>Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 00:56:27 -0400 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-05 October 2000 > >Radio Havana Cuba-05 October 2000 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 05 October 2000 > > . > >*CUBA CALLS CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO EASE WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE A "SHAM" > >*CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT CARLOS LAGE WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO JAPAN > >*SIX INTERNATIONALISTS TO BE BURIED IN ERNESTO "CHE" GUEVARA MEMORIAL > >*CUBAN AND SPANISH CUSTOM AGENCIES SIGN BILATERAL AGREEMENT > >*NEW BOOK ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITY IN CUBA > >*CUBAN WOMEN SUPPORT WORLD WOMEN'S MARCH AGAINST POVERTY AND VIOLENCE > >*Viewpoint: IN TODAY'S WORLD, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MUST INCLUDE INFORMATICS > > . > >*CUBA CALLS CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO EASE WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE A "SHAM" > >Havana, October 5th (RHC) -- Cuba's Foreign Ministry has termed as a sham >the alleged efforts in the U.S. Congress to ease restrictions in >Washington's blockade of the island. Referring to reports in diverse media >outlets concerning an agreement in Congress to allow the sale of food and >medicines to Cuba, an official Foreign Ministry statement Thursday insisted >that these reports give the impression that the measure implies a >substantial change in the blockade, when in reality it does not. > >The statement explains that the proposal could be included in an >agricultural funding bill, whose House and Senate versions are currently >being reconciled in Conference Committee. This proposal, says Cuba's Foreign >Ministry, has nothing to do with the constructive amendments to allow the >sale of food and medicines to Cuba that were promoted with ample support in >Congress following efforts by American farmers associations and other >sectors of U.S. society that are increasingly questioning Washington's >sanctions against Havana. > >Without sufficient support to defeat these amendments, continues the >official statement, Cuban-American legislators and the Republican >congressional leadership have violated the legislative process in order to >impose, through underhanded and anti-democratic tactics, a version that >annuls any positive effects of the original amendments. > >The version now under consideration demands that all U.S. companies obtain >special authorization from Washington for the sale of food and medicines -- >even if it's one grain of rice or one aspirin. Moreover, says the Cuban >Foreign Ministry, it excludes any public or private financing in the United >States to carry out these transactions. > >Even worse, says the official statement, it would convert into law the >violation of the constitutional right of Americans to freely travel, in this >way perpetuating the prohibition against U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba. If >this maneuver is successful, Washington's blockade against Cuba would remain >intact. > >The U.S. market would remain closed to Cuban products and services, and a >prohibition on financial flow between the two countries, as well as on >maritime and air traffic and universal norms of foreign trade support, would >be maintained. Cuba's Foreign Ministry points out that the blockade would >remain in effect relative to the finance sector and the prohibition against >vessels docking in Cuban ports to also dock in U.S. ports within a period of >6 months after that vessel has dropped anchor in Cuba. > >U.S. investment would not be allowed in Cuba, and the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton >and Torricelli laws would be kept on the books -- as well as the numerous >anti-Cuba amendments that have been attached to diverse U.S. legislation >that has become law. Cuba's Foreign Ministry warns the international >community that the amendments proposed by U.S. legislators with the support >of farmers associations -- which would have been a step in the right >direction -- have been dismantled through the pressure and anti-democratic >maneuvers of Cuban-American lawmakers and extremist sectors on capital hill >that oppose any modification in Washington's hostile Cuba policy. For Cuba, >continues the Cuban Foreign Ministry statement, the real solution is a >normalization of relations between the two countries and a total lifting of >the genocidal blockade unilaterally imposed on Cuba. Cuba, says the official >statement, will not cooperate with those who try to strengthen the blockade, >nor will Cuba participate in a public relations ploy used by these sectors >in order to appear as if they were easing the blockade. > >The Cuban Foreign Ministry states that if this discriminatory and >humiliating legislation is passed, the Cuban government -- while reiterating >its disposition to maintain normal trade relations with U.S. firms -- will >not carry out any type of commercial transaction with the United States. > > >*CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT CARLOS LAGE WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO JAPAN > >Havana, October 5 (RHC) -- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage has wrapped up >an official visit to Japan expressing his satisfaction over Tokyo's interest >in enhancing bilateral ties with Cuba. In statements to Japan's NHK TV >station and Kyodo news agency, the highest ranking Cuban government official >to be invited to the Asian nation said his hosts clearly demonstrated a >willingness to broaden bilateral relations in all spheres, including in the >political arena. > >The Cuban Vice President said this willingness is reflected in Japan's >invitation to Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon, who will visit the >Asian country next month. Lage and his delegation headed to Iran for another >official visit at Tehran's invitation. > > >*SIX INTERNATIONALISTS TO BE BURIED IN ERNESTO "CHE" GUEVARA MEMORIAL > >Havana, October 5 (RHC)-- The mortal remains of six members of the >internationalist troop commanded by legendary guerrilla fighter, Ermesto >"Che" Guevara, will be buried in Santa Clara, in central Cuba on Sunday. > >The chests holding the remains have been kept in the Granma Hall of the >Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry in Havana since they arrived in Cuba >from Bolivia. They will be taken to the Jose Marti Library in Santa Clara >where local residents will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the >internationalist fighters from 10 o'clock a.m. until midnight Saturday. On >Sunday, on the 33rd anniversary of the death in combat of Commander Ernesto >"Che" Guevara, the