Castro's Europe bashing shows he's still willing to take a risk

SANTIAGO, Cuba -- In rejecting future European aid despite his nation's cash crisis, Fidel Castro is showing that he has changed little from the young lawyer who launched a reckless armed raid 50 years ago.

Calculated risk-taking is as much a part of the 76-year-old leader's personality as his nationalism and strongly held belief that he is on the side of right and good.

"Cuba does not need the help of the European Union to survive," Castro told an enthusiastic crowd of about 10,000 supporters at a Saturday night event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of Cuban revolution.

He described European Union members as "the superpower's Trojan horse," saying they were unable to deal independently with the communist state without mirroring U.S. policies.

And Castro said Europe had a past it should be ashamed of, calling the union "a group of old colonial powers historically responsible for slave trafficking, looting and even the extermination of entire peoples."

Castro has been at odds with Europe since early June, when the 15-member union announced it was reviewing its policies toward Cuba because of human rights concerns.

Cuba was widely condemned after a March crackdown on the opposition that put 75 dissidents behind bars for terms of up to 28 years.

European nations that oppose the death penalty were also troubled by the April 11 firing-squad executions of three men who hijacked a ferry and tried to reach the United States.

In announcing its review of Cuba policies in June, the European Union said it was "deeply concerned about the continuing flagrant violation of human rights and of fundamental freedoms" on the island.

The 15 members of the union unanimously agreed to reduce high-level governmental visits and participation in cultural events in Cuba, and to invite dissidents to national holiday celebrations at their embassies here.

Castro responded by leading a march of hundreds of thousands of people outside the Spanish Embassy, with protesters mocking Spanish Premier Jose Maria Aznar as a fascist. A similar march was held outside the Italian Embassy.

Despite Castro's newest statements, the EU's executive Commission said Sunday it would keep sending send aid to Cuba, which has totaled more than $167 million since 1993.

While it "regrets the declarations" by Castro, the commission stressed its "commitment to continue supporting the Cuban people and in particular those most in need."

Because the EU is Cuba's largest trade partner, Castro's statements appeared reckless to some.

Cuba is struggling with a severe cash crisis despite a recent jump in the number of visitors to the island after a serious slump in tourism.

But they were a reminder that after 44 years in power, Castro is the same man who at age 26 launched a seemingly suicidal attack on a military barracks a half century ago.

The attack failed and he was captured. But he turned that failure into a public relations triumph during his trial, giving a courtroom speech that generated wide popular support. Spending less than two years in prison, Castro went on to organize the guerrilla campaign that achieved victory on Jan. 1, 1959.

He's also the same man who has led Cuba through four decades of American trade sanctions, and more than a decade of severe economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Today, Cuba is among only four communist systems in the world and only one in the Americas.