sipila
Sat, 03 Feb 2001 23:51:00 -0800
from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
subject: Radio Havana Feb 2. Hard work, resistance -world example
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 02 February 2001
.
*MEXICO CONDEMNS U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF CUBA
*SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN OFFICIALS
*CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CULTURAL INSTITUTION GRANTS ANUAL AWARDS
*RICARDO ALARCON PRAISES WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN BRAZIL
*FIDEL BIDS FAREWELL TO VENEZUELAN GOVERNOR AFTER FOUR-DAY VISIT
*COLOMBIAN REBELS AGREE TO MEET WITH GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS FEB 8th
*RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS OF NATO EXPANSION
Viewpoint:
*CUBA'S 42 YEARS OF HARD WORK, RESISTANCE PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO THE
WORLD
.
*MEXICO CONDEMNS U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF CUBA
Mexico City, February 2 (RHC)-- Media outlets in the United States
and Mexico are still commenting about the recent declarations of
Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda regarding Cuba. Castaneda
strongly condemned Washington's economic blockade against Cuba and
stated that Mexico would work to better its already excellent
relations with Havana.
Mexico's top diplomat met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
this week and held a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart.
Political commentators noted that both Castaneda and Powell are new
in their posts and that their meeting was an important first step in
extending a welcoming hand between the two neighbors.
But observers said the strong condemnation of Washington's blockade
by Castaneda took Powell and the new Bush administration by surprise
-- especially coming from someone who has similar, right wing
credentials. Castaneda upheld Mexico's traditionally good ties with
Cuba and said he would work to further strengthen those ties.
The Mexican foreign minister also spoke with the U.S. secretary of
state about the upcoming visit to his country by U.S. President
George W. Bush, slated for later this month.
*SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN OFFICIALS
Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-During the second day of her official visit
to Cuba, South African foreign minister, Nkosazana Zuma, will meet
with the president of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcón and
afterwards with the ministers of Foreign Trade and Basic Industry,
Raul de la Nuez and Marcos Portal respectively.
The meeting's main objective is to examine ways to strengthen
economic and commercial ties between Cuba and South Africa, which
have already expanded in the health sector.
Next Monday, the South African foreign minister will meet with the
Cuban Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta
Lomas, in order to sign a general agreement to promote bilateral
links in the education, health and scientific fields.
*CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CULTURAL INSTITUTION GRANTS ANUAL AWARDS
Havana, February 2nd (RHC)--Writers from Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay
and Brazil have taken top honors in Cuba's Casa de las Americas 2001
Literary Competition.
A jury made up of 24 intellectuals from 24 countries awarded the
prestigious Havana cultural institution's top prize in the category
of the novel to Colombia author, Leonardo Pesa Calderon for his
"Siempre es Posible Verlos Pasar" (It's always possible to see them
go by). The humorous "Te ve, mi amor T.V.," by Mexican Dante Medina,
won the short story award, while the Casa de las Americas prize for
the best theater piece went to Walter Acosta of Uruguay for his "El
Escorpion y la Comadreja," (The Scorpion and the Weasel).
Literary prizes awarded by Havana's Casa de las Americas
cultural institution are considered to be among the region's most
prestigious. Each year's winning works are published as a set and
sold in Cuba both in Cuban pesos and dollars, as well as abroad. The
institution, which is located on the capital's seaside drive, or
Malecón, also houses a library, an art gallery and a concert hall.
*RICARDO ALARCON PRAISES WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN BRAZIL
Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-The president of the Cuban parliament,
Ricardo Alarcón, said yesterday that the recently ended World Social
Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was considered one of the most
important meetings in history not only for the large number of
participants but also for its diversity.
In declarations to the Cuban press, Alarcón stressed that the forum
forged a path in the face of the need to search for new alternatives
to free market globalization.
He also referred to mass demonstrations, which took place in Porto
Alegre during the event in support of the Cuban Revolution -
especially during the opening and closing sessions.
The minister of the Cuban Parliament underscored the importance of
the inter-parliamentary cooperation agreement signed between Cuba and
Brazil on Thursday as the first agreement of its kind signed by the
island with a South American country.
