trusted.
CNN now showing new pics with black ink, cropped to regular size with staple removed.
NEVER MIND
Castro is recovering well
is it stapled to his finger?? /sarcasm
I’m not only looking forward to this evil, mass-murdering bastard hanging dead by his heels from a Havana lamppost, but the staff of Granma hanging dead next to him, and his evil brother.
It’s Alive!
The real proof:
Only on Sine Metu Reloaded
I love this graph from the AP:
“It was impossible to confirm the authenticity of the photographs, which were credited to Estudios Revolucion, a division of Castro’s personal support group that collects historic documents and images. But there was no reason to doubt they were real.”
No reason at all. Move along folks; nothing to see here. Let’s imagine if Bush (or Clinton) went in for surgery and two weeks later his people released a photo of him holding a copy of that day’s official White House newspaper, but provided no independent press access and no details of the President’s health. Do you think that last sentence would appear in the AP’s report?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/13/D8JFMPEO0.html
Weekend at Castro’s? Some Think Fidel Fotos Are Fauxtos…
Obligatory humorous photoshop… When I first saw the new Castro images on TV, I thought they looked a bit odd, but I DON’T believe they’re photoshops. That hasn’t stopped the rumors from flying though, including from Drudge: Okay, Drudge is…
The ink on the paper seems too black. I don’t know any technical terms, but it doesn’t seem like an actual paper (even a proof).
If that’s a proof (either a contact sheet or a laser print), rather than a printed page, then there is no ink on that paper. A contact sheet uses silver nitrate, and a laser print uses toner. These are much blacker than printer’s ink, and the paper used is much whiter than newsprint. This photo looks very plausible as a proof copy, not so much as a newspaper.
[…] UPDATE: Was this Reuters Grade™ photo prophetic? Sean Gleeson seems to think so. […]
I never realized what a short mean little hag Carter was until I saw him side by side with Castro.
Hey Sean, how come your newsfeed doesn’t update to show the change?
I think my feed is updating. I mean, I just checked it, and it shows all my updates. You’re looking at a cache? I didn’t alter the timestamp or the URL, so maybe your reader doesn’t see the need to download it again? That’s the disadvantage with updates, as opposed to new posts, I reckon.
Cuba Using Photoshop To Keep Castro Alive?
Here’s a photo of Castro released by Cuba’s state-controlled media that’s supposed to prove to us all that Fidel is still alive. A release by the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde shows one of the first pictures of Cuban leader Fidel…
Hmm-that’s odd. When you left the comment at my place I came over to look, then wondered why it hadn’t updated because I had just a few minutes earlier refreshed all my feeds-so I did it again manually, refreshing just your feed, but no change. Now it shows the change though.
Eddies in the spacetime continuum?
The “special edition” of Granma was made to be issued anytime the government needed to show Castro alive. It could have been issued next week or next month along with the “timely” photos and would have “proved” Castro’s existence just as well as it does now.
I go with real photos, but older than they appear. I’d guess it was made in the past several months when Castro’s health began to deteriorate.
Eddies in the spacetime continuum, that’s it! Back in Chicago in the 1980’s, we had two aldermen named “Fast Eddie” and “Slow Eddie.” I suspect they’ve been monkeying with my RSS feeds again.
[…] Mentre tutti i giornali pubblicano le prime foto di un Fidel Castro convalescente (qui, qui, qui), i blogger spiegano che esiste PhotoShop e che le foto sono fasulle (qui, e qui si leggano gli update di Sean Gleeson). […]
Check out his right thumb in the photo with the newspaper. Zoom in and decrease the brightness. It seems to me the entire thumb is pasted (it appears to be framed in a distinct rectangle). Also the position of the thumb (the fingernail is not entirely visible, the finger is turned towards the palm of the hand!) is quite unnatural (it would require castro to twist his thumb like more than I think it’s naturally possible).
More Fidel-shopping here !
He live´s:
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/secciones/siempre_con_fidel/art-051.html
was the actual paper blank? to be trotted out as ‘proff’ after he was dead?
This is like super nitpicky, but why is his jacket clipped together (look below the bottom-left corner of the paper) with a hairclip? Is the zipper broken? If anything, it’s just another odd thing with this picture.
Yeah, I reckon the zipper’s busted. But he has had that jacket since 2002, and he can’t bring himself to throw it away, because it has such sentimental value.
You forgot on possiblity:
The photos are fake, and Castro is alive.
It might simply be that his PR agency did what every good PR agency would do: make him appear younger and fitter than he is.
Photos are fake and Castro is dead & dancing xD
¡Viva Cuba Libre!
There’s a lot more wrong that I’ve seen mentioned here.
