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Havana – Cubans engaged in acts of “patriotic reaffirmation” Wednesday and heard the commentaries of Cuban and friendly countries’ officials regarding Fidel Castro’s recovery from surgery in the absence of official word on his health and the complete silence of his brother Raul, who is provisionally leading the country.

Castro, who will be 80 on Aug. 13, evidently is recovering satisfactorily from emergency intestinal surgery and will resume his political duties in a few weeks or months, according to the calming messages enunciated in recent days by the Communist island’s top officials.

The long-governing leader, in an unprecedented act, provisionally delegated power to his 75-year-old brother Raul on July 31 so that he could undergo emergency surgery and then recover without being burdened with his official duties.

The letter handing over power was signed by Fidel Castro and mentioned the fact that the health of the Cuban president is a “state secret.”

Since then, Cubans have been waiting for a statement from Raul or some kind of official medical report on how Fidel is doing, but nothing has been forthcoming and even the latter’s whereabouts have not been revealed, ostensibly for security reasons.

The head of the Cuban legislature, Ricardo Alarcon, on Wednesday justified the ongoing official silence about the elder Castro’s health saying that the “threat” existed that “bandits” in the United States might try to use the information to their advantage.

In recent days, leaders in friendly nations, such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a personal friend of Castro, have released optimistic messages about the Cuban revolutionary icon’s recovery.

Sandinista leader and former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who traveled to Havana this week to inquire about Castro’s health, said Tuesday that the patient “is already active,” is performing some official tasks and will resume the full scope of his duties soon.

Guatemalan indigenous leader and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu said Wednesday in her country that she had spoken earlier in the day by telephone with Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, who told her that Castro “is recovering very well and very soon will resume his activities.”

Meanwhile, the country is calm and activities are proceeding normally, and the official Cuban media continue to report on large demonstrations designed to renew the revolutionary commitment of the workers and various mass organizations.

On Wednesday, hundreds of youths participated in one such demonstration in Havana coinciding with the publication in the official youth daily Juventud Rebelde of a communique by the Union of Young Communists supporting the Castro brothers.