> >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 17 May 2000 > > > -ELIAN GONZALEZ' PEDIATRICIAN IS BACK IN HAVANA, BUT MAY SOON RETURN TO THE >UNITED STATES > -U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILES BRIEF AFFIRMING THAT FATHER OF ELIAN >GONZALEZ IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SPEAK FOR THE SIX-YEAR-OLD > -9th CONGRESS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SMALL FARMERS WRAPS UP IN HAVANA > -FIRST IBERO-AMERICAN MEETING ON REGIONAL HISTORY STUDIES UNDERWAY IN THE >CUBAN CAPITAL > -ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY TO COMMEMORATE 105th ANNIVERSARY OF JOSE MARTI'S DEATH >IN COMBAT > -10th INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL CONTINUES IN HAVANA > -Viewpoint: THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR CONTINUES TO WIDEN IN LATIN AMERICA > > >ELIAN GONZALEZ' PEDIATRICIAN IS BACK IN HAVANA, BUT MAY SOON >RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES > >Havana, May 17 (RHC)-- During a roundtable discussion broadcast live on >Cuban radio and television Tuesday evening, it announced that Doctor Caridad >Ponce de Leon -- Elian's pediatrician -- is back in Havana, but may return >to the United States to be with the six-year-old boy and his family. > >According to the official report, the Cuban doctor left the U.S. on Monday >when her visa expired. During a stop-over in Houston, Texas, on her way >back to Havana, Doctor Ponce de Leon was informed by U.S. authorities that >her visa had been extended for another two weeks. However, due to the fact >that the pediatrician's family was waiting for her in the Cuban capital and >the importance of returning to Havana to personally report on Elian's >situation, it was decided that she would continue on to Cuba and apply for >another entry visa to return within a few days. Early Tuesday morning, a >new visa was requested from the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and she >will apparently be able to return to the United States within 48 hours. > >Upon her arrival in Havana Monday night, Doctor Caridad Ponce de Leon issued >a detailed report on the situation at Wye Plantation, where Elian and his >immediate family are awaiting a decision by the 11th Circuit Court of >Appeals in Atlanta. The report included a breakdown of the medicines >confiscated when she entered the U.S. several weeks ago, as well as >documentation of the childhood sicknesses and allergies that such medicine >can treat. It was pointed out that the medicines are very important for >Elian and several of his classmates, who are visiting their six-year-old >friend in the United States. > >In related news, it was announced that there is still no word on visa >requests for Elian's grandparents and great-grandmother, who are waiting for >a response from the U.S. State Department. > >The roundtable discussion was aired live on Cuban television, the national >radio network and the international shortwave frequencies of Radio Havana >Cuba. > > >U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILES BRIEF AFFIRMING THAT FATHER OF >ELIAN GONZALEZ IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SPEAK FOR THE SIX-YEAR-OLD > >Atlanta, May 17 (RHC)-- The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a brief >before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, affirming that the >father of Elian Gonzalez, Juan Miguel, is the only adult who can speak for >the six-year-old child. The 25-page legal opinion supports an earlier >motion that Juan Miguel replace the young boy's great-uncle, Lazaro >Gonzalez, as sole legal representative. > >According to Carole Florman, spokesperson for the Justice Department, it is >now up to the Atlanta court to rule on whether or not the father of Elian >Gonzalez has exclusive custody of his son -- confirming the decision by >Miami Judge K. Michael Moore, handed down in March. > >Florman told reporters in Washington that such a ruling from Atlanta could >come separately, either before or at the same time as a decision on whether >or not the boy has a right to a hearing for political asylum. The court >ruling is expected sometime toward the end of this month. > > >9th CONGRESS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SMALL FARMERS WRAPS UP IN HAVANA > >Havana, May 17 (RHC)-- The 9th Congress of the National Association of Small >Farmers -- ANAP -- came to a close Wednesday at Havana's International >Convention Center. > >The three-day national meeting focused on crucial aspects for the >development of the 260,000 member-strong campesino organization -- including >economic efficiency, production and sale of agricultural products, as well >as the need to improve organizational infrastructure of the group. > >During Wednesday morning's session, presided over by Raul Castro Ruz, Second >Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party and Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary >Armed Forces, the Cuban farmer's congress continued to address several >issues relevant to working and living conditions in rural areas, which >directly influence the work of cooperatives and independent farmers. > >The plenary session also unanimously approved the proposal drawn up and >presented by three working commissions. The proposal dealt with the overall >performance of cooperatives and independent farmers, particularly focussing >on the need for sustained and increased production of agricultural produce >and sales. > >The 9th Congress of ANAP provided the setting for Cuban farmers to draw up a >strategy for the successful performance of the important economic sector of >agriculture. > >The event was attended by 800 delegates and 200 invited guests from 15 >countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. > >Francis Goodman, a U.S. farmer from Wisconsin who attended the 9th Congress, >spoke with Radio Havana Cuba about his impressions of the event. > >"I'm really impressed by the fact that ordinary Cuban farmers like myself -- >people who get out there and work their own land -- can stand up and tell >the highest officials of the country what their problems are and get help >with the things that they need. That's really impressive. > >"In the United States, we can't just go in and talk to the secretary of >agriculture and tell him what we need. On those occasions that farmers have >been allowed to do that, it pretty much falls on deaf ears. If they do >listen to us, we never get any answers back". > >The 9th Congress of the