Radio Havana Cuba-02 April, 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba Weekend - News Update - 02 April 2001
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*AT INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE, FIDEL WARNS OF NEW COLD WAR
*PEREZ ROQUE SAYS WHATEVER THE VOTE, CUBA WILL WIN A MORAL VICTORY IN GENEVA
*URUGUAYAN LEFT REJECTS U.S. MOVES AGAINST CUBA IN GENEVA
*CENTER FOR ADOLESCENTS OPENS IN PINAR DEL RIO
*MEXICAN SOLIDARITY GROUP DEFENDS HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA
*CUBAN YOUNGSTERS PURSUE NATURE CONSERVATION
*IN CHIAPAS, AN EXHUBERANT WELCOME HOME FOR ZAPATISTA CARAVAN
*COLOMBIAN MEDIA BLAST US THREATS AFTER UN VOTE ON PALESTINIANS
*HUGO CHAVEZ WARNS AGAINST A BLIND LEAP INTO AMERICAS FREE TRADE ZONE
Viewpoint:
*INTER-PARLIMENTARY MEETING OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE
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*AT INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE, FIDEL WARNS OF NEW COLD WAR
Havana, April 2 (RHC)--At Sunday evening's inauguration of the 105th
Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Havana, Cuban President Fidel Castro
warned of the advent of a new Cold War. Speaking before some 1400
legislators from 120 nations, the Cuban leader accused Washington of
encouraging a new and desperate weapons race with its insistence on
deploying a space-based anti-missile system.
In reference to the U.S. government's unilateral withdrawal from the Kyoto
Protocol on global warming, the Cuban leader said the move illustrates the
disdain and arrogance with which the White House breaks vital treaties and
accords not only in the spheres of peace and international security, but
also in the planet's efforts towards sustainable development and ecological
balance.
Referring to the absence of U.S. congressional representatives at the
conference, President Castro said that sincere, intelligent and realistic
U.S. legislators are in an evident minority.
Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is the world's oldest
multilateral political institution, gathering legislators from 140 countries
and representatives from regional Parliaments.
The General Secretary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Anders B. Johnsson
from Sweden, pointed out at a press conference that the meeting is a
political event which includes representatives from countries in conflict
who can take advantage of the context of the meeting to partake in informal
bilateral talks.
On the fourth day of the Conference, the coordination committee of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union will dedicate a space to women, which will discuss
those countries that have not endorsed the U.N. Convention on the
elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. This Convention
was introduced by the U.N. in 1979 and ratified by Cuba in 1980.
At the opening session Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National
Assembly, noted that Cuba had the honor of hosting the 68th meeting of this
multilateral political organization 20 years ago in Havana.
The 105th Conference closes on Saturday, April 7th.
*PEREZ ROQUE SAYS WHATEVER THE VOTE, CUBA WILL WIN A MORAL VICTORY IN GENEVA
Havana, April 2 (RHC)--Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque has
asserted that whatever the outcome of the vote on an anti-Cuba resolution at
the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Cuba will obtain a
moral victory. The Cuban foreign minister said that in the face of the
attempt by Washington, Canada and the European Union to convert the
Commission into a tribunal to judge and condemn Third World nations, the
Cuban delegation this year felt more sympathy than ever among the other
members of this UN agency.
Upon returning to Havana Sunday evening following his stay in Geneva,Perez
Roque refrained from predicting what the outcome of the vote would be,
noting that Washington is applying a great deal of pressureat the Human
Rights Commission's 57th session. But, he added, if theU.S. delegation
achieves a victory, it will be a swallow victory. The vote on the anti-Cuba
resolution is expected to occur sometime between the 15th and the 20th of
this month.
*URUGUAYAN LEFT REJECTS U.S. MOVES AGAINST CUBA IN GENEVA
Montevideo, April 2 (RHC)--The National Broad Front Party, PL, of Uruguay
decided unanimously today to reject the maneuvers by the United States
against Cuba at the 57th Human Rights Commission session on human rights,
due to be held later this month in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Uruguayan Left party has lobbied government political parties in the
last few weeks to make known their voting intentions in Geneva. However,
Government Minister, Didier Operetti has stated that the coalition
government under Jorge Batlle needs to study all aspects of the motion
before it can make any pronouncements.
Some of the members of the government coalition of the Colorado Party and
the National Party told Prensa Latina that they are sure that Uruguay will
abstain in Geneva.
The Uruguayan Foreign Ministry received the Czech Vice Foreign Minister
Martin Palous who traveled to Uruguay to ask for support for the motion that
condemns Cuba for human rights violations. U.S. Senator Jesse Helms also
sent a representative to the Uruguayan President looking for that country's
vote against Cuba in Geneva.
This pressure from the U.S. can be seen as part of their battle to alienate
Cuba from other Latin American counties.
