HAVANA, Aug. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Cuban leader Fidel Castro and visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez refuted on Sunday US accusations that their governments exercised a destabilizing influence in Latin America.

    During a special broadcast of Chavez' weekly radio and television show, "Hello Mr. President," from Cuba's western Pinar del Rio province, the two leaders dismissed the US charges.

    It is the United States that "represents the greatest threat weighing on the world," Chavez said.

    He stressed that Venezuela and Cuba want peace, but if "an imperialist aggression" happens, the two countries will join hands to defend Cuba's independence and sovereignty.

    During the program, Castro scoffed at the US charges. Accordingto the understanding of the United States, the Cuban leader said, "we cannot make a student study because that would be destabilizing," and "we cannot invite patients to get medical care because that is destabilizing."

    The Venezuelan leader traveled to Cuba Saturday to attend the graduation of 1,600 medical students from across Latin America who had studied here for free.

    US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last week accused Venezuela and Cuba of trying to destablizing Bolivia, where indigenous revolts have overthrown two presidents in two years. Enditem