National Association of Small Farmers closed its >sessions Wednesday evening with a tribute to the 41st anniversary of the >signing of the first Agrarian Reform Law, celebrated today, May 17th -- >which also marks The Day of the Campesino here in Cuba. > > >FIRST IBERO-AMERICAN MEETING ON REGIONAL HISTORY STUDIES >UNDERWAY IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL > >Havana, May 17 (RHC)-- An important Ibero-American meeting is underway at >Havana's Hotel Nacional. The aim of the meeting is to implement a project of >the Center for Studies on Ibero-American history, allowing regional youth to >have the opportunity to take a deeper look into the roots of their common >history. > >Sponsored by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, >Sciences and Culture, as well as Cuba's Education Ministry, the encounter is >in response to repeated requests by the Ibero-American Summits. The issue >was also discussed during the 9th Ibero-American Summit, held last November >here in the Cuban capital. > >Experts from 14 regional nations agreed on the need to improve the teaching >quality of Ibero-American history in all national educational systems >throughout the region. > >By promoting a better knowledge of the common aspects in regional history, >the Havana-based Center for Studies on Ibero-American History will also >contribute to a general consensus in favor of integration. The educational >institution will also provide training for history professors. > >The first stage of the project, which runs through the year 2002, also >includes the creation of a network of ministries and universities to promote >deeper studies on Ibero-American history, as well as the creation of >educational materials on the subject. > > >ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY TO COMMEMORATE 105th ANNIVERSARY OF JOSE MARTI'S >DEATH IN COMBAT > >Granma, May 17 (RHC)-- Activities are underway throughout Cuba to >commemorate the 105th anniversary of the death in combat of Cuba's National >Hero Jose Marti, to be observed this Friday, May 19th. > >A number of projects are in full swing in Dos Rios, where the Cuban >independence leader lived the last days of his fruitful life. They includes >the construction of new homes, schools and family doctor's offices, as well >as other social works aimed at improving the living conditions of more than >3000 community residents. > >The Dos Rios Community is also where Jose Marti set up camp during the 1895 >independence struggle against Spanish colonialism and wrote some of his vast >patriotic, literary works. > >Inspired by Jose Marti's ideals, the area's youth are also carrying out an >intense program of activities that includes seminars and conferences on >Marti's life and work, as well as study visits to the place where the Cuban >National Hero fell in combat. > >Meanwhile, a National Seminar of Studies on Jose Marti got underway >Wednesday in eastern Las Tunas with the participation of young Cuban >students and workers, representing all 14 Cuban provinces. > >The aim is to teach young people more about the life and work of Marti -- >who dedicated himself to the cause of total independence, not only for Cuba >but for all of Latin America. > >Most of Marti's literary works are dedicated to children. He once stated: >"Children are the world's hope for a better future". > > >10th INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL CONTINUES IN HAVANA > >Havana, May 17 (RHC)-- The 10th International Guitar Festival is well >underway in Havana, already proving to be an unforgettable event. On >Wednesday evening, the Romeros family presented the guitar's true Spanish >spirit at the city's National Theatre. On Friday, they will again play at >the Amadeo Roldan Theatre, along with the Uruguayan duet Eduardo Fernandez >and Japanese Shin Ichi Fukuda. > >The festival is immensely popular in Cuba and all the concerts have been >sold out. The musical quality is superb and the reception given to visiting >musicians has been more than enthusiastic. > >The festival continues through Saturday with a gala concert that evening, >featuring the Cuban National Symphony and many of the guitarists that have >delighted Cubans over the course of the week. > > >Viewpoint: >THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR CONTINUES TO WIDEN IN LATIN AMERICA > >The future is bleak for one of every three Latin Americans, suffocated by >poverty. According to a report by the Economic Commission for Latin American >and the Caribbean, known as CEPAL, 224 million people in the region survive >on less than two dollars a day. Those figures include some 24 million human >beings who were thrown into poverty in l998, principally as a result of the >Asian economic crisis. > >The CEPAL study reminds us that political will, supported by viable economic >programs, is needed to end this spiraling poverty. But, unfortunately, most >Latin American leaders see neo-liberal, belt-tightening measures as the only >possible cure. > >The so-called "successes" of free market neo-liberal policies speak for >themselves: during the l990's, the average growth of the Gross Domestic >Product in the region was 3.3. But if we look more closely, we find that >only 20% of the people enjoyed the benefits of that growth. > >Because of this little "cliche" in the neo-liberal economic model, Latin >America is now considered to be the area with the most unfair distribution >of wealth in the world -- meaning that the gap between rich and poor is >staggering. > >Another "deficiency" in the model imposed by the North is manifested in the >dismal job situation, caused by the privatization process underway in most >Latin American countries, in which nearly 20 million people are unemployed, >sparking ever more crime and violence. Selling off publicly-owned >enterprises and reducing the government to practically nothing more than a >public relations office, also limits the implementation of social protection >measures, leaving society's most vulnerable without assistance. > >Despite this dismaying information, the neo-liberal model continues being >the only recommendation made by the world's major lending institutions -- >the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. And those countries >that attempt to resist such "recommendations" may well have to struggle >ahead alone, without credits or assistance from the world community. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba. 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