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피델 카스트로(Fidel Castro) 전 쿠바 국가평의회 의장이 그의 생일을 기념해 출간된 저서를 통해 1980년대 북한이 무기를 공짜로 제공한 것에 대한 고마움을 표시했다.
카스트로는 냉전 말기 북한 지도자였던 김일성 주석이 쿠바를 지원한 데 대한 감사의 말을 전하면서 이같이 밝혔다고 AFP통신이 14일(현지시간) 보도했다.
이 책에서 카스트로는 노련하고 의심할 여지없는 전사인 김일성이 AK소총 10만정과 탄약을 단 1센트도 받지 않고 보냈다고 회고했다.
당시 쿠바에 대한 지원을 둘러싸고 미국과 대립하던 소련은 냉전을 마무리하고 쿠바 영토에서 철수하면서 쿠바 측에 스스로 보호할 것을 주문했다.
카스트로는 당시 소련 공산당 서기장이던 유리 안드로포프가 “쿠바는 미국의 공 격을 받으면 혼자 싸워야 한다”고 주문했고, 자신은 무기를 준다면 얼마든지 그렇게 할 수 있다는 의지를 피력했다고 섰다.
카스트로는 소련이 쿠바에 설치한 핵탄두 미사일로 인해 미국과의 핵전쟁 위기를 불러온 내용과 존 F.케네디 미국 대통령의 사망 등도 언급했다고 스페인 EFE통신 이 전했다.
쿠바에서는 지난 13일 카스트로의 87세 생일을 맞아 그의 업적을 정리한 책이 출간됐다.
카스트로는 지난달 15일 북한 선박 청천강호가 쿠바의 미사일 부품 등을 싣고 파나마 운하를 통과하려다 파마나 당국에 적발된 돼 억류된 일과 관련, 사건이 날조 되고 있다고 비난하기도 했다.
쿠바 정부는 이들 무기 장비가 지대공 미사일과 전투기, 엔진 등 노후화한 방어 무기라며 수리차 북한으로 보낸 것이라고 해명했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Castro says N.K. supplied free weapons to Cuba
By Park Han-na and news report
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro praised North Korea for providing free weapons at the end of the Cold War.
In an article published to mark Castro’s 87th birthday on Tuesday, he thanks North Korean leader Kim Il-sung for the military support when the Soviet Union withdrew from the communist state’s territory, saying that Cuba should defend itself from the United States.
“A veteran and unimpeachable combatant sent us 100,000 AK rifles and (ammunition) without charging a cent,” he said.
Castro recalled that Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov told him “Cuba has to fight alone if it were attacked by the United States,” and he said that his country could take care of the invaders if the Soviet Union could supply weapons free of charge in the 1980s.
Castro also mentioned that he did not expect his life would be extended for another seven years after he suffered from a near-fatal illness. Castro led the country for 49 years of rule since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. His younger brother, Raul, took over leadership of the country when he fell ill in 2008, although the official power transfer was not until 2011.
On July 16, a North Korean cargo ship was seized near the Panama Canal with undeclared weapons, which Havana claimed were “obsolete” Soviet-era missiles. The ship was on its way back to Cuba from North Korea after undergoing repairs.
The two communist states held bilateral talks on the sidelines of a ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in Pyongyang.
“I have an extraordinarily good impression of the exchange of views, which will make possible the consolidation of ties and a broadening of mutual cooperation,” Jose Ramon Balaguer, the head of international relations of the Communist Party of Cuba, was quoted as saying, referring to the talks with North Korea.
(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)
Castro says N.K. supplied free weapons to Cuba
By Park Han-na and news report
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro praised North Korea for providing free weapons at the end of the Cold War.
In an article published to mark Castro’s 87th birthday on Tuesday, he thanks North Korean leader Kim Il-sung for the military support when the Soviet Union withdrew from the communist state’s territory, saying that Cuba should defend itself from the United States.
“A veteran and unimpeachable combatant sent us 100,000 AK rifles and (ammunition) without charging a cent,” he said.
Castro recalled that Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov told him “Cuba has to fight alone if it were attacked by the United States,” and he said that his country could take care of the invaders if the Soviet Union could supply weapons free of charge in the 1980s.
Castro also mentioned that he did not expect his life would be extended for another seven years after he suffered from a near-fatal illness. Castro led the country for 49 years of rule since the Cuban Revolution in 1959. His younger brother, Raul, took over leadership of the country when he fell ill in 2008, although the official power transfer was not until 2011.
On July 16, a North Korean cargo ship was seized near the Panama Canal with undeclared weapons, which Havana claimed were “obsolete” Soviet-era missiles. The ship was on its way back to Cuba from North Korea after undergoing repairs.
The two communist states held bilateral talks on the sidelines of a ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in Pyongyang.
“I have an extraordinarily good impression of the exchange of views, which will make possible the consolidation of ties and a broadening of mutual cooperation,” Jose Ramon Balaguer, the head of international relations of the Communist Party of Cuba, was quoted as saying, referring to the talks with North Korea.
(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)
