By Andrew Cawthorne
HAVANA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Havana dismissed with scorn on Thursday an attempt by Cuban exiles to promote the arrest and trial of President Fidel Castro in the same style as legal moves against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Asked about the case at a weekly news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alejandro Gonzalez, said ``such a ridiculousinfamy'' did not warrant a formal reaction.
But he suggested the move by the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), a powerful lobbying group run by rightwing opponents of Castro, was financially motivated.
``You should remember that in South Florida and other parts of the world, there are groups of people interested in this sort of campaign to get the money that it produces,'' he added.
Earlier on Thursday, the CANF asked a Spanish court to seek the detention and trial of Castro for genocide, torture and terrorism. It also sought criminal charges against Castro's brother Raul Castro, who heads the armed forces and is his designated successor, Cuban Tourism Minister Osmany Cienfuegos, and senior diplomat Carlos Amat.
Exile leaders told reporters in Madrid they were asking Spain's High Court, which instigated Pinochet's arrest in London last month, to investigate 300 cases of people they said were victimised by Castro's communist government since he came to power in a 1959 revolution.
But they said they expected to broaden the case to cover up to 18,000 victims. According to the group's president, Francisco Jose Hernandez, most of the names on the list are Cuban, but he also cited 12 U.S. citizens and five Spaniards.
The group wants the court to ask Interpol to arrest Castro if he travels outside Cuba.
The CANF's legal request is the latest in a bitter battle with Havana, which calls the group a ``terrorist mafia'' master-minding and financing violence against Cuba for years, including a 1997 series of small bombs at tourist facilities.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Gonzalez added in Thursday's briefing that five Central Americans detained here for allegedly planning bomb attacks in Cuba would be tried ``very soon'' for terrorism.
Cuba said last week that all five were funded by the CANF.
One, a Salvadoran, was arrested last year in connection with the explosions, which killed an Italian tourist and injured others. The others, a second Salvadoran and three Guatemalans, were arrested in recent months allegedly bringing explosives into the country.
The arrest of Pinochet in London last month, on an order by Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon who accuses him of genocide, torture and terrorism, inspired parts of the large U.S.-based Cuban exile community to urge similar treatment for Castro.
Britain's highest court is to decide whether to overturn a London court ruling that Pinochet cannot be extradited to Spain because he enjoys immunity as a former head of state.
Castro was a close ally of Chile's former socialist President Salvador Allende, who died in Pinochet's 1973 military coup. From then, he and Pinochet were sworn enemies.
``I would be happy if they put Pinochet on trial,'' Castro said in Spain last month.
16:07 11-05-98
Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.