From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 22:58:57 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-23 February 2001
Radio Havana Cuba-23 February 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 23 February 2001
.
*CORRECTION: RHC KISSINGER REPORT IN ERROR
*FIDEL PRAISES SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS
*HABANO FESTIVAL ENDS WITH AUCTION OF CIGARS SIGNED BY FIDEL CASTRO
*INTERNATIONAL SPORTS SCHOOL TO BE INAUGURATED ON FRIDAY
*SPORTS OFFICIALS FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VISIT CUBA
*ORBIS FLYING OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL CONCLUDES ITS WORK IN CUBA
*VENEZUELAN-CUBAN COOPERATION PROCEEDS SUCCESSFULLY
*CUBA RATIFIED AS HOST OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
*CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS ON HENRY KISSINGER'S CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
*VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ ENJOYS GROWING POPULARITY
*PUERTO RICAN GOVERNOR CONDEMNS US MILITARY EXCERCISES IN VIEQUES
*Viewpoint: QUICK POLICE WORK NABS MAN WHO THREATENED MEXICAN AMBASSADOR
.
*CORRECTION: RHC KISSINGER REPORT IN ERROR
We are informed by the National Security Archive at George Washington
University that a Feb. 22 report by Radio Havana Cuba contained factual
errors. Contrary to the RHC news item, the National Security Archive did not
assert that Henry Kissinger should be taken before an international court on
war crimes charges, nor did the Archive sponsor a public forum on that
issue. The forum was sponsored by Harper's magazine, and any such assertions
were made by journalists who are not affiliated with the National Security
Archive. NY Transfer News regrets the error.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Unlike the National Security Archive, NY Transfer News
receives no funding from sources such as the Ford Foundation, and we never
will. We therefore have no reluctance about stating our opinion that Henry
Kissinger is indeed a war criminal of the lowest order. He is the 20th
Century's own Darth Vader, and he should be at the head of the line of
monsters to be tried for his unspeakable crimes against humanity.
*FIDEL PRAISES SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro presided over an
activity Thursday night at the University of Havana in honor of the workers
and professors from the new School for Social Workers.
The Cuban President praised the efforts of the school's workers and
professionals who have educated 513 young people as social workers.
During the ceremony, Fidel Castro and students from the training school gave
the school's workers and professors a diploma in recognition of their
dedication to Cuban society.
The Cuban President said that the recently graduated social workers now have
a duty to contribute to the well-being of society.
Higher Education Minister, Fernando Vecino Alegret, and Education Minister
Luis Ignacio Gomez were present at the event.
*HABANO FESTIVAL ENDS WITH AUCTION OF CIGARS SIGNED BY FIDEL CASTRO
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-The 3rd International Habano Cigar Festival will
finish on Friday night with an auction of boxes of top quality cigars,
signed by Cuban President Fidel Castro.
As in previous cigar festivals, the proceeds of the auction will go to the
island's health care system.
The participants of the cigar festival attended the inauguration of a mini
Habano cigar factory with a capacity to produce over 200 million cigars.
*INTERNATIONAL SPORTS SCHOOL TO BE INAUGURATED ON FRIDAY
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-The International Sports School will be officially
inaugurated Friday night on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the
Cuban Sports Institute.
Several generations of Cuban athletes will be on hand alongside young people
from some 50 countries currently studying sports on the island.
Cuba today has a physical education teacher for every 348 inhabitants
working in schools throughout the country and also in senior citizen centers
across the island.
*SPORTS OFFICIALS FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VISIT CUBA
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-The President of the Dominican Republic's Olympic
Committee, Jose Joaquin Poello and the Secretary of State for Sports, Cesar
Cedeno arrived Thursday in Havana at the invitation of Cuba's Sports
Institute.
The Dominican sports officials will participate in a series of activities
commemorating the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Cuban Sports
Institute, INDER, as well as sign important cooperation agreements.
*ORBIS FLYING OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL CONCLUDES ITS WORK IN CUBA
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-The Orbis hospital airplane wound up its work
program on Friday in the eastern province of Camaguey where it has finished
up a new phase of cooperation in ophthalmology.
Professors from different parts of the world, which make up the Orbis
project, worked alongside their Cuban counterparts sharing their
professional knowledge.
*VENEZUELAN-CUBAN COOPERATION PROCEEDS SUCCESSFULLY
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-Cuba's Minister for Foreign Investment and
Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas told journalists on Thursday in Havana
that the cooperation agreement between Cuba and Venezuela has been a
success.
She pointed out that an example of the good progress is the recent visit of
the Venezuelan governors of the states of Portuguesa and Lara.
On Thursday, the Cuban official signed an economic cooperation agreement
with the Venezuelan governors of Lara and Portuguesa in the fields of
agriculture, education, public health, sports, construction, science and
technology.
*CUBA RATIFIED AS HOST OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
Havana, February 23 (RHC)-Cuba was ratified to host the main activity for
World Environment Day by the United Nations Environment Program during a
press conference on Thursday at Havana's Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment.
According to the Director of Environmental Policy at the Ministry, Orlando
Rey Santos, Cuba is the first country in the Caribbean and the third in
Latin America to receive such recognition.
