HAVANA - Hospitalized Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Friday telephoned the ongoing session of provincial legislatures and listened to their reports, thus breaking the rumor that he is seriously ill, Cuba's Communist Party newspaper Granma reported on Saturday.

A girl stands in a doorway next to a board showing newspaper clips and photographs of Cuba's President Fidel Castro with the headlines reading "Absolved by history," "Fidel, the Communist Achilles" and "Trusting and alert next to Fidel and Raul" in Havana December 16, 2006. Ailing Cuban President Fidel Castro has spoken by telephone to a meeting of Cuban officials, the ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma said on Saturday in the first official word on the 80-year-old leader in 11 days. [Reuters]

This is the first official piece of information about the allegedly recovering leader in 11 days. Castro's phone-in to the meetings "prompted an ovation from participants," and he was informed of the agenda of the meetings, Granma said.

The provincial legislative meetings were held in preparation for the upcoming session of the National Assembly, slated for December 22 to vote on the country's budget and other important matters.

Later on Friday, Castro's closest ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said that he spoke twice with Castro on the phone on Thursday, and that he was well informed that Castro does not have cancer, believing that the Cuban leader would recover.

Castro has not been seen in public since July 26, five days before he announced that he had undergone emergency intestinal surgery and was temporarily ceding his powers to his 75-year-old brother Defense Minister Raul Castro.

Cuban officials insist Castro is recovering, but U.S. officials say they believe he suffers from some kind of inoperable cancer and is very ill.