Castro slams rich states for planet's destruction

ISTANBUL, Turkey (JP): President of Cuba Fidel Castro blasted the developed countries yesterday for destroying the planet and showing little concern for mankind.

In a hard-hitting speech which was met by applause from the audience at the UN Conference on Human Settlements II , Castro questioned the willingness of the developed countries to create a better world.

"Those who have almost destroyed the planet, poisoned the air, the seas, the rivers and the soil are presently showing little concern over mankind's plight," he said.

"How many heads of state and government from the developed countries are attending this meeting today?" he asked.

Castro lamented the gap between the rich and the poor, which he suggested was created by "centuries of colonialism, slavery and economic exploitation."

"Some had it all, others had nothing. These so-called consumer societies, which are but an insult to the four-fifths of the hungry and destitute inhabitants that we are, were built with the sweat and blood of the exploited masses," he thundered.

Despondency is spreading in the Third World, which is suffering much exploitation, he said. The lack of resources is one of the big problems to deal with the problems in developing countries.

"There is much talk today about the global economy and technological progress. But what is the use of all that if it does not solve man's problems, if the rich countries are richer and the poor are poorer?"

"What resources do we have for education, health, food, housing and employment not only for those people living in the world today but for the almost one hundred more million born to humanity every year?" he said.

Castro did not explicitly state that the rich countries should provide more foreign assistance to developing countries, but he indicated that the Third World would not be able to cope without the involvement of the international community.

He called for a cut in military spending, arguing that the money saved could be used to alleviate poverty.

"It cannot be said that the money is not there. How is it possible that in the post-cold war period millions of millions of dollars are spent on weapons and armies and that the arms trade continues to grow? How can mankind be so deceived?" he asked.

Castro said that to solve urban problems, government should not abandon rural areas, as poverty in rural areas motivates migration to the cities, where they end up as poor urbanites. (sim)