Castro Says Cuba’s Boycott of Summer Olympics at Seoul Is Justified

Cuban President Fidel Castro, in an interview with NBC News, justified Cuba’s boycott of the Summer Games in South Korea, saying “it was a question of principles” and referring to North Korea’s failed attempt to co-host the games.

“To have the Olympics in Seoul would be like having them at the Guantanamo naval base occupied by the United States. I wonder that, if Socialist countries refused to go to (the 1984 Olympics in) Los Angeles for security reasons, if really there is more security in Seoul than in Los Angeles,” he said.

Guantanamo, at the eastern tip of Cuba, is the only American military base on communist soil.

Castro said he will re-consider the decision not to send athletes to Seoul only if the Games are shared between the two Koreas. He acknowledged that’s unlikely.