DATE=3/2/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=CUBA DIPLOMAT (L-O) NUMBER=2-259791 BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN DATELINE=MIAMI INTERNET=YES CONTENT= Voiced At: INTRO: A Cuban diplomat accused of espionage in the United States has been given a hero's welcome upon his return to his native island, after spending five days in Canada. V-O-A's Michael Bowman reports from Miami. TEXT: Cuban diplomat Jose Imperatori arrived in Havana late Thursday, nearly two weeks after the United States first accused the official of spying. Cuban President Fidel Castro was on-hand to greet Mr. Imperatori - a man the Cuban Government says has been the victim of an American smear campaign (effort to destroy his reputation). The diplomat arrived aboard a plane specifically dispatched by the Cuban Government, ending a brief stand-off with Canadian authorities. For five days, Mr. Imperatori hid inside Cuba's Embassy in Ottawa, launching a hunger strike and overstaying his 48-hour visa - hoping to return to the United States, where he said he wanted to disprove the Clinton Administration's charges of espionage. But Canada demanded his removal, and on Thursday Cuba acquiesced. The former vice-consul of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington also fought expulsion from the United States. The move forced the F-B-I to escort him to an airport outside Washington this past Saturday, hours after the seven-day deadline for his departure had expired. Mr. Imperatori has been linked to a high-ranking U-S Immigration official of Cuban origin arrested last month in Miami for allegedly passing sensitive information to Cuban operatives. Cuba says the United States engineered the spy scandal so as to delay the return of six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez to the island. The Clinton Administration denies the allegation and insists the detained Immigration official never handled any portion of the Elian Gonzalez matter. (SIGNED) NEB/MCB/PT 02-Mar-2000 18:27 PM EDT (02-Mar-2000 2327 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .