CONDOLEEZZA RICE, the US Secretary of State, urged Cubans last night not to flee to Florida despite the political uncertainty caused by President Castro’s illness.

Speaking on TV Marti, the US government service heavily jammed by Cuba, Dr Rice promised Cubans humanitarian aid once they begin “to chart a new course” after almost half a century of communist rule.

“We encourage the people of Cuba to work at home for positive change,” she said, indicating that the US did not want a mass exodus similar to those of 1980 and 1994.

“We believe that Cubans should stay in Cuba and be a part of what will be a transition to democracy,” she told NBC television. “All Cubans who desire peaceful democratic change can count on the support of the United States.”

Dr Rice added that the US was encouraging a joint call by democratic nations for the release of Cuban political prisoners, the restoration of civil liberties and multi-party elections.

However, Cuba has vowed to continue the Communist revolution, dismissing a call by President Bush yesterday for its people to press for democratic change while Señor Castro recovers from surgery.

The Communist leadership said that it would defend itself against any US attempt to capitalise on his illness.

In his first comments since Señor Castro was admitted to hospital, Mr Bush told Cubans: “We will support your effort to build a government committed to democracy and we will take note of those who obstruct your desire for a free Cuba.”

Journalists on state-controlled television derided the President’s message, joking that his list of those who oppose his plans for Cuba would be extremely long. “The only way to apply the Bush plan for regime change is by force,” said Rogelio Polance, the editor of Juventud Rebelde, the Communist Party youth newspaper.

US senators are moving to implement a plan by the Bush Administration to provide $80 million (£42 million) to anti-Castro groups in an effort to speed up a transition.

The health of Señor Castro, who turns 80 on August 13, remained a mystery after an operation to stop gastrointestinal bleeding. A statement attributed to the Cuban leader said that his condition would remain a state secret because of the conflict with the US.

His brother, Raúl, has not appeared in public since taking power on Monday, causing speculation about who is running the country. The lack of information has revived the art of Kremlinology on the island, in which observers scoured the state media for signs of a change in the balance of power.

On Thursday, Granma, the Cuban Communist Party newspaper, reprinted an old speech by Raúl in which he suggested that control would pass directly to the party — and not to himself. The newspaper’s editor said in a television debate that the extract conveyed the idea that “the historic substitute for leadership is the party”. However, Cuban state media has also been busy trying to burnish the image of Raúl, who is not well liked.

“We Cubans are prepared for the defence . . . and Raúl is there firmly at the helm of the nation, of the Revolutionary Armed Forces,” Granma said.

Cuban television has also run programmes discussing alleged plots by the US and Cuban exiles in Miami to invade, the traditional way of rallying Cubans in difficult times.

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