>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba press release 114. Blockade No! > FOR ALL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS >HAVANA, SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2000 > >HAVANA.- Cuban President, Fidel Castro, said that the >infantile demonstration summoned for Monday will open an "interesting >week" for Elian Gonzalez case, Cuban shipwrecked child retained in >the U.S. almost 7 months ago. The next week, when the term given to >Elian's Miami resident relatives to appeal the verdict by the Atlanta >Court of Appeal is over, will be a critical moment, said the Cuban >leader to the local TV network. "Few days are left, continued Fidel, >for presenting a judicial resource. There are several variants. We >can guess which of them will they use but it is impossible to affirm >it," he added. > >HAVANA.- The National Meeting of Cuban Writers and Artists was >open yesterday with the presence of Cuban President, Fidel Castro >Ruz. The culture-society link in the face of the ideological battle >waged by the country was highlighted in the opening ceremony. The >president of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists, Carlos Marti, >referred to the role played by culture in a neoliberal and globalized >world. > >HAVANA.- More than 100,000 Cubans will claim the U.S. Elian >Gonzalez's return to Cuba in an open tribune to be held in the >municipality of Palma Soriano (Santiago de Cuba). The demonstration >will bring together, at 08:30 (local hour), people from nearby >municipalities such as San Luis, Julio Antonio Mella, Contramaestre >and Santiago de Cuba. The participants in the tribune will also >demand the "elimination of Cuban Adjustment Law," according to a >release spread by the national mass media. > >WASHINGTON.- The Chilean psychiatrist appointed by the U.S. >government to treat Cuban shipwrecked boy, Elian Gonzalez, affirmed >that the boy is recovering successfully from his traumatic >experiences, reported Chilean sources. The psychiatrist, Paulina >Kernberg told Chilean journalists that the child, 6, "is very well" >along with his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, and his closest family. > >BELMOPAN.- Yesterday, Belizean and Cuban governments signed two >new collaboration agreements within the framework of Cuban Foreign >Minister's, Felipe Perez Roque, visit program in Belize. The >documents were signed by the Belizean Prime Minister, Said Musa, who >is also responsible for the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance >and Perez Roque during his second day in Belize. Both leaders >explained in a press conference that the first covenant establishes >a consultation and exchange mechanism between their respective >foreign ministries. > >BELMOPAN.- Cuban Foreign Minister, Felipe Perez Roque, said to be in >favor of finding a pacific and negotiated solution for the Belizean- >Guatemalan bordering conflict, contributing in an effective way to >the Latin American and Caribbean integration. Cuban Foreign Minister >referred to the topic in an exchange with the press, which has given >full coverage to his 3-day official visit. Perez Roque said that Cuba >is even ready to intercede in the conflict as long as it seeks such >ends and responds to Guatemalan and Belizean governments' request. > >UNITED NATIONS.- Yesterday, Cuba called world parliaments to work for >the full exercise of woman's rights, including the universal >confirmation and fulfillment of the convention banning all type of >discrimination against this social group. The message focused Cuban >delegation's participation in a special forum organized by the >Commission for Woman Advancement and Interparliament Union. Cuban >Women Federation deputy and General Secretary, Yolanda Ferrer, urged >parliaments to work to make truth international agreements taken by >their respective countries in the 4th Woman World Conference held in >Beijing, in 1995. > >HAVANA.- Foreign Investment and Economical Collaboration minister >Marta Lomas, classified as positive the US-CUBA Negotiation Round >first session, which took place at Cancun Beach. Back to Cuba, where >the work sessions will continue, the minister declared to Prensa >Latina that US entrepreneurs' opinion is very good."They could meet >what we are doing, the good results Cuba has accomplished the >previous and this year, so as the future perspectives of Cuba's >economical recovering", she explained. She also emphasized this group >of US entrepreneurs is confident about the lifting of te blockade >imposed by US to Cuba preventing medicine and food trade. This debate >is going to take place in Congress on June 15. > >HAVANA.- The National Bank of Cuba summoned to the 15th Latin >American Congress of Bank Safety, to be held on July 3-5 in Melia >Habana Hotel. The event will be sponsored by the Latin American Bank >Federation and Latin American Bank Safety Committee, and will gather >experts from the region, North America and Europe. > >MONTEVIDEO.- ALADI's General Secretary Francisco Rojas, informed >Uruguay's Tourism Minister Alfonso Varela, about next ALADI's Council >of Tourism meeting preparations, to be held in Havana September 21- >22. The IV Tourism Technical Council Meeting of Latin American >Integration Association will gather representatives from the 12 >nations member of this entity, who will analyze advantages and >problems faced in this period. The Tourism Council's main goal, from >its creation in May 26, 1998, is to encourage and strengthen tourism >flow to and from the region. > >HAVANA.