HAVANA - Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Wednesday accused the United States of siphoning off Cuba's best and brightest talents and accused Washington of "scientific apartheid" throughout the world.
In an article appearing in Cuba's state-run press, Castro said that America had skimmed off one in 20 Cuban professionals, including many of its highly-regarded doctors who he said are trained at great cost to the impoverished Communist state.
"Between 1959 and 2004, Cuba graduated 805,903 professionals, including doctors," Castro said.
"The unjust policies of the United States has deprived our country of 5.16 percent of the professionals trained by the revolution," he wrote.
Castro blasted Washington's "internalization of scientific investigation ... creating a kind of 'scientific apartheid' for the great majority of humanity."
The convalescing Cuban leader, 80, sidelined by intestinal surgery for more than a year, handed power temporarily to his brother Raul.
From his hospital bed, he has been busy meeting visiting foreign dignitaries and writing opinion pieces for the government-run press.
He published his "Reflections of a Commander in Chief," in the same issue of the daily newspaper Granma.
In another piece in the same edition, Castro waxed on about the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, which he said have been so absorbing that he sometimes forgets to eat or take his medicine.
The games are taking place in Rio de Janeiro from July 13 to 29. As of Wednesday, Cuba was second in the medals table with nine golds to 23 by the United States.
07/18/2007 16:20 GMT