>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Cuba SI] Radio Havana Cuba-12 May 2000 >Status: > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 12 May 2000 > > > -ELIAN'S GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER STILL WAITING FOR U.S. VISAS > -COURT OF APPEALS HEARING RAISES FURTHER LEGAL CONTROVERSY > -FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN HAVANA > -GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT THANKS CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES IN HIS COUNTRY > -CANARY ISLANDS PRESIDENT VISITS HAVANA > -CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES THE IMPACT OF TOURISM IN CUBA > -CUBAN SURGEONS TAKE PART IN AN INTERNATIONAL TELE-CONFERENCE > -Viewpoint: NO JUDGES HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE A YOUNG BOY'S IDENTITY > > >ELIAN'S GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER STILL WAITING FOR U.S. VISAS > >Havana, May 12 (RHC)-- A roundtable discussion on the case of Elian Gonzalez >was broadcast live on Cuban radio and television Thursday evening, with the >participation of journalists and experts in international law -- as well as >Cuban President Fidel Castro. > >During the program, it was reported that Elian's pediatrician -- Doctor >Caridad Ponce de Leon -- has been granted a 72-hour extension on her visa >and will now be able to stay in the United States until next Monday, the >15th. According to reports from the U.S. capital, the State Department >issued the visa extension at the request of Gregory Craig, the attorney >representing Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez. The boy's doctor was >previously under orders to return on Thursday, when her visa expired, and >was not allowed an extension. > >During the televised roundtable, Cuban President Fidel Castro spoke on >several occasions, referring to the State Department's refusal to expedite >visas for the six-year-old boy's grandparents and great-grandmother. The >Cuban leader affirmed that there is no indication if or when the visas will >be granted. The grandparents of Elian have requested visas to travel to the >United States and be with their grandson and his father, but Washington has >yet to rule on the applications. > > >COURT OF APPEALS HEARING RAISES FURTHER LEGAL CONTROVERSY > >Los Angeles, May 12 (RHC)-- Thursday's hearing on the Elian Gonzalez case at >the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has raised further legal >controversy. In an article which appeared in today's edition of The Los >Angeles Times, staff writer Esther Schrader called the line of questioning >by the three Atlanta judges "provocative." Schrader quotes several >immigration law experts concerning suggestions that Elian's father, Juan >Miguel, is not free to speak his mind and that returning to "Communist Cuba" >may not be in the child's best interest. > >Noting that some outside experts on immigration law said discussions about >Cuba being a "Communist, totalitarian state" seem absurd within the context >of Thursday's hearing, Schrader quotes Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of >the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies. Krikorian told The Los >Angeles Times staff writer that the quality of life for Cubans may not >compare with that of the United States, but that this is also true for >millions of people in China. He stated that the law, however, says you must >have a plausible claim for asylum, and that's simply not the case for Elian. > >David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor and authority on >immigration said that Cuba's system of government has little or no relevance >to the question before the court, which is who shall speak for Elian >concerning an application for asylum. > >Stephen Legomsky, a professor of international law at Washington University >in St. Louis, while agreeing with Cole, said the type of government from >which someone is fleeing could be relevant to the merits of an asylum claim. >But, he added, the issue here is whether Elian's father has the right to >speak for him, noting that a six-year-old is too young to understand the >situation. > >Regarding the suggestion of coercion, Juan Miguel's attorney, Gregory Craig, >told the three Atlanta Judges that Elian's father has obviously been free to >openly express his feelings and his opinions throughout the process. He >said Juan Miguel has been free from any kind of manipulation from Miami or >coercion from Havana -- pointing to his interviews with top U.S. government >officials, including Attorney General Janet Reno, conducted out of the >presence of Cuban authorities. > >At least one of the judges, nevertheless, also directed aggressive >questioning at the Miami lawyers attempting to prevent Elian from returning, >noting that the six-year-old didn't even have the ability to sign his last >name on the asylum petition. Reading aloud a list of complicated questions >from the asylum petition about the applicant's political beliefs, this judge >asked a Miami lawyer: "Are you telling me that a six-year-old is competent >to answer questions like those?" > > >FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN HAVANA > >Havana, May 12 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro met with the United >Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, who is in Havana on a >two-day official visit. This was the first visit of a UN High Commissioner >for Refugees to the Caribbean island since that UN agency was created in >1951. > >During Thursday's meeting, the UN representative and members of her >delegation spoke with the Cuban leader about the problems of refugees and >other international issues. > >Shortly before departing from Havana on Friday afternoon, the UN High >Commissioner for Refugees offered a news conference. She said that during >her stay on the island, she met with high-ranking Cuban government >officials, including Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, Interior Minister >Abelardo Colome Ibarra and Cuba's Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon. The >Japanese dignitary's packed agenda also included a visit to the Latin >American School of Medicine. > >Asked about the case of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez, the UN High >Commissioner for Refugees stated: > >"First of all, I think the best interests of the child, as promoted by the >Convention on the Rights of Children, must be the primary consideration and >I don't think politics should enter into this matter. Second, we think that >parents are natural care-givers for their children and, normally, these are >best interests at heart. I think that reuniting separated children with >their parents and restoring family unity is very, very important. Third, I >think that every effort should be made to resolve the situation that Elian >is facing as quickly as possible. I think it is bad to leave children in >limbo regarding their status". > >Regarding her meeting with the Cuban president and his offer to