| By
Daniel Schweimler BBC correspondent in Havana | |
The President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, has responded angrily to accusations made earlier in the week by the United States that his country was trying to produce biological weapons and share its technological expertise with countries hostile to Washington.
In an hour-and-a-half long speech, he said the comments made by the US Under
Secretary of State, John Bolton, were full of lies and errors.
President Castro waited four days to respond to US criticisms.
His government has been criticised by Washington many times in the 43 years
since he came to power and he almost seems to enjoy the bitter rivalry.
US 'lies'
Reading from a carefully prepared text, he said the US had no proof that Cuba
was trying to produce biological weapons.
They do not have proof, he said, because it does not exist and it cannot
exist.
President Castro added that he had been misquoted in the accusations made by
the Mr Bolton.
The Americans, he said, seem to have no alternative but to lie, lie and lie.
Mr Bolton - the top State Department official dealing with weapons of mass
destruction - said he believed that Cuba was trying to develop biological
weapons and was passing its technical expertise to countries hostile to the US.
Carter visit
His comments put Cuba firmly on Washington's list of countries that make up
what US President George Bush had defined as an "axis of evil".
He noted that the Cuban leader last year visited Iran, Libya and Syria.
President Castro responded by praising Iran and noting that Cuba does have a
sophisticated biological medicine industry - exporting vaccines to more than 40
countries.
Cuba has nothing to hide, he added.
The speech will increase the bitterness in the long-running conflict between
Washington and Havana which has intensified in recent months.
It does, however, come just two days before the visit to Cuba by the former
US President, Jimmy Carter, whose aim of trying to improve relations between
these two old enemies has not been made any easier. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1981000/1981135.stm
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