>Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 21:56:04 -0400 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-06 October 2000 >Radio Havana Cuba-06 October 2000 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 06 October 2000 > > . > >*CUBA FLATLY REJECTS SEVERE RESTRICTIONS US CONGRESS IMPOSES ON SALES > >*CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT CARLOS LAGE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO IRAN > >*IN HAVANA, VENEZUELA AND CUBA ANNOUNCE OIL AGREEMENT > >*TELEVISED CLASSES SPARK GREAT INTEREST ON THE ISLAND > >*RICARDO ALARCON CLOSES CONFERENCE OF IBERO AMERICAN JUSTICE MINISTERS > >*INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE PLANNED FOR ANNIVERSARY OF CHE'S DEATH > >*CUBAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES DELEGATION TRAVELS TO THE UNITED STATES > >*Viewpoint: Spread of AIDS Epidemic Directly Related to Lack of Resources > > . > >*CUBA FLATLY REJECTS SEVERE RESTRICTIONS US CONGRESS IMPOSES ON SALES > >Havana, October 6 (RHC) -- The United States Congress has agreed to impose >severe estrictions on the sale of food and medicines to Cuba, which Cuba has >flatly rejected. Following months of debate, Cuban-American and other >ultra-right wing legislators were able to dismantle an original ammendment >on the lifting of restrictions in Washington's blockade of Cuba that Havana >said would have been a step in the right direction. > >On Thursday, the Cuban Foreign Ministry issued an official statement totally >rejecting the legislation, insisting that media outlets are giving the >impression that the measure implies a substantial change in the blockade, >when in reality it does not. Havana pointed out that the version now agreed >on requires special U.S. government authorization for any and all >transactions with Cuba, prohibits U.S. public or private financing of the >transactions, maintains an embargo on any vessels that dock in Cuban ports >and converts into law the prohibition on the constitutional right of >American citizens to travel to Cuba. > >The Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that Cuba will not participate in a public >relations ploy used by ultra-right wing sectors on capital hill in order to >appear as if they were easing the blockade, that Cuba will not carry out any >type of commercial transaction with the United States based on this >discriminatory and humilliating legislation. > >Even the AFP news agency, in a cable datelined Washington, October 6, >reported that the restrictions in the text of the measure are so severe that >some supporters of easing Washington's blockade of Cuba find it >ounterproductive. The text will reportedly be submitted to a vote in both >the House and Senate sometime next week. > > >*CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT CARLOS LAGE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO IRAN > >Havana, October 6 (RHC) -- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage has arrived in >Iran for an official visit. During the first day of the first visit of a >high-ranking Cuban government official to the Arab nation, Lage toured an >installation under joint construction by Iran and Cuba for the production of >vaccines and high-tech pharmaceuticals. > >The installation is expected to be completed by late next year, and will >become Iran's principle manufacturer of biotechnology medicines -- though >the Arab nation already produces 97 percent of the medicines the country >needs. > >The Cuban Vice President will be officially received on Saturday, after >which official talks will begin with high-ranking government officials in >Tehran. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was in Cuba last week at the >invitation of President Fidel Castro. > > >*IN HAVANA, VENEZUELA AND CUBA ANNOUNCE OIL AGREEMENT > >Havana, October 6 (RHC) -- In Havana, visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister >Jose Vicente Rangel today announced an upcoming oil agreement between >Venezuela and Cuba. Upon being received by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe >Perez Roque, Rangel said the accord will be independent of the San Jose Pact >-- through which Venezuela and Mexico provide Central America and the >Caribbean with oil at preferential prices. > >The Venezuelan Foreign Minister said that during his visit to Cuba he will >consult with President Fidel Castro concerning a date for the Cuban leader's >visit to Venezuela to sign the agreement. He said the agreement will be >important for both countries -- giving Cuba a steady and reliable supply of >oil, and giving Venezuela a steady and reliable market. > >The Cuban Foreign Minister said Havana sees in Venezuela's proposal a >gesture of friendship that is coherent with Venezuelan President Hugo >Chavez's independent foreign policy. Rangel is also in Cuba to pay homage to >late Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ignacio Luis Arcaya, who refused to vote >against Cuba in a Costa Rica gathering in 1960 that determined Cuba's >expulsion from the Organization of American States. > > >*TELEVISED CLASSES SPARK GREAT INTEREST ON THE ISLAND > >Havana, October 6 (RHC)-- A series of televised classes called "University >for All" has sparked great interest among Cubans, says an editorial >published in Friday's edition of the Granma newspaper. The editorial notes >that thousands of Cubans are enthusiastically watching the program at home, >while thousands of others are seeing it in classrooms islandwide at >different hours. The Granma article also highlights the mass acceptance of >current efforts to place media at the service of culture for all. > >The first course, which began on Monday this week, is televised live from 7 >to 9 am and offers a panorama of literary techniques, specifically narrative >skills designed both for readers and writers. Although customized for three >thousand journalists and 200 thousand educators, who can choose to watch the >programs in the afternoon, the series has drawn such wide interest among >viewers that due to popular demand, it will be replayed on Saturdays. > >The second half of October, viewers can participate in a one -hour- a- day >course on literature appreciation and beginning in November, the "University >for All" will run programs on the Spanish and English languages. According >to Friday's editorial, the program seeks to maximize the quality of >education and raise the population's cultural understanding, through the >wide use of media and audovisual resources. > > >*RICARDO ALARCON CLOSES CONFERENCE OF IBERO AMERICAN JUSTICE MINISTERS > >Havana, October 6 (RHC) -- The president of Cuba's Parliament, Ricardo >Alarcon, told