Castro again blasts ethanol
By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press Writer
Related Content
HAVANA --
(AP) -- Cuba's government on Wednesday issued the second article in a
week about ethanol production signed by Fidel Castro, with the ailing
leader reiterating his charge that the use of food crops to produce
biofuels for automobiles could leave the world's poor hungry.
''Where are the poor countries of the Third World going to get the
minimum resources to survive?'' asked the article, Reflections of the
Commander in Chief. ``I'm not exaggerating or using unmeasured words. I
am sticking to the facts.''
As for Brazil's continued support of ethanol production, Castro wrote:
``It is not my intention to harm Brazil, nor get mixed up in affairs
related to the internal politics of that great country.''
But, Castro wrote, key questions remained unanswered about plans for
biofuel production following weekend talks between Brazilian President
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and President Bush on that and other trade
matters.
''From where and who are going to supply the more than 500 million tons
of corn and other cereals that the United States, Europe and the rich
countries are going to need to produce the quantity of gallons of
ethanol that the big companies of the United States and other countries
demand in return for their many investments?'' he asked.
Castro's articles indicate he is increasingly anxious to have his voice
heard on international matters eight months after being sidelined by
illness.
On July 31, the 80-year-old revolutionary temporarily ceded his
functions to his brother Raúl, the 75-year-old defense minister, after
announcing he had undergone emergency intestinal surgery.
Castro's condition and exact ailment remain a state secret, but he is
widely believed to suffer from diverticular disease, a weakening of the
walls of the colon that can cause sustained bleeding. Senior Cuban
officials have given increasingly optimistic reports about his health,
and there is a growing expectation on the Caribbean island that he could
soon make his first public appearance since falling ill.
Although some seem confident Castro will resume the presidency, others
think he is more likely to take on a less physically demanding post as
elder statesman, weighing in on international issues while Raúl and a
new collective leadership handle daily domestic affairs.
Bolivian President Evo Morales said last month that he expects to see
Castro in public on April 28 during a meeting in Havana with presidents
celebrating a regional trade and cooperation pact. The Cuban government
has not commented on Morales' statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment