from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
subject: Havana Radio Jan 23. Traffic Accidents rise
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 23 January 2001
.
*CUBA'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE
*PANAMANIAN COURT RULES POSADA CARRILES DETENTION IS LEGAL
*NIGERIAN WRITER HONORED BY HAVANA UNIVERSITY
*TWO CUBAN PERFORMERS HONORED IN HAVANA
*NEW CRISIS IN COLOMBIAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
*CHILEAN JUDGE FINALLY INTERVIEWS PINOCHET
*ILLINOIS ADDRESSES THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY
*Viewpoint: CUBA'S VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
.
*CUBA'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE
Havana, January 23, (RHC)--As the island experiences a rapid increase
in the number of cars, trucks and buses on its streets, traffic
accidents have become the 4th most common cause of death in Cuba.
According to an article in Tuesday's edition of the Cuban newspaper,
Granma, in the last 25 years 34,378 people have died in accidents and
268,869 have been injured. The article notes that in 80% of the cases
human factors were decisive. Official statistics reveal that last
year alone 9,619 traffic accidents were responsible for the deaths of
1,024 people and 8,440 injuries. The study shows that accidents were
caused by inattention, failure to yield the right-of-way, poor
judgement by cyclists and pedestrians, speeding and drunk driving.
The Grandma article points out that the island's rate of 72 accidents
for every 100,000 inhabitants, is considered to be high.
*PANAMANIAN COURT RULES POSADA CARRILES DETENTION IS LEGAL
Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Panama's Supreme court has ruled that the
arrest of Cuban-born terrorist, Luis Posada Carriles was legal under
Panamanian law. Posada Carriles and three companions were taken into
custody last November after they entered the country with false
passports. A Panamanian citizen was also arrested. The detainees are
under investigation for allegedly plotting to assassinate Cuban
President Fidel Castro during his November stay in Panama where he
attended the 20th Ibero American Summit.
In a unanimous decision the nine judges declared that Luis Posada
Carriles' detention is legal for purposes of extradition. The ruling
was in response to two habeas corpus actions filed by Posada's
lawyers. It was Cuban President Fidel Castro himself who informed
Panamanian authorities of the plot and of Posada Carriles' presence
in Panama. After the men were arrested authorities recovered kilos of
plastic explosives on the outskirts of Panama City which were quickly
linked to the men. The assassination attempt was to have taken place
in the University of Panama, where the Cuban leader was scheduled to
speak.
*NIGERIAN WRITER HONORED BY HAVANA UNIVERSITY
Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, l986
Nobel Literature prize winner, has been awarded an honorary doctorate
degree from the University of Havana, for his "struggle for social
justice and his rich literary history."
In a simple ceremony held Monday evening in the university's Aula
Magna, or master lecture hall, Soyinka accepted the distinction in
the name of the many young Nigerians who are currently studying on
scholarships in Cuba.
The distinguished writer told the gathering that the assistance of
Cuban doctors and teachers working in his country is a way of
thanking Nigeria for the rich culture brought to the Americas by
Africa slaves.
Cuban poet, Nancy Morejon, praised the work of the playwrite, poet
and novelist, who is considered to be Africa's most important living
writer, as "an immense supplier of feelings and ideas which remain
valid." And she recalled that he is the first African to receive the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
Soyinka, on his third visit to Cuba, is a special invited guest for
the 42nd Casa de las Americas Literary Prize which began on Monday in
Havana. The Nigerian writer has written an autobiography, essays,
poems, satiric comedies, works of philosophy, plays and two novels.
He first visited Cuba in l964.
*TWO CUBAN PERFORMERS HONORED IN HAVANA
Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Two of Cuba's most popular
singer/actresses have been awarded the island's coveted National
Theater Prize. Maria de los Angles Santa and Rosa Fornes received the
honor Monday night in the capital's Gran Teatro. The prize, which is
awarded for a lifetime of work, was presented by Cuban Culture
Minister, Abel Prieto, the president of the Cuban Women's Federation,
Vilma Espin, and the president of the country's Writers and Artists
Union, Carlos Marti. Film and theater directors praised the two
women, who have entertained Cuban and international audiences
for more than 40 years.
*NEW CRISIS IN COLOMBIAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
Havana, January 23 (RHC)--Colombian President Andres Pastrana has cut
short official visits to France, Sweden and Switzerland amid a new
crisis in his government's peace process with rebel groups.
The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces announced Monday that peace
talks will remain suspended until authorities clarify the
government's position regarding right-wing paramilitaries and adopts
concrete measures against these groups.
