>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba Press release 116. Granma Reports March > FOR ALL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS >HAVANA, TUESDAY 13 JUNE 2000. MSA > >HAVANA.- Cuban President Fidel Castro joined the over 200,000 >students who demonstrated yesterday for over three hours in front of >the U.S. Interests Section in Havana (SINA) demanding the return of >Cuban child Elian Gonzalez. In spite of the slight rain, the >demonstration was not suspended as it was on Friday, original date of >schedule postponed due to bad weather. In Havana, the march was >called unprecedented in the history of the Cuban Revolution. Waving >their red and blue pioneer scarfs, the children shouted slogans and >demanded the release of "our boy and little comrade Elian". >The childrens' demonstration, exceeding the 160,000 initially >planned, continued in an Open Tribune with the participation of >students of all ages. This took place at the "Jose Marti" Anti >Imperialist Tribune, in front of the SINA. > >SANTIAGO DE CUBA.- The 1st Caribbean Gastronomy Festival, to be held >in Santiago de Cuba's Heredia Conference Center on July 5-9, will >be distinguished by its popular character as it takes activities into >the Santiago de Cuba streets. Parallel to the 20th Caribbean >Festival, the event will be divided into hot and cold food, puddings >and pastries, bars and coctails, natural beverages and formal or >informal catering services. There will be a workshop to discuss >themes like packaging and bottling, food quality and consumption, >culinery culture: past and present, and gastronomy related to >sustainable development, environment, and social and >ecological impact. > >HAVANA.- Nine Latin American, European and Asian countries will >attend the 14th International Boleros de Oro Festival to be held in >Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba on June 21-24. Jose Loyola, festival >President and Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC) Vice >President told press at the International Press Center (CPI) that >"the festival will be dedicated to Spain, and Cuban singer/song >writer Antonio Machin (1903-1977), who lived most of his life in >Spain as Cuba's Culture Attache". Participants include Carmen Sanchez >y Pier (Spain), Rodolfo Muniz, Maricarmen Perez and Gabriel Inclan >(Mexico), Marcela Gomez, Amelia Gomez, Mario Bustillo, Alci >Acosta, Catalina Briceno, Julio Cesar Alzate, Lety Santamaria, >Washington Freyle and Martin Madera (Colombia) and many more. > >HAVANA.- Entitled "what AIBA does not say", a Granma daily >article yesterday demonstrated "the validity of the Cuban position" >due to incidents in the last world championships, and AIBA's >"inactivity". The shameful story began in August in Houston (U.S.), >when various Cuban athletes were deprived of victory in their fights >as a result of a group of corrupt referees' cheating maneuvres. In >the preliminaries, "Cuba was prejudiced against in four fights after >receiving adverse decisions against fly weight Manuel Mantilla v. >Armenian Vaghatan Darchinyan; bantam weight Waldemar Fonst >v. Canadian Benoit Gaudet; welterweight Diogenes Luna v. Czech Lukas >Konecny and heavyweight Alexis Rubalcaba v. Italian Paolo Vidoz", >stated the article. > >DPTO.INFORMACI�N/MINREX > > Granma REport on the March > > [MORE THAN A WEEKLY] > [BIENVENIDOS A GRANMA INTERNACIONAL] June 13, 2000 > Leading figures in an unprecedented march > BY MARELYS VALENCIA (Granma International staff writer) > > THEY say that no one had to wake them and some of them > >didn't even go to sleep thinking that in the morning theywould be >part of something never seen before. > > The day had not yet dawned and they were already getting ready to > >meet at their school in the northern city of Cardenas, some 150 >kilometers from Havana. The reason for this unique situation: for >the first time they would parade along Havana's Malecon to demand >the return of Elian. > > At 9.30 a.m., 967 pupils from the Marcelo Salado school headed the > >march of 160,000 children from the capital city and nearby areas. In > >the first line were 23 of Eli�n's classmates, children who had >played with him before he was wrenched from his school in November >1999 to live through a whole Odyssey. > > Since then, these children have been interviewed by journalists >from all over the world, but today they were not so talkative. It >was enough for them to be present, in front of the U.S. Interests >Section in Havana, clamoring in unison: "Stop the abuse! Free >Elian!" > > Elementary school children, waving their blue neckerchiefs, led the > >march; after them came junior high school pupils flying red colors. > >The open rally following the march was almost over and thousands of > >10th-grade children had yet to pass the U.S. Interests Section. > > Rain, which had prevented the march and rally last Friday, held a > >lengthy truce, enough for more children than ever before to march >along the Malecon over two and a half hours. Close by, at the Jos* >Mart' Anti-Imperialist Tribunal, waited Fidel Castro, who had sent a > >warm and emotive message on Sunday to Cuban children, calling on >them to participate in this event. > > In the case of a fresh threat of rain, Fidel advised children to >return to their homes However, instead of rain there was a little >sunshine and it was not until midday that drizzle appeared on the >scene. > > During the open rally the voices of 12 speakers were interspersed > >with songs and poetry. Perhaps some children were not fully aware of > >the meaning of the words injunction and appeal�part of a strange >process that is retaining Eli�n�but their reasoning did indicate how > >much moral injustice has been done in recent days in the context of > >judges and courts. > > By coincidence, the Gonzalez relatives IN MIAMI are appealing to 12 > >Atlanta Appeals Court judges for a review of the decision. Although > >they know that they have lost the legal battle, they are still >attempting to prolong the time Elian, his father and other >companions will have to remain in the United States. > > It is to be hoped that those judges, like Cuban children, will ask > >themselves why a six-year-old boy shouldn't be allowed to return >home together with his loved ones. > > ABOUT GRANMA INTERNATIONAL ONLINE Spanish | French | >Portuguese | German | Italian | Javier Sotomayor � Copyright. >1996-1999. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GRANMA INTERNATIONAL/ ONLINE EDITION >" JC > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
