-DATE-
19870820
-YEAR-
1987
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
ECHEVERRIA'S VISIT
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
MADRID EFE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19750821
-TEXT-
CONTINUED REPORTAGE ON ECHEVERRIA'S VISIT

Castro:  Cuba 'Part of L.A. Family'

Madrid EFE in Spanish 0116 GMT 20 Aug 75 PA

[Text] Cienfuegos, Cuba, 19 Aug--Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro said
today that Cuba never stopped being part of Latin America.  Asked if Cuba
would now join the Latin American family, Castro flatly replied: "We are
part of the Latin American family."

"It was the United States that mortgaged our country's independence," the
Cuban top leader asserted.  Asked if Cuban-Mexican friendship launched an
anti-imperialist movement in Latin America, the Cuban prime minister said:
"The union of Latin America will not be against the United States; it is
for our people's true independence."  Asked about the Latin American
Economic System (SELA) and if participation in the system would call for
cooperating with countries such as Chile, which has a different regime,
Castro said; "It is difficult to exclude a country from this type of
organization.  We were not the founders of the SELA; we were invited to
participate, and that is what we are doing."  Furthermore, he said: "In
organizations which seek Latin America's unity we must pay no attention to
the type of social regime.:"

Castro said Latin American integration is a great common objective.  He
also said that "imperialism has divided Latin America and also has been the
main obstacle to integration."  Castro spoke today during an informal news
conference in Cienfuegos while visiting the industry zone accompanied by
Mexican President Luis Echeverria, on his third day on an official visit to
Cuba.

Prime Minister Castro also noted at the news conference that the economic
blockade against Cuba continues despite the decision approved at the San
Jose conference.  He admitted that the United States has eased its
hostility against Cuba, but he denied that there is detente, because this
term is inapplicable as long as the United States continues its economic
blockade against Cuba.
-END-