chests will be buried alongside their chief, in the >memorial. > >The remains are those of Cubans: Eliseo Reyes Rodriguez, Antonio Sanchez >Diaz, and Jose Maria Martinez Tamayo; Bolivians: Casildo Condori Vargas and >Serapio Aquino Tudela, and Peruvian, Retituto Sose Cabrera Flores. With the >new entombments, the remains of 23 fighters, including those of their >leader, will be buried in the Ernesto "Che" Guevara memorial. All were >recovered from disperesed areas in Bolivia after years of painstaking >research and excavation conducted by Cuban doctors and forensic experts and >their colleagues from other nations. > > >*CUBAN AND SPANISH CUSTOM AGENCIES SIGN BILATERAL AGREEMENT > >Havana, October 5th (RHC)-- The director of the Customs Office and Special >Taxes of Spain, Francisco Javier Goizueta, has praised a bilateral mutual >assistance agreement signed between Spain and Cuba.. The accord, which will >shortly receive Madrid's stamp of approval, paves the way for common actions >leading to the exchange of information on all types of crimes, among them >drug trafficking. According to Goizueta, the protocol makes official a >relationship that already exists between Spain and Cuba's Custom offices. > >Speaking in Havana, the Spanish official commented on the progress being >made by the Cuban Customs Office, which is proceeding in accordance with the >island's new business trends. During a brief stay in Cuba, Goizueta Sanches >visited customs facilities at the Juan Gualberto Gomez International Airport >in Matanzas, and commended the technology the center uses for data exchange. > > >*NEW BOOK ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITY IN CUBA > >Havana, October 5 (RHC)-- A book on a study done on human development and >equity in Cuba in 1999, was launched in the Master Lecture Hall of Havana >University on Tuesday. The publication reveals the results of research >conducted by the Havana-based Research Center on the World Economy. It was >published with the sponsorship of the regional office of the United Nations >Development Program. According to its authors, the book's purpose is to >contribute to national and international debate on the issues of human >development and equity. > >The book provides insight into concepts and the main trends on equity and >human development and the dilemma that globalization poses to those concepts, >among other topics. > >In illustrating the Cuban social system the authors point out that during >the economic crisis, between 1990 and 1998, due to loss of jobs, some 155 >thousand Cuban workers were sent home while receiving 60% of their salaries. >By the end of 1998, only 3 044 of those workers were still awaiting >placement in other jobs. > > >*CUBAN WOMEN SUPPORT WORLD WOMEN'S MARCH AGAINST POVERTY AND VIOLENCE > >Havana, October 5 (RHC)--Cuban women from all walks of life are expressing >their support for the World Women's March against Poverty and Violence 2000. >The campaign is seeking to generate a women's drive to claim international >vindication and is slated to wind up with a huge parade in front of UN >Headquarters in New York on October 17th. > >Tamara Columbie, of the Federation of Cuban Women -FMC- told the Granma >daily newspaper that the organization is participating in an action plan in >support of the plight of millions of women who live in dire poverty >worldwide. Women workers from the tourism, cigar manufacturers, arts >sectors, and others, have signed declarations condemning globalization, >neoliberalism, child abuse and violence against millions of women >internationally. > >An important moment in the plan, said the FMC official, will be celebration >held on October 15th for Rural Women's Day. The celebration will acknowledge >the work done by Cuban women agricultural workers, and will be used to >disseminate information about the October 17th World March. > > >Viewpoint: > >IN TODAY'S WORLD, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MUST INCLUDE INFORMATICS > >Not long along, we mentioned the incredible fact that there are more >telephones in the New York City's borough of Manhattan, than on the entire >African continent. That is disturbing in an era in which the technology of >informatics and instaneous communications, has placed the whole world, >literally, at our fingertips. > >But the great majority of the users of these new machines, reside in the >rich, developed world; in the countries that are in the process of >globalizing the neo-liberal economy in order to consolidate their >domination. They are the first to find out in minute detail what is >happening in the world and they are also the first to take decisions and >disseminate them instantaneously over their national networks. > >The three-fourths of humanity that suffers from poverty, disease, and >ignorance, only has access to a fifth of what is produced worldwide and is >every day more marginalized from scientific and technological advances. The >problems of development are exacerbated by the ever-widening breach in >technology between the rich and the poor nations. A recent report reveals >that inside the United States, the center of the super industrialized world, >some 50% > >of homes boast computers and have direct access to the Internet. If in >Africa and other underdeveloped regions, which contain the majority of the >world's population, few have telephones, which were invented more than a >hundred years ago, what is there to say about computers and informatics? > >The report continues that within just five years, three-quarters of U.S. >residents will have full access to the Internet. In that great nation and in >the other economic powers it associates with, the people are quickly leaving >behind the rest of humanity. The focus of so-called, "sustainable >development," must be expanded to include access to the latest audiovisual >means and electrification, without which, those magic machines cannot >function. > >What's more, the level of education must be elevated to create educated and >cultured populations. However, the question we must now ask is: Are those >great powers willing to share their advantages with the Third World? Thus >far, there is little evidence to show that they are. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. > >================================================================= > NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems > Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us > 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 > http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >================================================================= > >nytcari-10.06.00-00:56:08-3272 > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. 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