>Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 20:15:55 -0500 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Direct from Cuba-Prensa Latina News-31 October 2000 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Direct from Cuba - Prensa Latina News - Oct 31, 2000 > > . > >*CUBA DOES NOT TRADE ITS DIGNITY WITH ANY NATION, LAGE ASSERTS > >*FIDEL CASTRO IN VENEZUELA: HOPE LIES IN UNITY > >*LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ATTEND CUBAN COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP > >*CUBA AND VENEZUELA SIGN INTEGRAL COLLABORATION AGREEMENT > >*GERMAN MINISTER OF SAXONY ARRIVES IN CUBA > >*CUBAN-CHINESE COLLABORATION BETWEEN PROVINCES IN FIVE SPHERES > >*VICE-PRESIDENT LAGE LAUDS CUBAN ECONOMIC EXPANSION > >*ST. PETERSBURG FIRMS COULD OPEN BUSINESS WITH CUBA > >*CUBA LEADS LATIN AMERICAN PERFORMANCE AT CHESS OLYMPIADS > >*HONDURAS: A SILENT DEMONSTRATION REPUDIATES POLITICAL CRISIS > >*SANDINISTAS STILL FAVORITE FOR NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS > >*MEXICAN INNOVATION REDUCES RISKS OF LUNG CANCER > >*MOCKUS WIN AND CONSERVATIVE DEFEAT COLOR COLOMBIAN ELECTIONS > >*SEARCH FOR REBEL OFFICER IN SOUTHERN PERU YIELDS NOTHING > > . > >*CUBA DOES NOT TRADE ITS DIGNITY WITH ANY NATION, LAGE ASSERTS > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) State Council Vice President Carlos Lage refuted a >supposed softening of the US economic blockade against Cuba yesterday and >repeated that his nation "does not trade its dignity with any country." > >We reject the US measures because actually what has been produced is a new >strengthening of the US policy against Cuba, Lage told reporters accredited >to the 18th International Havana Fair, among them Prensa Latina. > >Recently, a group of US legislators added some initiatives to try to soften >the commercial isolation policy practiced by Washington against Havana for >40 years, through a partial sale of food and medicine. > >But, the Cuban-American ultra rightwing based in Miami and Republican >legislators added amendments to the project. These amendments made sales of >food and medicine to the Island impossible. Lage asserted that the >presented conditions are not at all practical. > >There is no transport between both nations, there are no bank links, >permission must be requested case by case, and no financial support, he >concluded "It is not possible to trade that way with any nation. It's one >way commerce." > >Cuba would never trade under such conditions, this country will not trade >with the US, nor with any nation under conditions that harm our national >dignity, Lage emphasized. > >As proof that Cuba trades with the world at the border of the US, Lage >inaugurated the 18th International Fair of Havana (FIHAV-2000) on Sunday, a >meeting attended by over 1,500 enterprises from 64 nations. > >Lage said this year's results would confirm that Cuba's recovery trend has >been stable for five years (since 1995), when the nation began to flourish >after a very difficult economic stage initiated in 1989. > >It was a year of high fuel prices, the highest price of the last decade, and >three times more expensive compared to the lowest prices, he recalled. > >In spite of those factors, added to the difficult conditions of the economic >war imposed by the US on Cuba, we have maintained that recovery trend, the >State Council vice-president repeated. Cuban trade increased to $ 5 billion >116 million and continues increasing in merchandise trade worldwide, Raul de >la Nuez, Cuban Foreign Trade Minister (MINCEX) highlighted. > >De la Nuez stated that geographically the greatest trade is with the >European continent, representing 46 per cent of total, similar to 1999, when >the figure were 45 per cent. > >Cuba's Foreign Trade minister informed that the second trading region with >Cuba is America, representing over 39 per cent of the total trade in this >archipelago worldwide. LPL/CCS > > . > >*FIDEL CASTRO IN VENEZUELA: HOPE LIES IN UNITY > >CARACAS, Oct 30 (PL) Unity of Latin American people as a survival imperative >was stressed Sunday by Cuba's President Fidel Castro and his Venezuelan >counterpart Hugo Chavez on the fourth day of the Cuban Head of States' visit >here. > >Both presidents participated in a historic edition of "Alo Presidente" radio >program broadcast from Carabobo field, scene of Simon Bolivar's triumph over >Spanish colonists in 1821. > >The program, in which Chavez personally answers the people's phone calls, >became a remarkable dialog with the attendance of two presidents, and an >important moment of Fidel Castro's visit. This edition of the radio program >was called "Alo, Presidentes" and the Heads of States answered questions >from various parts of Venezuela and even from Cuba. > >They made special emphasis on Latin American and Caribbean unity issues as >well as the role Venezuela is playing in this regard. They also explained >their common geopolitical vision, Marti's and Bolivar's thoughts, as well as >the need to organize societal fronts. To a question from Lazaro Ferrer, 72, >from Cuba, both presidents honored women's efforts in the two Revolutionary >processes and in each country's struggle for independence, as well as the >role they are playing now. > >Chavez and Fidel Castro took advantage of the radio program to pay homage to >the memory of late Cuban Commander Camilo Cienfuegos on his 41st death >anniversary October 28. > >Chavez pointed out that Venezuelan patriot Simon Rodriguez had been born the >same date of Camilo's disappearance, but many years before. Chavez honored >the memory of both Latin American revolutionary personages. > >The far-reaching radio program ended with the song "Venezuela" surprisingly >performed by the two Head of States. > >According to the schedule, when the program signed off, Chavez and Fidel >Castro wandered over Carabobo field where monuments to Liberator Simon >Bolivar and the Unknown Soldier stand. At the foot of the second, both >presidents laid a wreath. > >Twenty-four hours before the end of the visit, there is consensus that Cuban >President Fidel Castro's presence here, apart from being successful, caused >a special impact in Venezuela's society. GRS/CCS > > . > >*LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ATTEND CUBAN COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) Journalists from 10 Latin American countries will debate >for three days here on information sector effects of legal deregulation and >privatization, among other phenomena, announced the local press today. > >The discussions will be included in Social Communication Challenges on the >21st Century Threshold workshop, which will session in Havana's >International Press Institute tomorrow through Nov 2, reported the National >Information Agency (AIN). > >The workshop program includes analysis of the perspective to create "a >responsible press which represents the interests of the majority," AIN >added. > >The workshop is the conclusion of the 28th international diploma course >"Journalism and Current Situation" and will have delegates from Argentina, >Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, >Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela. FVS/CCS > > . > >*CUBA AND VENEZUELA SIGN INTEGRAL COLLABORATION AGREEMENT > >CARACAS, Oct 30 (PL) Venezuela and Cuba today signed an integral agreement >of cooperation to strengthen and enlarge the ties between both nations and >to serve in the regional unification effort. > >The agreement was signed in the Ayacucho Salon, Miraflores Palace by the >Cuban and Venezuelan Presidents Fidel Castro Ruz and Hugo Chavez Frias. The >document includes agreements related to energy, culture, sports, and >economy. > >This will be in force immediately and in this session, committees from both >nations will meet to discuss its development and application. > >The Integral Collaboration Agreement is the culmination of the official >five-day visit to this nation by President Fidel Castro, who will give a >press conference, in the local chancellery, about his stay in Venezuela. > >During his stay here, the Cuban leader visited four Venezuelan states and >spoke with President Hugo Chavez and diverse Venezuelan authorities. > >Members of the official Cuban delegation accompanying President Castro, >Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Foreign Investment and >Collaboration Minister Marta Lomas attended the ceremony. > >Jose Miyar, State Council secretary, Carlos Manuel Valenciaga, State Council >member, German Sanchez, Cuban Ambassador to Venezuela, Julio Martinez, >second secretary of Young Communist League and Hassan Perez, president of >the University Student Federation, completed the delegation. > >This Latin American nation was the first visited by the Cuban leader, only >three weeks after the triumph of the Cuban revolution in January 1959. >LPL/CCS > > . > >*GERMAN MINISTER OF SAXONY ARRIVES IN CUBA > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) Matias Gabriel, Economy and Technology Minister of >Saxony-Anhalt, German Federal Republic, yesterday arrived in Cuba for a >six-day visit. > >Gabriel will meet Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque, >Foreign Trade Minister Raul de la Nuez, and Sugar Minister Ulises Rosales >del Toro, Economic Cooperation and Foreign Investment Minister Martha Lomas, >Agriculture Minister Alfredo Jordan, and Basic Industry Minister Marcos. >DIG/CCS > > . > >*CUBAN-CHINESE COLLABORATION BETWEEN PROVINCES IN FIVE