Here is the link to the article at Cigar Envy showing that the Castro photos are fakes
Not only is the size and color of the newspaper Castro is holding wrong, and not only is the headline and logo printed in black instead of in red — the size of the headline has been reduced in size to fit the page while the rest is the same size.
That isn’t a proof copy, unless they regularly blow up parts of proofs to fit on a page and reduce other parts.
That’s a complete photoshop fake.
First of all, I don’t see the differences that Cigar Envy is trying to prove. To me, the whole page sizes proportionally from one photo to the next. See: the ‘G’ in the ‘Granma’ flag is aligned on the left with the ‘A’ in the headline, in both photos. And: the final ‘a’ in ‘Granma’ lines up right over the space between ‘POR’ and ‘LA’ in the headline, in both photos! Therefore, the headline and the flag are proportionate, from one photo the other. They don’t line up in Cigar Envy’s overlay, because they are distorted and rotated differently.
Second, even if you found a dozen differences between one copy and the other, it would not disprove that this was a proof copy. Frequently, changes are made from a proof copy to a printed piece. That’s really what proof copies are for, to proof.
[…] Is Castro Dead? Probably, maybe not, who knows? 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. […]
[…] Het is een ware hype om te laten zien dat bloggers de waarheid kunnen achterhalen en zo wordt elke foto momenteel zo’n beetje ter discussie gesteld. Zo was er gelijk ook vanalles te doen om de foto van Fidel Castro (vervolg) […]
joseph et al,
I think the clip on Castro’s jacket has one or more of 3 functions:
1) To hold an IV tube as much as to clip the IV- concealing jacket together.
2) Replacing the zipper, not because it is broken, but because Castro has some swelling in the gut (due to beer, the illness or the surgery?) and the jacket doesn’t fit around the waste.
3) Replacing the zipper, because after abdominal surgery he isn’t comfortable with anything cinched up around the abdomen.
open the photo in photoshop, zoom in to the top of the newspaper, and play with the levels. The top of the paper was clearly photoshopped. It looks like a square brush tool was applied numerous times in the top margin.
Does anyone here read or have access to printed Granma?
It seems to me there are some key questions which would provide statistical evidence for whether this photo is, as presented, a recent one of Castro holding a late proof, or instead more than a few weeks (even months) old:
1) Does Granma often print a section like this? What portion of Granma covers are readily datable from headline or photo, and what portion are vague and could be set up well ahead of time for such a (fraudulent) dating purpose?
2) Does Granma almost always have color on the fron tof such sections? Was the photo supposed to be obviously a B&W proof, or did someone think it would actually be seen as Castro holding a printed copy? (I would guess the former, since the latter really requires gross incompetence.)
3) If the photo was to depict Castro with a printed Granma, presumably the printed one was supposed to be in B&W (assuming minimal competence). Did Granma “happen” to print color this time when the plan was for B&W in order to complete the ruse? This would say something about the political position of Granma’s leader(s). I do not know who controls Granma, presumably of course one or more Party members.
Anyone seeing a difference in the texture between the two thumbs and between the left thumb and the rest of the left fingers?
How about the size/shape of fingernails between the right and left thumbs?
[…] It’s reminiscent of photos kidnappers release to prove their hostages are still alive, by showing the hostages holding up a copy of today’s paper, except that in this case it’s a whole country that’s been held hostage for more than 47 years. Also, as blogger Sean Gleeson notes, Granma is published by Castro’s regime; the special section could have been prepared long in advance; and the paper Castro is holding looks to be a page proof, given the color, the margins, the crease and the staple in the upper left corner […]
Good explanations, dwpittelli. The communists always do this thing to Americans, that is, they make us downright suspicious of every little thing. They are such propagandaphiles that one is compelled to question the legitimacy of every piece of information in their media releases.
[…] the picture is meant to prove castro is still alive — you know, like a hostage. but see an analysis here. the blogger has a picture of what the real front page looks like, and some other things that are out of the ordinary. this was also highlighted in opinion journal’s blurb, what does a photo prove? Posted by travis in travis, politics | […]
[…] Siguiendo la denuncia por parte de los bloggers, me he encontrado con la curiosa página de Sean Gleenson, un aficionado a desmontar montajes, vengan de The Sun (como el análisis de la iluminación del pecho que sostiene el príncipe Harry) o de medios cubanos (y su sospecha de toda imagen castrista). Archivado en: […]
Drop Dead Monster-Castro! CAN’T wait to belly dance when I hear the news-May you burn in hell for all eternity for destroying beautiful Cuba and the Cuban people!
Fools! I visit here to make for you the gloating. I am still aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
What is a communist leader doing wearing a symbol of capitalism: Adidas? The tops design is also based on the American Flag. Even I would wear branding like that, and I am a capitalist. I think he “PR people” are morons, or perhaps Castro is