Cuba, seeking to reassure its people after Fidel Castro temporarily stepped down from power for surgery, released a statement from the long-time leader saying his health was stable and the defence of the island guaranteed, even as it sent more police today into neighbourhoods that have seen civil disturbances in the past.

Fidel Castro’s inner circle has sought to reassure Cubans after intestinal surgery forced him to temporarily cede power to his brother for the first time in 47 years, issuing a statement from the communist leader saying his health is stable, his spirits are good and the defence of the island is guaranteed.

Cuban Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon has called on the US government to release five Cuban men serving long prison terms on espionage conspiracy charges after a US federal appeals court threw out their convictions and sentences.