>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Havana Radio news/views Aug 22 > >Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-22 August 2000 22:00 > >Radio Havana Cuba-22 August 2000 22:00 > Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 22 August 2000 22:00 > > >*PRESIDENT CASTRO WARNS OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CATASTROPHE >*MONDAY NIGHT TV ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSES THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT >*FIRST SECRETARY OF UKRAINE'S COMMUNIST PARTY MEETS WITH ALARCON >*CUBA, MEXICAN STATE OF QUINTANA ROO, SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS >*CUBAN WOMEN ARE ESSENTIAL TO COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORK, SAYS FMC > OFFICIAL >*Viewpoint: THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT-AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRULY SERVE THE > PEOPLE > > >*PRESIDENT CASTRO WARNS OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CATASTROPHE > >Havana, August 22 (RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro has warned of >an impending international health catastrophe. Speaking Monday in >Havana, the Cuban leader underscored the importance of institutions >like the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, which >specializes in infectious diseases. > >President Castro was addressing an activity commemorating the >100th anniversary of the birth of Cuban scientist Dr. Pedro Kouri, >founder of the Institute. > >Stressing the importance of the research institute, the Cuban leader >talked about the successes of the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical >Medicine into which, he said, thousands of dollars have been invested >in important research in contrast to the scant resources earmarked >for the health sector before the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in >1959. > >The Cuban President referred to the complex health situation in >today's world, which has been made more critical by resistance to >antibiotics, the appearance of new illnesses and generalized poverty. >He said he was convinced that the Cuban doctors volunteering in >Africa and Latin America will make history. > >Referring to the integral plan applied by Cuban doctors in >underdeveloped nations, the Cuban President noted that the island is >the only country in the world able to organize a complex >infrastructure in a matter of months. > >President Castro praised the work of the Pedro Kouri Institute of >Tropical Medicine in protecting the island from infectious diseases >such as dengue fever and cholera, which are endemic to the region. > >Institute director Gustavo Kouri, whose father, Pedro Kouri was its >creator, reports that over 20 thousand specialists have been trained >since it was founded 60 years ago. Other diseases that Cuba has been >able to control which are rampant in the rest of Latin America and >the Caribbean are malaria, AIDS, hepatitis, meningitis, tuberculosis >and other acute respiratory illnesses. > >The Institute is an integral part of the island's preventive public >health care system, recognized by international authorities as the >best the Third World has to offer and, say officials, if it were not >for a shortage of drugs and equipment due to the US-imposed blockade >of the island, the system would be on a par with many developed >nations. > > *MONDAY NIGHT TV ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSES THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT > >Monday evening's roundtable discussion, aired live on Cuban TV and >the international airwaves of Radio Havana Cuba, dealt with the >human consequences of the Cuban Adjustment Act. The panel, composed >of Cuban journalists, took a look at the ramifications of a recent >case involving two Cuban brothers, both in their early 20s, who were >found dead last week by the U.S. Coast Guard. They were half eaten by >sharks some 30 kilometers off of the Florida Keys. > >Panelists stated that this tragedy, like so many others every week, >was provoked by the criminal Cuban Adjustment Act, a U.S. law >designed to stimulate illegal migration from Cuba to the Florida >coast by granting benefits exclusively to undocumented Cuban >immigrants such as instant residency, housing, stipends, and others. >All other nationalities of undocumented immigrants are systematically >greeted with a deportation order. > >International news reports state that an average of 3 out of 5 >Cubans traveling in makeshift transportation die in the shark- >infested waters of the Florida Straits in their attempt to reach U.S. >territory. > >The Cuban Adjustment Act has also given birth to a lucrative >contraband business. The U.S. Coast Guard has reported that >speedboat-owning dealers in humans who charge up to 10 thousand >dollars per person, facilitate 85 percent of illegal migration from >Cuba to the U.S. The panel pointed out that many people resort to >robbery and violence inside Cuba in order to come up with such a >large amount of cash. > >Moreover, the human contraband trade in many cases enslaves newly >arrived Cuban immigrants in the form of indentured servitude. Once in >the U.S., many Cuban women are forced into prostitution while many of >their male counterparts are coerced into mafia-related activities in >order to pay off the cost of the journey plus interest. > >Roundtable participants proposed that if the U.S. is really >interested in