Ibero American Justice Ministers that the region's nations >have solid judicial traditions which need to be in tune with the times in >order to cooperate more efficiently. > >Alarcon, who was speaking at the closing of a 5-day meeting in Havana of >Ibero American Justice Ministers, noted that not all nations are as >dedicated to justice and sometimes act unilaterally, imposing their wills on >less powerful countries. > >The Cuban parliamentary leader stressed that the Havana gathering confirms >the validity of the spirit of the Ibero American Summits, as a path towards >cooperation and integration, and through which, much has been achieved and >much more can be expected. > >Meanwhile, Cuban Justice Minister, Roberto Diaz Sotolongo, in his capacity >as the meeting's president, read the final document which lists a series of >recommendations for the modernization of the administration of justice, the >fight against transnational crime, drug trafficking, trafficking in human >beings, the protection of personal information and others. > >The 8th Conference of Ibero American Justice Ministers will held in Peru. >Attending the closing ceremony were the ministers and deputy ministers of >the 19 delegations that participated in the gathering, the president of >Cuba's Supreme Court, Ruben Remigo Ferro, Cuban Attorney General, Juan >Escalona, and members of the diplomatic corps. > > >*INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE PLANNED FOR ANNIVERSARY OF CHE'S DEATH > >Havana, October 6 (RHC) -- On Sunday, the 33rd anniversary of the death in >Bolivia of guerilla fighter, Ernesto, "Che" Guevara, Cuban writers and >researchers will answer questions about the life and work of the legendary >Argentinian/Cuban figure. Beginning at 10am local time, an interactive >dialogue will begin on the Sunday Web page of Radio Rebelde during which >Cuban experts will answers questions about Commander Ernesto "Che" Guevara. > >Panelists will include writers and researchers on "Che," Victor Perez >Galdos, Adys Cupull and Froilan Gonzalez, as well as the head of the newly >formed Che Guevara chair at the University of Havana, Delia Luisa Lopez. >Sunday will be the first time this type of event will be mounted on the >Internet in Cuba. Cuban students and workers will participate along with >people in other Latin American and European countries. The computer program >was designed by young Cuban engineers and technicians from Radio Rebelde and >the National Information Services Enterprise, CITMATEL. The program is >designed to be used in other international events such as the upcoming II >World Solidarity Encounter, set for November in Havana. > >Sunday's dialogue on the life and work of Ernesto "Che" Guevara coincides >with a posthumous homage to combatants who fell in battle in Bolivia >alongside "Che" in l967. > > >*CUBAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES DELEGATION TRAVELS TO THE UNITED STATES > >Havana, October 6 (RHC)-A high level delegation of the Cuban Council of >Churches will visit the United States October 7 through 21. The religious >delegation will be headed by Council of Churches President, Dr. Reinerio >Arce Valentin. > >"This visit is part of current exchanges between the National Council of >Churches of Christ U.S.A. and the Council of Churches of Cuba and will give >continuity to recent contacts between the two organizations last September >when we welcomed a delegation here from the National Council of Churches of >Christ, headed by its Secretary General, the Reverend Dr. Bob Edgar," Cuban >Council President Reinerio Arce told Radio Havana Cuba. > >The Cuban religious leaders will visit the offices of the National Council >of Churches, as well as several churches of different Christian >denominations located in different U.S. states. > >The Cuban Council of Churches was founded on May 28, 1941. In Cuba there are >currently some 50 protestant denominations, 26 of them members of the >Council of Churches. > > >Viewpoint: > >*SPREAD OF AIDS EPIDEMIC DIRECTLY RELATED TO LACK OF RESOURCES > >The scourge of AIDS and AIDS related sickness is closely linked to the >absence of health education and lack of medical services available in the >countries affected. Although there is no radical cure for AIDS, education >and preventative measures can ensure that the disease is not spread through >sexual activity, the most common conduit. > >The control of the disease, which is reaching epidemic proportions in the >African continent, depends on extensive campaigns and massive distribution >of medication. Billions of dollars are paid annually to pharmaceutical >transnationals for medication to treat AIDS related sickness. This results >in rich countries in the North having access to treatment while poor >countries in the South, who have the bulk of AIDS sufferers, are deprived of >the medication because of their poverty stricken economies. > >In Cuba, the scientific and medical communities are working relentlessly to >discover and develop an effective antidote to combat the AIDS virus. Cuba >has already developed an effective vaccine against meningitis B, a strain of >meningitis that has caused numerous deaths and disabilities in other >countries. Many of the diseases, that affected the Cuban population before, >such as malaria, diptheria, tuberculosis and dengue, and that are endemic in >the Third World, have been effectively brought under control in this >country. These medical advances, for which Cuba is famous, are made >available to other counties in the South. In the same spirit of solidarity >and internationalism, thousands of young students from Latin American and >Africa study medicine at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba at no >cost in order that the people from these countries will have the benefit of >good medical practice. > >As a result of Cuba's relentless efforts in the fight against the AIDS >epidemic, this country is the least affected by the AIDS virus with only >0.03 of the population afflicted by this ailment. This is the lowest >incidence in Latin America. But other Third World countries are not so >fortunate. Cuban President Fidel Castro has observed that a project as >comprehensive as the Cuban AIDS project for the African continent would cost >billions of dollars. > >The lack of a globalized solidarity is evident in the battle against the >AIDS virus, a lack which is also evident in the battle against most of the >social ills affecting the poor nations of the world. > >(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-10.06.00-21:55:39-23114 > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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