Bolivian President Evo Morales has made a one-day visit to Cuba to meet the island's President Raul Castro and former leader Fidel Castro.

Morales met with Fidel Castro late on Thursday and said that he had found the former leader "very lucid" and "stronger" than the previous year.

"He appeared very lucid, very wise and stronger, because after my previous visit, months back, I was worried. But now I know that Fidel is feeling very well," Morales told reporters shortly before leaving Havana.

Earlier in the day, the Bolivian leader, during a speech at the University of La Habana, thanked Cuba for its "unconditional solidarity" with the Andean nation.

Morales, who had been invited to the communist island by President Raul Castro, slammed capitalism, saying that neo-liberalism and private investment could not address the problems faced by the continent.

Bolivia and Cuba re-established diplomatic ties on January 11, 1983.

RB/HGH