Cuban leader Fidel Castro criticised Latin America's socialist presidents today but praised Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his regional allies.
Nearly all 19 leaders who attended Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile this weekend were leftists, but there was debate over the region's future and the closing speeches yesterday were marked by sharp exchanges between Mr Chavez and Spanish leaders.
"I listened with great sorrow to the speeches pronounced from traditional left positions at the Ibero-American summit," Mr Castro wrote in a commentary broadcast by state media.
He was apparently referring to the presidents of Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and others who advocate social democracy with capitalism.
"I felt proud of the pronouncements of various leaders, revolutionary and courageous," he said of the heads of state from Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, who believe government and economic structures must be radically altered and a new relationship developed with the US.
"Chavez's criticism of Europe was devastating. The Europe that precisely tried to dictate lessons at this Ibero-American summit," Mr Castro said.
Spain's King Juan Carlos told Mr Chavez to "shut up" yesterday as the Venezuelan leader tried to interrupt a speech by Spain's socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Mr Zapatero was criticising Mr Chavez for calling former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a fascist.
The 81-year-old Cuban leader is recovering from a series of intestinal surgeries that forced him to temporarily hand over power to his brother Raul Castro in July 2006.