Fidel Castro meets with vice president of Ecuador

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has discussed healthcare issues with Ecuador Vice President Lenin Moreno Garces, the country's media said on Friday.

HAVANA, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has discussed healthcare issues with Ecuador Vice President Lenin Moreno Garces, the country's media said on Friday.

Moreno arrived to the island on the four-day visit with a purpose to study social support of disabled persons in Cuba. The Ecuadorean official has been wheelchair-bound for about 11 years, as a result of a gunshot wound sustained during a failed assassination attempt.

Castro has rarely been seen in public since he ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, who officially became president in February 2008. He made a major public appearance in late August, when a 24-minute video of his meeting with Venezuelan law students was broadcast on national TV.

In late September Castro met with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias.