By Evelyn Leopold
United Nations - Before accusing wealthy countries of controlling the world and the United Nations, Cuba's Fidel Castro poked fun at himself and his decades-old reputation for marathon speeches.
He stepped onto the podium in the UN assembly hall, pulled out a white handkerchief and covered a yellow light that warns speakers when they are approaching the five-minute time limit. The audience of kings, presidents and prime ministers understood the joke, and burst into laughter.
As he did at the 50th United Nations anniversary five years ago, Castro stuck to the five-minute limit.
Wearing a dapper dark blue suit, Castro addressed the UN Millennium Summit by accusing rich nations of using their power "to make us poorer, more exploited and more dependent".
Although he never referred to the United States by name, he said the principle of sovereignty could not be sacrificed "to an abusive and unfair order that a hegemonic superpower" uses "to try to decide everything by itself".
"There is chaos in our world, both within the countries' borders and beyond. Blind laws are offered like divine norms that would bring peace, order, well-being and the security our planet so badly needs. That's what they would have us believe," Castro told the gathering.
In reality, said Castro, three dozen wealthy nations "have joined us in this gathering to offer more of the same recipes that have only served to make us poorer, more exploited and more dependent.
"There is nothing in the existing economic and political order that can serve the interests of humankind. Thus, it is unsustainable and it must be changed."
Castro said that wealthy countries keep investing enormous amounts of money on military and luxury items while most of the world lives in poverty, nature is being devastated and drinking water is scarce or contaminated.
It was unclear whether the 74-year old Castro would attend a gala reception given by President Clinton for world leaders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Thursday.
Washington imposed a trade embargo against the communist-led Caribbean island nearly four decades ago, although there are some moves in congress to ease the ban.
For the past eight years, the UN General Assembly has called for an end to the embargo, with only Israel supporting the United States.
Asked if Castro should meet Clinton at all, Colombian President Andres Pastrana said: "I think it could be a good signal."
At a lunch in the delegates Lounge, which Clinton also attended, Castro embraced South African President Thabo Mbeki, among others.
"I don't know where they're taking me," he joked in Spanish as he was led to his seat.
On Wednesday, Castro met Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and President Tran Duc Luong of Vietnam. He also saw Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a friend, his wife and daughter. - Reuters