HAVANA — Fidel Castro says he was consulted on the sweeping leadership changes by his brother Raul's government and he says two of the ousted officials had been seduced by "the honey of power."

Castro's newly published article gives the first hint of why some of the officials were removed in the abrupt shakeup — the largest in decades.

Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque was dismissed and Vice President Carlos Lage was stripped of his post as Cabinet secretary. Twenty other officials shifted, removed or promoted.