With the January 31st deadline on maintaining the vast demilitarized
zone in southern Colombia, Pastrana had warned that the decision to
return to the negotiation table is unilaterally in the hands of the
guerrilla organization. But the Colombiian Revolutionary Armed Force
said the decision is exclusively in Pastrana's hands. The Colombian
army has dispatched a large number of troops towards the
demilitarized area that has served as the site for rebel
andgovernment contacts.
*CHILEAN JUDGE FINALLY INTERVIEWS PINOCHET
Havana, January 23 (RHC)--For the first time former Chilean dictator
Augusto Pinochet has been officially interrogated concerning crimes
committed during his 17-year regime.
Judge Juan Guzman, investigating the now 210 criminal charges
against Pinochet, interrogated him in his home during a period of
more than two hours. It had been rumored that the interrogation would
only last a few minutes since Pinochet would refuse to respond to
questions. But Guzman's long stay indicates that the aging former
dictator did in fact answer some 75 questions concerning more than 70
political prisoners summarily executed or forcibly disappeared in the
days following the bloody Pinochet coup.
Guzman can now issue an arrest order against Pinochet and begin
trial proceedings, or can exonerate him for health reasons. During
medical examinations two weeks ago, Pinochet was diagnosed with
moderate subcortical dementia of vascular origin.
*ILLINOIS ADDRESSES THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY
Havana, January 23 (RHC)--The U.S. state of Illinois has adopted
measures to insure justice in the application of the death penalty.
The Supreme Court of the only state to have adopted a moratorium on
capital punishment -- of the 38where the death penalty is applied --
has adopted nine regulations following two years of studies and
hearings, as well as reveiwing an evaluation carried out by a
committee of 17 attornies.
The moratorium was decreed amid growing evidence that innocent
persons were being executed or are awaiting execution. Thirteen
prisoners on death row have been found to be innoncent of the charges
against them -- oftentimes in investigations carried out by media
outlets. Among the regulations adopted is an obligatory minimal
standards of preparation and experience for district attornies and
court-appointed lawyers - considered one of the weakest links in the
capital punishment chain. A professional code of conduct will also
instruct district attornies that their duty is to seek justice, and
not just a conviction. The Illinois judicial system will also accept
further evidence after the conclusion of trial proceedings but
before the actual sentencing, and will make extensive use of DNA
tests. While praising the initiative,some observers are insisting
that some problems have not been addressed, such as using other
inmates as informers to obtain confessions and naming court-appointed
lawyers without taking into consideration their past record. But
Thomas Fitzgerald, of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court,
said they have just begun and that there will be more measures
adopted in the future.
*Viewpoint: CUBA'S VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
This week, the Cuban newspaper, Granma, published the news that all
Cubans under the age of 20 have been vaccinated against hepatitis B,
considered one of the most dangerous socio-medical problems in the
world with dire consequences for now and in the future. According to
the World Health Organization between 5% and 8% of the world
population is carrying this disease. This percentage indicates that
between 300 and 500 million Latin Americans are subject to this
health risk, which attacks 500,000 Latin Americans every year.
Hepatitis B is transmitted in 50% of cases through blood transfusions
given under unhygienic conditions and the other 50% via biological
fluids such as semen. In general, the carriers who are sick do not
present external symptoms. For this reason, it is crucial that
vaccines are available in large quantities for the population of a
country, particularly for the younger generation who are the most
prone to this type of illness. Cuba is ceaselessly working to produce
vaccines against these deadly illnesses and developed a hepatitis B
vaccine which was found to be particulrly effective against the
virus. The island also discovered a meningitis B vaccine - the only
one in the world - which has had very successful results in
children. The supply of this important and unique medication to the
world has been hampered by negative anti-Cuba propaganda but it is
now available in many parts of the Third World.
On Monday Granma newspaper gave front page coverage to the news that
all Cubans under the age of twenty years have been vaccinated against
hepatitis B and that the process will continue to vaccinate all those
suffering from diabetes. The results obtained by Cuba through to the
end of 1999 reveal that the illness, acute hepatica, has been reduced
in Cuba by 98% of those under 15 years of age and 81% in young people
between the ages of 15 and 24 years.
This type of health service has been freely available to all Cubans
for forty-two years. The development of this system has resulted in
the training of more than 66,000 doctors, which makes the country
unique in the Caribbean, with the highest ratio of doctors per
population at one for every 168 citizens.
Hardly surprising that the people of this island are so determined
and united in the defense of their hard won social system.
(c) 2001 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]
===================================================
rhc-eng-21125 2001-Jan-24 05:01:56 " JC
Post comments to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Send an email to subscribe:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe from this CubaNews group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_________________________________________________
KOMINFORM
P.O. Box 66
00841 Helsinki
Phone +358-40-7177941
Fax +358-9-7591081
http://www.kominf.pp.fi
General class struggle news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Geopolitical news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
__________________________________________________