further >cooperate with that UN agency, Sakato Ogata told reporters: > >"President Castro talked about his big plan to train doctors through this >expanded training scheme that you have set up and explained that he is >offering the services of these doctors in Latin American countries and was >also ready to send them to some African countries. And, if there's a need >for refugees camps or areas in which refugees are living, he asked us to >examine whether there were needs that these doctors might be able to >fulfill". > >The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees currently >assists some 22 million people worldwide, including refugees who have >crossed national borders and those who are within a country -- not having >crossed a border, but are displaced. According to the head of the UN >agency, the situation of the displaced is very similar to that of refugees >who are in other countries, as well as those who are in the process of >returning to their homes. For the purpose of assisting all these people, >the UN agency tries to annually raise about one billion dollars. > > >GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT THANKS CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES IN HIS COUNTRY > >Guatemala City, May 12 (RHC)-- Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo has >expressed his appreciation to Cuban medical brigades in his country which, >to date, have provided free services to over one million six hundred >thousand people in that Central American nation. > >During an activity at the National Cultural Palace, Portillo affirmed that >the work of the Cuban doctors -- which began after Hurricane Mitch hit the >country in 1998 -- has reached rural areas and contributed with a 20 percent >reduction of the infant mortality rate. > >Under bilateral agreements signed two years ago, the Cuban government sent >some five hundred health professionals to several Central American countries >that were devastated by the hurricane; Guatemala among them. > >The Guatemalan president, who took office in January, referred to the Cuban >doctors as "heroes" and said that he is looking forward to personally thank >Cuban President Fidel Castro for the work of the medical brigades. > > >CANARY ISLANDS PRESIDENT VISITS HAVANA > >Havana, May 12 (RHC)-- The President of the Canary Islands, Roman Rodriguez, >who is currently on his third day of a visit to Cuba, expressed his support >of the Cuban government, recognizing the dignity and the capacity of leaders >to guide the country. > >Rodriguez affirmed that the authorities of the Canary Islands would promote >foreign investments in Cuba, especially in the areas of tourism and >industry. He also spoke in favor of ending political conditions set by the >European Union, especially Spain, for future cooperation with Cuba. > >The President of the Spanish Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands also >visited hospitals and medical centers in Havana and met with Cuban Health >Minister Carlos Dotres. > >Rodriguez announced the construction of the Gran Bahia del Duke de Cuba >Hotel, which will consolidate his country's investments in Cuba. Roman >Rodriguez also inaugurated the Canary Islands Punch Tobacco Factory in >Havana, which will produce some 10 million cigars in its first year. > > >CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES THE IMPACT OF TOURISM IN CUBA > >Havana, May 12 (RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage has highlighted the >outstanding economic, social and cultural impact of tourism in Cuba. Lage >spoke during the closing event of the 21st International Tourism Convention >in Havana on Friday. Some 660 representatives from 42 nations attended the >five-day event. > >The Cuban vice president also expressed his satisfaction because foreign >enterprises investing in Cuba have played "a significant role in the >development of tourism on the island." He pointed to the Spanish hotel chain >"Sol Melia" as an example. > > >CUBAN SURGEONS TAKE PART IN AN INTERNATIONAL TELE-CONFERENCE > >Havana, May 12 (RHC)-- Cuban surgeons were seen in action on the TV screens >of 16 cities around the world. One of the on-line cities was Rome, the >Italian capital, where the 11th International Congress on Surgery of the >Digestive System is currently underway. > >The Cuban specialists presented a live transmission of three successful >surgical operations that were carried out in medical centers of the Cuban >capital. > >Cuban Deputy Health Minister Baudilio Jardines assessed the tele-conference >as a new advancement in the process of development and assimilation of new >technologies as well as another opportunity to show the world Cuba's medical >achievements. > > >Viewpoint: > >NO JUDGES HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE A YOUNG BOY'S IDENTITY > >On Thursday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta listened to the >ridiculous request by the kidnappers of Elian Gonzalez to grant the >six-year-old boy a political asylum hearing in the United States. > >During Thursday's court session, some of the judges in the case were heard >using terminology similar to that used by Elian's kidnappers. It's >interesting that members of a court in the country that portraits itself to >the world as a defender of freedom of information, echoes the same old >misinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting the current social project in >Cuba. > >One of the judges even claimed that the best interests of a child -- in >reference to Elian -- sometimes do not coincide with those of his father, >especially if they both come from "Communist and totalitarian" Cuba. > >Listening to such slanderous arguments, people were reminded of the >announcements by old-fashioned, ultra-right wing Miami radio stations, most >of then orchestrated and financed by terrorist organizations such as the >so-called Cuban-American National Foundation. > >Insisting that a bad situation awaits Elian in Cuba is simply ignoring the >fact that he was born and raised until he was five-years-old in his hometown >of Cardenas in central Matanzas province. There, he had successfully >developed the mental as well as physical capacities according to his age -- >in a secure environment, full of love and care provided by his teachers at >school and his real, loving family at home. > >Even U.S. experts have admitted that Elian is very astute -- a virtue which >is rarely found in children raised in countries where conditions are not >created for their adequate mental and physical development. Cuba's >educational system has been recognized internationally for the opportunities >it provides for small children and adults alike. > >Elian has his own family and homeland here in Cuba and no one -- not even a >court of appeals judge -- can impose upon him any fabricated, new identity >in the United States. No one -- not even courts -- are permitted to do >that. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba. 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