"Even if I don't go, we, I, feel represented in your words," Castro told Chavez in a
                 telephone call during a marathon live broadcast of the Venezuelan leader's weekly
                 "Hello President" television and radio program.

                 The 75-year-old Cuban leader, who swapped banter, baseball talk and mutual praise
                 with his younger counterpart during the on-air chat, said he had not yet made up
                 his mind whether to attend the March 18-22 International Conference on Financing
                 for Development in the Mexican city of Monterrey

                 The United Nations meeting will bring together some 50 heads of state, including
                 President Bush and representatives from 100 other countries, who will seek ways
                 to boost rich nations' funding of programs to help the poor.

                 Chavez, a 47-year-old former paratrooper who has strengthened oil-rich
                 Venezuela's ties with communist Cuba, has often praised Castro's socialist
                 revolution and expressed similar anti-capitalist and "anti-imperialist" views.

                 Hailing the Venezuelan leader's "spirit and enthusiasm," the veteran Cuban president
                 said Chavez would address the U.N. conference in Mexico as president of the
                 Group of 77, which represents more than 130 developing countries.

                 "No other voice could be better than yours to defend the interests of the (Group of)
                 77. ... You will have the possibility of putting forward the point of view of the
                 progressive people of the world," Castro added.

                 Chavez, hosting a special 100th edition of his "Hello President" show lasting nearly
                 seven hours, also received calls of congratulation from Guatemalan President
                 Alfonso Portillo and Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia.

                 The Cuban leader's public praise for Chavez was certain to infuriate political
                 opponents of the Venezuelan leader and his self-proclaimed "Bolivarian Revolution."

                 UNITED AGAINST ATTACKS

                 Chavez's foes accuse him of trying to imitate Castro and Cuba's Revolution by
                 trying to install a leftist authoritarian regime in Venezuela, the world's No. 4 oil
                 exporter.

                 The Venezuelan president, who won elections in 1998 six years after trying to seize
                 power in a botched military cou p, says his nationalist "revolution" is inspired by
                 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar and seeks to close the wide gap
                 between rich and poor in his oil-rich country.

                 Castro and Chavez hailed their nations' strong political and economic ties, which
                 have been criticized by the United States. Washington is the biggest single client for
                 Venezuela's oil exports but keeps long-running trade sanctions on Cuba.

                 "However much they attack us, we are creating a new model of integration," the
                 Venezuelan president said.

                 Castro, who described himself as "an expert in putting up with attacks," urged
                 Chavez to stand firm against criticism from his political enemies.

                 "We've been under attack for 43 years and today the Revolution is stronger than
                 ever," Castro said, referring to U.S. hostility against Havana since the 1959 Cuban
                 Revolution.

                 The two leaders ended their on-air chat with the revolutionary slogan "Always
                 onwards until victory."

                 Chavez also used the program to warn his opponents that he was losing patience
                 with their continuing efforts to stir up opposition to his three-year-old rule through
                 political conspiracies and talk of coup plots.

                 "If you carry on with this, I'm going to be waiting for you and I'll expose you to
                 the Venezuelan people," he said, adding his foes included political figures, media
                 owners and bankers.

                 The tough-talking president has seen his popularity plunge in recent months and has
                 faced growing criticism from opposition politicians, business and labor leaders, the
                 Catholic Church and dissident military officers.

                 Chavez has brushed aside the criticism, scoffed at coup fears and vowed to press
                 ahead with contested reforms covering everything from oil and land to fisheries and
                 finances, which he says are aimed at fairly distributing Venezuela's oil wealth.

                    Copyright 2002 Reuters.