>Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 29 June 2000 23:30 > > >*ELIAN'S HOMECOMING RECEIVES UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION >*MAJOR U.S. MEDIA APPLAUD ELIAN'S RETURN, DEPLORE MIAMI'S ULTRA-RIGHT >*DESPITE RETURN OF ELIAN' MIGRATORY DISCREPANCIES WITH WASHINGTON PERSIST >*THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF SHAKA SANKOFA >*VIGIL IN MEMORY OF SHAKA SANKOFA HELD AT HAVANA'S ROSENBERG MEMORIAL >*INTERNATIONAL "FRIENDS OF THE SEA" FAIR BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN CIENFUEGOS >*CHUCHO VALDES: BEST LATIN JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR >*Viewpoint: ELIAN'S RETURN HOME: A VICTORY SHARED IN CUBA AND THE U.S. > > >*ELIAN'S HOMECOMING RECEIVES UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION > >Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- The homecoming of Elian Gonzalez to Cuba was >front-page news throughout the world on Thursday. Images of the six-year-old >boy and his father arriving in the Cuban capital Wednesday night enjoyed >live, international television coverage and close-up photos graced all major >news dailies Thursday morning. > >Throughout Latin America, special coverage was given to the U.S. Supreme >Court decision to lift a prohibition on Elian from leaving the United States >and his return to Cuba. > >In Quito, Ecuador, radio and television commentaries included detailed >information on Elian's return to the Caribbean island. One of Quito's main >dailies, "El Comercio," noted that the illegal detention of the six-year-old >cost U.S. taxpayers over two million dollars. > >Elian's return to Cuba was also front-page news in Venezuelan newspapers on >Thursday. The headlines of one of the country's major newspapers was "Elian >Returns Home" - with photos of the boy and his father waving goodbye as they >boarded a small private plane that would take them from the U.S. capital to >Havana. > >News of the arrival in Havana of Elian Gonzalez was also THE news story >throughout the United States on Thursday. Quoting "The Chicago Tribune," the >vast majority of Americans are relieved that six-year-old Elian Gonzalez is >finally back in Cuba. > >According to Jeffrey Leving, an attorney and specialist on child custody in >Chicago, Elian's return to the island demonstrates a positive example of >migratory justice, especially for those U.S. citizens involved in child >custody disputes. Leving affirmed that Elian's seven-month-long stay in the >United States was a moral issue for an overwhelming number of American >citizens. > > >*MAJOR U.S. MEDIA APPLAUD ELIAN'S RETURN, DEPLORE MIAMI'S ULTRA-RIGHT > >Washington, June 29 (RHC)-- Major news dailies in the United States >applauded the return home of Elian Gonzalez and blasted the attitude of >Miami's ultra-right wing sectors. > >An editorial in Thursday's edition of The New York Times asserted that the >image of the Cuban-American community in Miami has suffered greatly due to >its belligerence and attempts to destroy the ties between a father and his >son. > >The editorial termed as "intolerable" the refusal of elected Miami officials >to cooperate with federal authorities in the case, saying that politics in >Miami have become more divisive than ever. According to the influential >news daily, the anti-Cuba lobby damaged its image by using the child as a >political prop. But the worst damage to the anti-Cuba cause, according to >The New York Times, was that many Americans began to sympathize with Elian's >father and became aware of Washington's outdated policy of isolation with >respect to Cuba. > >The Washington Post, while accusing Cuban President Fidel Castro of >politically exploiting the case, also agreed that the Cuban leader's >principle adversaries in the United States have been weakened and >ostracized. > >In its Thursday edition, The Los Angeles Times wrote that Capitol Hill >should take advantage of the repercussions to the Elian Gonzalez case and >open a debate concerning Washington's Cuba policy. > > >*DESPITE RETURN OF ELIAN' MIGRATORY DISCREPANCIES WITH WASHINGTON PERSIST > >Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry today stated that migratory >discrepancies with Washington persist, despite the return of Elian Gonzalez. >Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aymee Hernandez reiterated Havana's opposition >to Washington's discriminatory Cuban Adjustment Act -- which encourages >illegal departures from Cuba -- stating that, for the moment, there will not >be another round of U.S.-Cuba migratory talks. > >Last week, Cuba unilaterally suspended the next round of talks that were to >be held later this month. Hernandez insisted, however, that Havana remains >committed to the strict compliance of the U.S.-Cuba migratory accords signed >in 1994 and 1995. > > >*THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF SHAKA SANKOFA > >Houston, June 29 (RHC)-- Shaka Sankofa was buried today in Houston, Texas. >The memorial service for the African-American prisoner, who was unjustly >executed one week ago, was attended by more than 2000 people, predominantly >from the African-American community. His mother, daughter and grandchildren, >as well as many other relatives were also present. > >One of the speakers during the service, which lasted for more than three >hours, was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who spoke to Shaka just minutes >before his execution. After talking about the spirit that Shaka left behind, >Rev. Jackson made reference to his last words -- calling for unity and >struggle to abolish the racist death penalty. > >Another speaker was Shaka Sankofa's spiritual advisor, Minister Robert >Muhammad, from the Nation of Islam in Houston, Texas. Muhammad said that the >death penalty is not just an