SPHERES > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) Cuban Villa Clara Province and Liaoning Province in >northeast China, will collaborate in the fields of science, technology, >education, culture and sports, announced Cuba's National Information Agency >(AIN). > >Alexis Melgarejo, Villa Clara government president, and Wen Shizhen, China's >Communist Party secretary in Liaoning, signed the cooperation agreement >yesterday, which also expands links between "political organizations, state >institutions and peoples from both regions," the source added. > >During his stay at Villa Clara, Wen learned about that territory's sugar >production and tourist development, besides visiting INPUD, a local >refrigerator factory and MINERVA, a bicycle plant using Chinese technology. > >Liaoning Trade and Economic Cooperation officials, bank representatives and >company executives of the Asian delegation also visited Ernesto Che Guevara >Memorial, where the legendary Argentinean-Cuban guerrilla leader's remains >rest. > >Liaoning is a coastal region with 41.5 million inhabitants, which bases its >economy on mining, petrochemical and steel and iron industries and >agriculture, AIN concluded. TAC/CCS > > . > >*VICE-PRESIDENT LAGE LAUDS CUBAN ECONOMIC EXPANSION > >BY JORGE V. JAIME > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) Cuba's State Council Vice-President Carlos Lage >yesterday confirmed that the Island will accomplish its annual economic >growth goals, in spite of the commercial difficulties over the last few >months. > >Economic growth, forecast for 2000, continues in accord with the National >Assembly (Parliament) plan, stated Lage at the opening of Havana's >International Fair (FIHAV 2000). > >In press statements the official declared, "Growth predictions for 2000 will >be fulfilled," and highlighted that results could be even better than >current predictions of a Gross National Product expansion between 4 and 5 >per cent. > >This year's results will confirm the stability of Cuba's economic recovery >trend over the past five consecutive years. This process began in 1995 due >to the very difficult economic situation that started in 1989. > >This year oil prices were the highest of the last decade, and three times >more expensive than periods with the lowest prices, he recalled. > >Our sugarcane exports, for the first six months of 2000, were for very low >value in the markets where Cuba negotiates the product. Cuba exports >sugarcane and imports oil, so these external factors hindered our economic >evolution, the official said. > >Yet, in spite of these factors and difficult moments of the US economic war >on the Island, we have been able to maintain this recovery tendency, he >reiterated. > >The recently opened FIHAV 2000, Cuba's most important trade fair, "proves >the increasing interest of the world to negotiate with Cuba, where trade -up >to September- has increased by 13 per cent," Lage noted. > >FIHAV 2000 as traditionally, is located at Expocuba Exhibition Center, and >will end November 5. Sixty-four nations (4 more than in 1999) are >participating, including over 1,500 foreign firms and 500 national that are >meeting in some 20,000 square meters, the Organizing Committee informed. > >The Fair will have participation and rooms similar to those of 1999, but >with higher quality, presentation, and variety, Lage confirmed. > >This is the first time Malaysia, Ghana, Gambia and Armenia are attending the >Fair. Japan -with 15 firms- and Portugal will have big independent >pavilions. DIG/CCS > > . > >*ST. PETERSBURG FIRMS COULD OPEN BUSINESS WITH CUBA > >HAVANA, Oct 30 (PL) Russian construction (Kirovski Zavod) and cellular >telephone (Northeastern GSM) firms could create joint ventures with Cuban >entities, St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev yesterday predicted to >Prensa Latina. > >"Kirovski Zavod, one of St. Petersburg biggest companies, is willing to >collaborate with Cuban firms in the construction and diesel-transport >technology sectors," he stated. "GSM cellular telephone company is >interested in creating a joint firm here, with mutual commercial benefits," >he added. > >Kirovski and GSM feature among the Russian firms attending the 18th Havana >International Fair, opened yesterday at Expocuba Exhibition Center, with >some 1,500 representatives from 64 nations. Yakovlev, who concluded today a >five-day stay here, visited various fair pavilions, and declared that >Russia's participation motivated some ten business executives from St. > _______________________________________________________ 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. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. 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