BOGOTA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Most Cubans believe Pope John Paul's historic visit to the communist-ruled island was a show of support for President Fidel Castro, a poll said on Monday.
Seventy-six percent of participants in the survey said the fundamental purpose of the papal visit was to show solidarity with Cuba and protest the 35-year-old U.S. trade embargo against the island
Fifty-three percent said the visit was designed to show support for Castro, according to the survey in Colombia's Cambio 16 weekly news magazine.
The survey was carried out in Havana on January 30 by Colombia's respected National Consultancy Center.
Eighty-nine percent of participants said the Pope's January 21-25 visit had nothing to do with ending Cuba's system of "socialist'' rule and 47 percent said it actually strengthened Castro and his government against 45 percent who said it did not.
Forty-seven percent said the visit had created a "political opening'' in Cuba, compared with 45 percent who said it failed to do so.
The poll, based on telephone interviews with 100 Havana residents above 18 years of age, had a stated margin of error of nine percent. REUTERS
14:51 02-02-98