Washington ? The United States on Friday protested derogatory remarks by Cuban President Fidel Castro about the presence of a U.S. diplomat at a recent meeting of dissidents in Havana.

“Anyone can see that this is a shameless and defiant provocation,” Castro said Thursday during a speech after his election by Cuba’s parliament to a sixth term as head of state.

On Feb. 24, James Cason, who heads U.S. diplomats in Cuba, attended the meeting of dissidents and spoke to reporters.

Castro seemed to take special exception to Cason’s declaration that “the Cuban government is afraid, afraid of freedom of conscience, afraid of freedom of expression, afraid of human rights.”

Castro said Thursday, “Actually, Cuba is so afraid that it will calmly take all the time needed to decide on its course of action regarding this bizarre official.”

State Department spokesman Philip Reeker replied that Castro’s “defamatory language and criticism of Mr. Cason’s comments in support of democracy and freedom underscore yet again that Castro abhors freedom of expression and fears any measure of support for human rights in Cuba.”