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Castro Calls Bush 'Alienated,' says Cuba Ready for Invasion

Cuban President Fidel Castro says that the United States covets Cuba's national resources and plans an invasion to obtain them

Feb. 2, 2005

Original Article (Spanish)    

Havana. - The Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, today described the U.S. president, George W. Bush, as "alienated," and reiterated that Cuba is prepared for a supposed North American invasion and that he himself is prepared "to die" in Havana, [Spain's] EFE News reported.

In front of hundreds of Latin American delegates attending a forum on education in the Cuban capital, Castro spoke of the recent inaugural speech of [President] Bush, whom he called "Little Bush."

"I listened to Mr. Bush's speech and I observed him very carefully, I observed him psychologically, and cold-bloodedly and with all the experience that I have, and the truth is that I saw the face of an alienated man, speaking about things that he was reading from his little book," Castro said.

"Hopefully - they at least have the capacity to think about this, because really, if they commit the blunder of attacking this country, I recommend to him (Bush) that it is better to send 50 nuclear weapons and exterminate us all."

"Do it! We are not afraid" because "we prefer extermination with glory, and honor," insisted Castro, who said Cuba is a "heaven in the spiritual sense of the word" and as Cubans, "we prefer to die in heaven than to survive in hell.

"If there is an invasion here, I will die here, in this city," affirmed the Cuban leader.

The 78-year-old Castro already seems to have recovered from an operation on his knee, undergone after a fall last October. He was standing during a good portion of his over four-hour speech, although he leaned on a table on several occasions.

"Never in history, has there been a battle like the one that would take place against these mercenaries -- against these Barbarians -- these crazy alienated people over there, when they try to invade and occupy this country." he warned.

"They want to occupy this territory to collect for the gang of treasonous mercenaries that they have there, they want to recover the cobalt, nickel mines, the natural resources of this country, and the petroleum that we are beginning to find." it said.

"Without moral authority and with lies, this country [the United States] has no authority over anyone. The assassins, the torturers, the criminals, will never be able to direct this country," insisted.

Castro dedicated a large portion of his speech to praising his friend, main ally and commercial partner, President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez, and promised that there is little chance that "the empire" would assassinate this "able and extraordinary leader."

Before hundreds of Venezuelan young people and in the presence of the Venezuela's minister of Education, Castro thanked Chávez for the cooperation achieved through the Caracas Agreement, which guaranteed Cuba's oil supply.

"What we have given in cooperation to Venezuela in social programs, is much less than what they have materially given us virtue of the agreement of Caracas," he said.

The Cuban president also spoke on the subject of the Worldwide Forum of Alphabetization, which demonstrates the importance of programs to fight illiteracy and to refute critics of multilateral organizations and developed countries.

"Cuba is doing much more for education than UNESCO," Castro said.


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