Rumors are flying in Miami tonight that the Cuban leader has died, even though the official word in Cuba is that Fidel is still alive.

Sandra Avila, an executive at a design firm in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, said clients and vendors called all day asking about the rumors.

“I-ve heard the rumors before, but there’s a different feeling this time, like this time it’s real,” she said.

The rumor mill took off a year ago when the Cuban leader announced he would turn power over to his brother Raul because of an intestinal illness. Since then, Castro, who has ruled Cuba for nearly 48 years, has not been seen in public.

Even celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, a Cuban-American who normally deals with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, jumped into the fray Friday, writing that sources were saying the Miami police were poised to announce Castro’s death.