(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-23 11:12

HAVANA - Retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Friday lashed out at US presidential hopefuls' calls for change in his country, saying the only change needed is in the United States.

In his first column article since he announced retirement as Cuba's top leader, Castro said all the US presidential candidates cried for change in Cuba in recent debates, but the fact is that "Cuba changed a long time ago and will continue its dialectic road without returning to the past."

All these candidates in the US were forced to proclaim their immediate demands to Cuba "to avoid risking vote losses," said Castro.

Castro said that US leaders want Cuba to become part of their "voracious and expansionist empire," and that is what they mean by change.

Castro announced his retirement on Tuesday, after some 50 years in office. He said he would not accept the position of president of the Council of State and commander in chief but will definitely communicate his thoughts with Cuban citizens through a newspaper column titled "Reflections of Comrade Fidel."