*FIDEL BIDS FAREWELL TO VENEZUELAN GOVERNOR AFTER FOUR-DAY VISIT
Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro accompanied
Jesus Montilla, the governor of the Venezuelan state of Falcón to the
airport on Thursday, where he bid him farewell after a four day visit
to the island.
In conversations with the Cuban leader, Montilla discussed the
development of the cooperation agreement signed last year between
Havana and Caracas. The majority of Venezuelan patients currently
being treated in Cuban hospitals as a part of the medical exchange
aspect of the agreement, came from the governor's state.
Montilla said that he would look forward to an increase of
cooperation between the two nations in the fields of health, tourism
and cultural exchange. In return for highly favorable terms on the
purchase of Venezuelan oil, Cuba is providing health care and sports
training to Caracas, as well as an exchange of agricultural
technology.
*COLOMBIAN REBELS AGREE TO MEET WITH GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS FEB 8th
Bogotá, February 2 (RHC)-- The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces
broke its silence on today, announcing that they would be willing to
meet with government negotiators next Thursday, February 8th.
According to reports from Bogotá, the head of the rebel forces,
Manuel Marulanda, agreed to hold talks to examine the peace process
in that South American country.
Earlier this week, Colombian President Andres Pastrana made a last-
minute decision to extend the deadline on a demilitarized zone, which
has to have expired on Wednesday, January 31st. While the extension
only goes until this Sunday, the 4th, observers believe the
government will accept the rebel proposal to meet next Thursday.
*RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS OF NATO EXPANSION
Moscow, February 2 (RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has
warned of the negative consequences of further NATO expansion. Ivanov
told reporters in the Russian capital that the problem with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization having more members is not numerical,
but that the expansion would create what he called "new lines of
division."
According to Moscow's top diplomat, his country is logically
concerned about its own security. And the Russian foreign minister
added that if a threat from NATO emerges, Russia will consider it
within its rights as a sovereign nation to take appropriate defense
measures.
Ivanov's warning comes at a time when several Eastern European
countries from the former socialist block are expressing their
interest in joining the military and political alliance. Moscow has
repeatedly stated that there is no real reason for the existence of
NATO in the current, post-Cold War period.
.
Viewpoint:
*CUBA'S 42 YEARS OF HARD WORK, RESISTANCE PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO THE
WORLD
Cuba's president Fidel Castro, recently enumerated the island's
many achievements, which he noted, were gained through ideology,
national unity and courage. The Cuban people have managed to leave
behind a past of extreme poverty and backwardness in which the people
of many Third World nations continue to live. The example of tiny
Cuba over the past four decades has become an important political and
ideological force.
In a speech to some 300,000 Cubans gathered last week on the
outskirts of Havana, President Castro recalled the challenges faced
by the new government when it took power in l959. At that time, he
noted, Cuba was an inexperienced, unarmed, practically illiterate
nation, beaten down by six decades of bloody colonial rule.
It was not, nor had it ever been a democratic, free and sovereign
country . From a nation drowning in ignorance, unemployment, disease
and social inequality, subordinated to the United States, Cuba has
become a free, democratic and sovereign country.
It has ended illiteracy once and for all, and boasts a fine national
system of education, high quality universal healthcare and soon the
Cuban people will be among the most cultured anywhere.
In 42 years there has never been a political assassination,
disappearances of people, claims of prisoners being tortured or
attacks on mass demonstrations. Nor is it common as in other
countries to see riot police and troops in Cuban streets.
The Cuban people know what they are struggling for and they know who
their true enemies are, not because of official propaganda, but
rather from their experience of being the target of constant
conspiracies and aggressions from abroad. Every day hundreds of hours
of anti-Cuba radio propaganda is broadcast from the United States
into Cuba.
A genocidal economic blockade maintained against the island for more
than forty years has failed to force Cubans to their knees nor has it
managed to hold back the achievements of the Revolution. The most
powerful nation in the world has been unable to politically isolate
the island internationally with its rabid anti-Cuba policy which
attempts to force other nations to reject Cuban sovereignty.
Because Cuba has managed to maintain its independence in the face of
such hostility and has in fact, managed to make great social and
political strides while doing so, has earned it the respect and
friendship of millions around the world.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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rhc-eng-24102 2001-Feb-03 07:39:37 " JC
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