Cubans in Miami Await News on Castro

Cuban-Americans celebrate on the streets in the Little Havana section of Miami, Monday July 31, 2006 after hearing the news about Fidel Castro's health when Cuban officials announced the head of Cuba had temporarily relinquished presidential power to his brother Raul due to intestinal illness. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (Alan Diaz - AP)

"She lived the rest of her life waiting for this day," Kling said.

Armando Tellez sat on the hood of his red truck and watched as hundreds of cars lined the streets of Hialeah, a heavily Cuban-American city northwest of Miami. Tellez, who came from Cuba in 1995, said he was not sure how the community would react in the long run, but he said Cuban Americans deserve to celebrate.

"This is a singular event in Cuba's history because there has never been anything that has given the people so much hope," said Tellez, 33. "My first reaction was disbelief. My second reaction was hope."

Raul Castro, who turned 75 in June, has been taking on a more public profile in recent weeks.

White House spokesman Peter Watkins said the administration was monitoring the situation.

"We can't speculate on Castro's health, but we continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom," Watkins said.

Coast Guard officials said they were on standby, awaiting further orders. "No ships have moved, no cutters have moved, everything is on standby," spokesman Dana Warr said. "We have units under way, but no plans from the Coast Guard have been put into action yet."

U.S. officials have long had plans in place to head off any possible mass exodus from Cuba by sea in case that the government suddenly opened the island's borders as occurred during the Mariel boatlift in 1980 and again during a similar crisis in 1995.

Miami police were monitoring the celebrations.

"Over the years there have been rumors that Castro has passed on, but there is no belief that it will be a bad time, that there will be mass riots," said police spokesman Delrish Moss. "Just the opposite _ lots of celebration, lots of joy and happiness."

A spokesman for the federal Department of Homeland Security said there had been no changes in national security measures.

Arturo Cobo, a Cuban exile activist, said it seemed strange that the secretive Cuban government had disclosed Castro's operation.

"Either he is dead or this is an elaborate practice for the Cuban government to test the reaction of its military, its ministry, its people and the American government," Cobo said.

While watching the news from his Miami home, Cobo speculated that the "practice" could be a way for Castro to test who his enemies are and who his friends are on the island.

Cobo said that the exile community had been waiting for this "forever."

"There is exultation and joy in the exile community tonight," he said.