WikiLeaks cables a 'colossal scandal' for US: Castro

HAVANA: The trove of classified and secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks is a "colossal scandal" for the United States, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said Wednesday.

"The United States is involved in a colossal scandal as a result of the documents published by WikiLeaks whose authenticity -- independent of whatever might have been the motives of this website -- has not been put into doubt by anyone," Castro wrote in a piece published by Cuban newspapers.

His island's media, like those in most countries around the planet, have seized on the revelations, though none has made direct reference to the cables mentioning Cuba.

One cable published by WikiLeaks Tuesday showed US diplomats writing they had reliable information that Cuba was harboring members of Spain's armed separatist Basque group ETA who were helping FARC guerrillas in Colombia.

Another mentioned US worries that Cuban intelligence services were exerting an influence in Venezuela, where they had direct access to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.