seeing massive Cuban migration to the United States, >American authorities should grant the same benefits to those Cubans >who migrate legally and lift the ceiling on migratory quotas at the >U.S. Interests Section in Havana. > > *FIRST SECRETARY OF UKRAINE'S COMMUNIST PARTY MEETS WITH ALARCON > >Havana, August 22 (RHC)-The First Secretary of the Ukraine's >Communist Party, Pietr Simonenko met on Tuesday in Havana with the >President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon. > >On Monday, the Ukrainian official held talks with the head of the >Religious Affairs Office of Cuba's Communist Party, Caridad Diego and >toured the Tarara Beach Resort east of Havana where Ukrainian child >victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, receive assistance and >care. > > *CUBA, MEXICAN STATE OF QUINTANA ROO, SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS > >Havana, August 22 (RHC)- Representatives from Cuba and the Mexican >state of Quintana Roo have signed a series of cooperation agreements >as part of bilateral efforts to increase friendly relations. > >On Monday in Havana the Governor of Quintana Roo, Joaquin Hendrick >and Cuba's ambassador in Mexico Heriberto Galindo signed documents >that include cooperation in the field of education, tourism and >higher education. A letter of intent for future exchanges of radio >and television programs was also signed. > >The Mexican official expressed interest in Cuban doctors >exchanging experiences with their counterparts in the state of >Quintana Roo. He added that he expects to put the finishikng touches >on some agreements for rural development in Quintana Roo. > >Accompanied by a large delegation, the Governor of the Mexican State >of Quintana Roo is also scheduled to meet with representatives from >the Ministries of Tourism, Construction and Foreign Investment and >Economic Cooperation.Havana, August 22 (RHC)-High-ranking member of >the Federation of Cuban Women, Sonia Beretervide praised the social >work, health counselling and education performed in each of the >island's communities by the Homes for Women and the Family. She said >the efforts are essential. > >The Cuban leader referred to the work of some 80 thousand social >workers and activists who counsell and assist low-income mothers and >children, and teenagers with social problems. > >Beretervide added that so far this year, over 20 thousand homemakers >have enrolled in technical and professional training offered by the >Homes. > >The Federation of Cuban Women was founded on August 23rd, 1960 and >currently has three million members. > > *Viewpoint: THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT-AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRULY SERVE THE >PEOPLE > > From September 6th through the 8th, United Nations headquarters in >New York will be the site of the Millennium Summit. Likely to be the >largest-ever gathering of heads of state or government, the Summit >will be an historic occasion for the 188 member-states of the world >body to address the challenges of the new century. > >The United Nations was founded in 1945 at the end of World War II >to introduce new principles in international relations. More than >half a century after its foundation, the organization has succeedded >in some areas, but has failed in others. The international community >overwhelmingly agrees that the organization's greatest challenge >remains in its re-organization, so that it becomes a real collective >entity where members are guaranteed equal rights and obligations. > >For many years, the interests of powerful countries have prevailed >over those of the majority of the people of the world. These are the >same rich nations that impose unequal trade exchange on poor >countries, promote so-called humanitarian intervention and a single >model of what they call "democracy," without taking into >consideration the history, culture and sovereignty of the nations >concerned. > >Since the desintegration of the Soviet Union and the unipolarization >of the world, the United States has tried to use the UN to impose its >ideas on the rest of the world. Washington has found it convenient to >declare certain nations that have not caved in to its pressures >"totalitarian" or "rogue states." But since all of Washington's >dictates have not been followed, retaliation has been taken out on >the United Nations by withholding payments to the international body. >It is estimated that the U.S. owes the UN some two billion dollars, >and it has reluctantly agreed to make payments on installments -- as >if it were an impoverished country. It is obvious that Washington is >using the money to exert pressure on the organization of nations. > >The Millennium Summit will be a good opportunity to bring all these >issues to the fore, given that it provides a unique occasion to >reflect on the common destiny of all nations. Challenges range from >democratization of the UN Security Council to globalization, the >environment and, most of all, reducing the extreme poverty that >prevails in this world -- while a minority, located in the northern >half of the globe, enjoys benefits unheard of in the history of >humanity. > >In the final analysis, heads of states and goverments will have the >ultimate responsibility of deciding whether or not they will truly >serve the needs of their peoples. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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