issue for Black people, but for all poor >people, adding that only through unity will the executions be stopped. > >Gloria Rubac, an activist in the movement to abolish the death penalty in >Texas, frequently visited Shaka Sankofa in prison. Rubac attended the >funeral and told reporters that the message Cuban President Fidel Castro >sent to the memorial service was very well received. Rubac said that >everyone present at the funeral ceremony expressed their appreciation for >the solidarity of the Cuban people. > >Shaka Sankofa was sentenced to die at the age of 17 for a crime that he did >not commit. He was on death row for 19 years before being executed last >week, despite an international campaign to save his life. > > >*VIGIL IN MEMORY OF SHAKA SANKOFA HELD AT HAVANA'S ROSENBERG MEMORIAL > >Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- A vigil in honor of Shaka Sankofa was held Thursday >night in front of the Rosenberg Memorial here in Havana. > >The vigil was sponsored by the Jo Jo White Work Brigade, which is currently >in Cuba. The brigade is working on a construction and mural project in the >municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, located in the Cuban capital. > >Jo Jo White was a victim of a random shooting in San Francisco shortly after >his return from Cuba, where he worked on a solidarity brigade. In his >memory, a community project in Arroyo Naranjo was named in his honor. > >The son of African-American political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is >visiting here in Cuba, also took part in Thursday's vigil. > > >*INTERNATIONAL "FRIENDS OF THE SEA" FAIR BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN CIENFUEGOS > >Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- The International Friends of the Sea Fair -- FIRMAR >2000 -- will be held from July 4th through the 7th in the central Cuban >province of Cienfuegos. On hand will be business executives from Mexico, >Canada, Italy, Spain and Cuba. > >A representative from Cuba's Chamber of Commerce, Lianne Quincose, said that >the island's first international sea fair will be presented as a commercial >event in promoting Cuba's potential in the fishing, nautical and tourism >sectors. She added that there will be a special focus on cruise ship >tourism. > > >*CHUCHO VALDES: BEST LATIN JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR > >Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- Renowned Cuban pianist, composer, arranger and >bandleader, Chucho Valdes, has added another prize to his long list of >awards. The Cuban artist received a telephone call Thursday morning, >affirming that he had just been officially recognized as the best Latin Jazz >Artist of the Year by the American Association of Jazz Journalists. > >When interviewed by reporters, Chucho expressed joy for being the recipient >of such a prestigious award. The extraordinary musician said that he's >planning a stopover in the United States for the ceremony, on his way to >Italy next week, where he will participate in the Umbria Jazz Festival. > >Chucho Valdes -- the first Cuban musician to receive a Grammy Award (in >1979) along with his band "Irakere" -- was nominated for this year's Grammy >in the Latin Jazz category for his Briyumba Palo Congo album. > >The talented artist has been nominated on four separate occasions and has >already won two Grammys, either accompanied by his group, his quartet or >trumpet player Roy Hargrove. Chucho Valdes' name appears in the Los Angeles >Hall of Fame for Latin Jazz since September 1999, when the names of three >more musical giants were added -- Argentinean Lalo Schifrin and Puerto >Ricans Tito Puente and Eddy Palmieri. > > >*Viewpoint: ELIAN'S RETURN HOME: A VICTORY SHARED IN CUBA AND THE U.S. > >Six-year-old Elian Gonzalez -- following a trying seven-month-long legal >battle during which he was unfairly detained in the United States after >being literally kidnapped for political purposes by Miami-based, anti-Cuba >groups -- has finally returned home. This is a resounding moral victory that >is shared by both the people of Cuba and the United States. > >The U.S. legal system acted properly and forced the Miami mafia to obey U.S. >law in this case of profound human interest. Beyond the political >differences shared by the two countries over the past four decades -- during >which time countless aggressions have been launched against the Cuban >government -- the island has implemented a social and political project of >great historical importance, both for itself and for others -- in which >justice, morals and dignity have prevailed. > >The case of Elian Gonzalez has demonstrated the staunch unity and courage of >the Cuban people. The entire nation massively mobilized to vigorously >protest against the inhumane political kidnapping of one of its smallest >citizens -- keeping popular pressure on for more than 200 days and demanding >justice with huge, mass demonstrations. > >The lies, slander and manipulations of right wing Cuban-Americans in Miami >were revealed one by one, along with the gangster spirit that has always >characterized that group. For more than 40 years of confrontations, the real >agenda of the Miami mafia was hidden behind the overwhelming onslaught of >anti-Cuba propaganda, spread by powerful ultra-right wing sectors in the >United States. If it wasn't clear before who these people really are, it's >crystal clear now. > >After this successful and historic battle for dignity and justice, the >people of Cuba and the United States must join together to struggle for the >normalization of relations and the beginning of a new kind of understanding >and cooperation in the new millenium. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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