World Notes CUBA

Other Communist regimes began to totter when disaffected citizens filled foreign embassies demanding freedom to leave. Fidel Castro is determined to avoid that fate. Rather than permit 15 Cubans seeking asylum in the Spanish embassy in Havana to depart, he angrily renounced a $2.5 million economic cooperation program with Spain. And in a fiery three-hour speech marking the 37th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, Castro accused the U.S. of instigating the wave of embassy break-ins that created the diplomatic standoff.

The trouble began on July 9, when three Cubans forced their way into the embassy building seeking safe-conduct to Spain. To prevent further asylum seekers from entering, Cuban police have blockaded the buildings and Castro has said none of the refugees will be given permission to leave.

In his speech, Castro assailed Washington's "sick obsession" with Cuba and sarcastically called for U.S. ships to come and pick up unhappy Cubans.