HAVANA (Agencies) -- A top Cuban official said he hopes the United States will experience "regime change" and stop interfering in the affairs of governments around the globe. In an interview with CNN, National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon was asked to react to comments by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said while traveling in Spain that "there must be a democratic transition in Cuba." Alarcon responded that he hopes "there will be a regime change in your country."

"A change from war to peace, a change (from) arrogance and this kind of interfering in everybody's affairs, and looking back a little bit at home and (facing) the real problems Americans have," he said. Cuban President Fidel Castro has written a string of signed essays recently, and this week quoted President Bush as saying, "I'm a hard-line president and I'm only waiting for Castro to die."

"I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, that Bush has ordered to be deprived of life," wrote Castro, who provided few details about when the U.S. president allegedly made the comments. Alarcon refused to comment on whether Cuba has evidence of a plot to assassinate Castro, saying only that "President Bush is very good in the business of killing people."

"Just watch CNN every day and you will see how many Iraqis, how many innocent people, are losing their lives," he said.

Castro almost fully recovered

Castro has almost completely recovered from the stomach surgery he had last year, Alarcon said.

Speaking in a U.S. TV interview Alarcon gave no indication of when the Cuban leader might return to power.

Alarcon also said Castro was reading and writing a lot.

The Cuban leader has not been seen in public since undergoing intestinal surgery in July 2006 and has temporarily ceded power to his brother Raul.

"I think, in a way, he practically has fully recovered," Alarcon said.

"The problem was a very delicate surgery," he went on. "He had to have several surgeries. But it was a very risky situation. Now it is not anymore."