-DATE-
19770712
-YEAR-
1977
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
VEJA INTERVIEW-CUBA NOT PLANNING TO BUILD A-BOMB
-PLACE-
RIO DE JANEIRO
-SOURCE-
BUENOS AIRES LA NACION
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19770713
-TEXT-
CASTRO IN INTERVIEW SAYS CUBA NOT PLANNING TO BUILD A-BOMB

PY122004Y Buenos Aires LA NACION in Spanish 12 Jul 77 p 6 PY

[Text] Rio de Janeiro--Fidel Castro has stated to the Brazilian weekly
VEJA, in an interview published here today, that until now "Cuba has not
planned to manufacture an atomic bomb."

Castro announced that the first nuclear power station in Cuba will start
functioning in 1983 or 1984 and a second station in 1985.

The Cuban leader also asserted that his country will not withdraw its
troops from Angola in exchange for the lifting of the U.S. economic
blockade of his country.

In this connection Castro said that Cuban solidarity with Africa was
"sacred" and stressed that the U.S. claim was absurd, pointing out that on
"Cuba's own territory there are thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed at
Guantanamo base, against the will of Havana."

Castro recognized that the recent fishing agreement between his country and
Washington was a goodwill gesture on the part of the United States, adding
that President Jimmy Carter seemed to be "a sincere man," not a "humbug"
like Richard Nixon.

The Cuban prime minister said that it was now up to the United States to
take the next step and added that "the lifting of the blockade should be
total."

He continued by stressing that he admired "the ideas and the courage" of
Andrew Young, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, adding that "it is
impossible to support Carter's policy in favor of human rights while he
continues to prop up Chilean-style fascist regimes."

Castro violently attacked China which, he said, "has betrayed the world
revolutionary movement through fully cooperating with imperialism."

He concluded by stating that there are between 2,000 and 3,000 political
prisoners in Cuba and that "torture is not practiced in my country."
-END-