- Health professionals from Cuba and many other countries will >meet in Havana on June 14 to take part in the 1st Cuban Congress on >High Blood Pressure (HBP) and the 4th Caribbean Meeting on the topic. >The president of the organizing committee, Dr. Delfin Perez, said >that nearly 600 cardiologists, doctors and experts will exchange >experiences on HBP treatment, one of the main risky factors of >cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks and renal insufficient. Perez >announced the event will be attended by the president of the High >Blood Pressure World League, Dr. Peter Sleight, among other figures. > >CEUTA, SPAIN.- Cuban 37-year-old athlete Ana Fidelia Quirot, 800 >meters champion twice, made the presentation yesterday of the book >"Cual Ave Fenix" (As A Fenix Bird), sponsored by Ceuta's government, >on which she shares passages from her sport career and personal life. >Quirot presented this book, and traveled to this Northern African >Spanish region along with her 9-month-old daughter and president of >Ceuta Autonomous city Antonio Sampietro. Quirot thanked ceuta's >government's support pointing out that the book "will be useful to >young athletes". "Ceuta is in my heart, 'cause I have a friend who >now is the city's president and who has given me full support to >publish the story of my life", she said. > >HAVANA.- A sector from the Amateur International Boxing Association >(AIBA) organization is interested in preventing Cuban participation >in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, denounced Granma journal today. The >accusation was made in an extensive article by journalist Miguel >Hernandez entitled "Malicious attempts to close the Olympic door on >Cuban boxing". The journalist observes how shameful and suspicious >are the brutal AIBA suspensions given to the Cuban federation, >particularly against Teofilo Stevenson and Alcides Sagarra "who have >contributed to the modern history of this ancient sport". > >DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX " JC > > ********* > > [MORE THAN A WEEKLY] > [BIENVENIDOS A GRANMA INTERNACIONAL] June 8, 2000 > > From any perspective the blockade is a bad thing > >* States U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president at the conclusion > of a three-day visit to Cuba >* This organization, which groups together three million enterprises, >is campaigning to reduce the impact of sanctions in the short term >and to have them entirely removed as soon as possible >* Cuban trade delegation to visit the United States > > BY ALDO MADRUGA (Granma International staff writer) > > REFERRING to the 40-year economic blockade which his country has >maintained against Cuba, Craig Johnstone, vice president of the U.S. > >Chamber of Commerce, affirmed that his organization is against the >embargo, not because it harms or doesn't harm the Cuban government, > >but because, from any perspective, it is a bad thing. He added that > >the commercial grouping has always been against the embargo and >believes that it must be ended. > > On concluding his three-day visit to Havana during which he held >meetings with high-level officials, Johnstone stressed that his >organization, which covers three million U.S. enterprises, is >opposed to unilateral economic sanctions in any part of the world. >He emphasized that in Cuba's case, he would campaign for reducing >the impact of economic sanctions in the short term, and in the >longer term, to have them lifted completely. > > Johnstone said that he had encountered consensus and understanding > >in Cuba, and also among many personalities in his own country, >regarding the need to change relations between the two countries, to > >strengthen links and create the conditions which would facilitate >the resolution of differences. The Chamber of Commerce is working >and will continue to work toward this end, he stressed. > > He went on to announce that a Cuban delegation, composed of >representatives from the state sector and small private sector, >mainly farmers and catering services, will shortly travel to the >United States at his organization's invitation. This trip will be >followed up by another U.S. business delegation to Cuba. > > Regarding the most immediate trade prospects for both countries, he > >mentioned agriculture and medicine. However, there is a potential >for expansion into other sectors, particularly telecommunications, >computing and informatics, areas which Cuba needs to develop, and >where the United States is the leading force in the world. > > In terms of the potential of tourism as one area for business, the > >vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce commented that Cuba >is a very beautiful country with many attractions that he had become > >acquainted with as a child. "I learned to swim in Varadero," he said > >with a smile. > > Johnstone calculates that, in general, much progress has been made > >between Cubans and U.S. citizens in terms of promoting trade >relations, although he pointed out that there are still a number of > >matters to be studied and discussed. However, there is a very good >level of understanding, very positive, as to where Cuba fits into >Chamber of Commerce activities. > > During his stay in the country, the representative of this powerful > >organization met with Ricardo Alarc-n, president of the National >Assembly of People's Power; Felipe P*rez Roque, Foreign Minister; >Orlando Lugo Fontes, president of the National Association of Small > >Farmers (ANAP); as well as other officials and ministers. > >On arriving in the United States, Craig Johnstone informed the press > >that, under the auspices of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, he was >prepared to initiate a dialogue with Cuban companies concerning >compensation for U.S.-owned businesses nationalized after the >triumph of the Revolution in 1959. JC __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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