The advances of Cuba in the field of reforestation, sustainable agriculture,
alternative medicine and also its action plans aimed at the conservation of
the biodiversity and the participation of non governmental organizations and
the population in the collection of recycling materials, are just a few
examples of the work which influenced the U.N. decision.
The UN Environment Program selects a country that has worked hard in the
protection of its environment to host World Environment Day.
*CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS ON HENRY KISSINGER'S CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Havana, February 23rd (RHC)--In Washington DC, British investigative
journalist Christopher Hitchens asserted that there would be enough proof to
convict former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of war crimes if the
evidence hadn't been destroyed or hidden.
At Washington's National Press Club, Hitchens today defended his 52-page
article entitled "The Henry Kissinger Case," to be published in two parts in
the February and and March editions of the magazine Harper's. In reference
to secret documents recently declassified by the State Department, the
author of the article stated that there are strong indications that
Kissinger helped plan the kidnapping and assassination of dissident Chilean
army General Rene Schneider, who had opposed Augusto Pinochet's bloody
overthrow of constitutionally elected President Salvador Allende.
Hitchens pointed to Kissinger's political, military and diplomatic efforts
to keep South Africa's apartheid regime afloat, adding that he is
responsible for tens of thousands of assassinations, forced disappearances
and torture in Chile, Vietnam, Cyprus, Bangladesh and Cambodia, among other
nations.
The British journalist said that today many of Kissinger's partners from
Greece to Chile, Argentina or Indonesia are in jail or waiting to be tried
for crimes against humanity.
*VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ ENJOYS GROWING POPULARITY
Havana, February 23rd (RHC)--One of Venezuela's principle survey firms,
DATANALISIS, has found that President Hugo Chavez's popularity has risen
during the past 6 months.
DATANALISIS president Antonio Gil Yepes said that the President's approval
rating has prevented an explosion of social conflicts in Venezuela. The
survey firm found that in September of last year Chazez had an approval
rating of 60 percent of the population, and that now his popularity has
risen to 67 percent. GilYepes said this is the main reason why there haven't
been serious disturbances like the popular uprising of February, 1989, which
left some one thousand people killed. He noted that then-President Carlos
Andres Perez wasn't nearly as popular as Chavez.
The survey firm noted, however, that paradoxically this level of popularity
does not translate into an acceptance of public policies carried out by the
Chavez adminstration. The study found that 90 percent of Venezuelans remain
very concerned about crime, while 80 percent still felt that the country's
employment secario is precarious. The president of the firm said this
contrast can be explained by Chavez's capacity to generate hope, and that
Venezuela's majority poor population wants to continue believing in their
president.
*PUERTO RICAN GOVERNOR CONDEMNS US MILITARY EXCERCISES IN VIEQUES
Havana, February 23rd (RHC)--In the U.S. city of New York, Puerto Rican
Governor Sila Maria Calderon delivered an impassioned speech Thursday
evening denouncing U.S. military excersises in the Puerto Rican
island-municipality of Vieques.
In her first official visit to the United States, Calderon said the naval
excercises on one side of the island and the bombardments on the other side
have become intolerable for the Vieques population. Speaking before 200
invited guests at the annual banquet of the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists, the recently elected Puerto Rican Governor said Vieques has the
lowest birth rate in Puerto Rico, 50 percent of its inhabitants suffer some
form of contamination and in every home there is someone with cancer.
She added that mortality from heart disease in Vieques is 60 percent higher
than in the rest of Puerto Rico, while the rate of those who die from cancer
is 44 percent higher. Governor Calderon was slated to arrive in Washington
on Friday to participate in a meeting with President George Bush.
*Viewpoint: QUICK POLICE WORK NABS MAN WHO THREATENED MEXICAN AMBASSADOR
The quick and efficient arrest of the man who sent a threatening letter to
the Mexican ambassador in Havana a few weeks ago is yet another example of
the competence of Cuba's state security. Elizardo San Pedro Marin was taken
into custody over the weekend and has admitted threatening Ambassador
Ricardo Pascoe in a letter dated January 31st.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, San Pedro Marin received
instructions and money from the Miami-based terrorist group Alpha 66.
Leaders of the group sent him $1200 to carry out the action -- with the hope
of spreading fear throughout Havana's diplomatic community.
But, just as U.S. President George W. Bush was unable to affect Mexico's
position regarding Cuba during a meeting with President Vicente Fox, the
agent arrested here in Havana a few days ago was also unable to scare
Mexico's diplomatic corps.
The threatening letter was taken seriously and Cuba offered complete
assurance that the Mexican ambassador would be fully protected. Havana's
word was kept with Marin's arrest.
The Ministry of the Interior revealed that a search of the man's apartment
came up with the typewriter he used to write the threatening letter. Other
evidence was confiscated and will also be submitted to the courts. Elizardo
San Pedro Marin will be given all guarantees of an open and fair trial, with
access by foreign and national media.
During his upcoming trial, San Pedro Marin will be given the opportunity to
present his defense, but the truth will be laid bare for all to see -- and
those who try to plant the seeds of terror on this island will eventually be
brought to justice.
(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]
=================================================================
nytcari-02.23.01-22:54:51-18895
_________________________________________________
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]
__________________________________________________
