Castro taunts Bush in TV chat

2005-11-01 10:57

Mar Del Plata - Cuban President Fidel Castro taunted United States President George W Bush in a televised chat late on Monday with Argentine soccer idol Diego Maradona, saying Bush would not be welcome at a summit this week in Argentina.

Castro said Bush should cancel his plans to attend the Summit of the Americas at the Atlantic resort of Mar del Plata.

"If I were Bush, I would not go to the Summit of the Americas," Castro told Maradona, the retired soccer star who now hosts his own hit television show.

"If I were the president of the United States, I would try to have a little judgment for once and not defy the Argentines who have declared him persona non grata," Castro said.

Large protests are expected at the Summit of the Americas later this week that will be attended by Bush and 33 other heads of state in Mar del Plata, 400km south of Buenos Aires.

Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup triumph in 1986, landed Castro as a guest on his new show, La Noche del 10, a reference to his number 10 jersey on the national team. The show has broken all TV audience records since it was launched three months ago.

Agreeing with Castro, whom he regards as an old friend, Maradona promised to lead the anti-Bush demonstrations that are expected to attract thousands of protesters.

"We are going to say 'no' to Bush, we are going to tell him 'no' in Mar del Plata," Maradona said, dressed in a military outfit in the Cuban style.

Maradona reportedly slimmed down for the television programme, undergoing an operation to staple his stomach due to his weight problem.

The two men finished the first round of their televised interview, which will continue next week at the same hour, playing with a football which the Cuban leader chose to throw back to Maradona with his hand.

- AFP