Galloway backs Castro on Cuba TV

By Stephen Gibbs
BBC News, Havana

George Galloway says Fidel Castro is the living person he most admires

Controversial British MP George Galloway has made a surprise appearance on live Cuban television.

He defended Cuban President Fidel Castro against allegations made by a US magazine that he has amassed a personal fortune of $900m (£477m).

Mr Galloway said the article was part of a "Yankee imperialist" conspiracy.

Mr Castro has said the claim in Forbes magazine is "rubbish" and that he would resign if anyone proved he had a single dollar in a foreign bank account.

Few knew that Mr Galloway was in Cuba until, in the middle of a live television discussion programme, he emerged to offer his impassioned support for Fidel Castro.

The Cuban president, in his customary military fatigues, looked on approvingly as the British MP said Mr Castro was a symbol of dignity.

"The Cubans are the only people in the entire world who have a leader who can say that he doesn't possess one dollar to his name," said Mr Galloway.

'Commandante'

Mr Galloway, who admits a weakness for Cuban cigars, has long taken an interest in the only Communist state in the western hemisphere.

He describes Fidel Castro as the living person he most admires.

During his remarks on Cuban TV he drew a parallel between himself and President Castro, whom he referred to as "commandante".

The MP said he too had been slandered as a thief, when unproved claims were made that he had profited from the Iraq oil-for-food programme.

Mr Galloway said the problem was that those who believe money is the only god, fail to realise that some people see the world in a different way.

In a separate interview with the BBC, a spokesperson for Forbes said the magazine stood by its original article.