HAVANA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, the eldest son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, took his own life Thursday morning after being treated for depression for months, an official release said.

According to a statement on the government site Cubadebate, Castro Diaz-Balart, 68, suffered a "deep depressive state" for which he had been receiving medical attention during the last months.

He had served as a scientific counsellor to the Council of State and was vice president of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.