Castro boldly bites EU hand that feeds Cuba

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.

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

While it "regrets the declarations" by Castro, the commission stressed it will "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.

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.

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