*CENTER FOR ADOLESCENTS OPENS IN PINAR DEL RIO
Pinar del Rio, April 2 (RHC)--An crisis center for adolescents has been
opened in the municipality of San Cristobal in province of Pinar del Rio.
The center will focus on vulnerable groups of young people and provide
education programs on topics such as alcoholism, violence and sexually
transmitted diseases.
The center's location and training programs have already been set up with
health personnel, educators and group leaders who will work with the
youngsters and put up notices about events in the local discotheque.
This initiative is part of a movement, Municipalities for Health, started in
Vueltabajo area of Pinar del Rio with the participation of representatives
from both the City and province of Havana and the Isle of Youth.
Doctor Isabel Castaneda, specialist from the National Center for Health
Promotion, said that so far 79 municipalities out of 169 have joined the
movement to promote health education using existing resources in the
locality.
*MEXICAN SOLIDARITY GROUP DEFENDS HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA
Mexico City, April 2 (RHC)--The Magdelena delegation of the Mexican
solidarity with Cuba movement held a day of solidarity with Cuba on Sunday.
During the day, the delegates announced that they were against the
anti-Cuban resolution that will be presented at the Human Rights commission
in Geneva.
More than 100 people, including students, writers and artists, declared in a
press statement, that the motion, due to be presented by Poland and the
Czech Republic, under the auspices of the United States, was an unjust
motion. They added that it was part of the ongoing aggression by the U.S.
against Cuba.
During the day diplomats Miguel Angel Andres Arias and Eladio Inglesias from
the Cuban Embassy in Mexico, gave workshops and lectures on Human Rights and
democracy in Cuba. They also gave a presentation on the U.S. sponsored
invasion at Playa Giron in 1961, which could be seen as the first defeat of
the United States in Latin America.
*CUBAN YOUNGSTERS PURSUE NATURE CONSERVATION
Santa Clara, April 2 (RHC)--The concrete contributions that can be made to
preserve the environment by the Cuban Young Technical Brigades was the theme
of a national workshop in the Province of Santa Clara last weekend. More
than 200 young people debated and analyzed how to confront environmental
conservation, the lessening of contamination and the need for education
about the damage done to the environment worldwide.
Experts and specialists from the Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and
Microbiology from the City of Havana and the Department of Plant
Biotechnology at the Central University of Las Villas led the workshops. The
Botanic Gardens and the Center for Environmental Studies of Cienfuegos also
contributed to the discussion.
During the workshop, the secretaries general of the local branch of the
Young Communist League and the Polo Scientific Center of Villa Clara held a
special meeting to discuss their work projects for the next year.
*IN CHIAPAS, AN EXHUBERANT WELCOME HOME FOR ZAPATISTA CARAVAN
Mexico City/Oventic, April 2 (RHC)--Thousands of Zapatista rebels in
Chiapas Sunday enthusiastically received the 24 comandantes of the Caravan
of Indigenous Dignity following its historic 20-day visit to Mexico City.
The Zapatista leaders first arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas and then
continued to the liberated Zapatista town of Oventic.
Rebel commander Marcos told the indigenous activists that peace has yet to
arrive, but that peace is now possible and they have to take care of that
possibility. Though much still remains, he said, there are now less
obstacles, and peace with justice and dignity is closer at hand.
The Zapatista leaders today began an informative tour of Chiapas, to bring
the rank and file up to date on what was achieved in Mexico City, where they
were received by the full floor of the country's lower house of Congress.
The next step in the renewed Chiapas peace process will be the contacts
between the rebels and government negotiators to verify the dismantling of
seven military bases in Mexico's southern-most state.
*COLOMBIAN MEDIA BLAST US THREATS AFTER UN VOTE ON PALESTINIANS
Bogota, April 2 (RHC)--Media outlets in Colombia have expressed outrage
over Washington's threats against that nation following Colombia's vote at
the United Nations Security Council in favor of deploying an international
force to protect Palestinian civilians. After Washington's Security Council
veto last Thursday against the motion -- its first veto in four years --
Under Secretary of State for the Middle East, Edward Walker, stated that
Colombia's vote will have consequences.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher added that Washington is
disappointed about Colombia's vote at the highest level. On Sunday, the
influential Colombian news daily El Tiempo called the U.S. government's
statements an unacceptable threat more in tune with the times of colonialism
that with the modern epoch of international cooperation and interdependence.
The news daily El Espectador called the threats the policy of an empire with
respect to its vassals, denouncing what it called Washington's arrogance.
Colombian President Andres Pastrana today called an emergency meeting of the
Foreign Ministry's Advisory Commission, as legislators of the Andean nation
call on the executive to issue a strong response to Washington's posture.
*HUGO CHAVEZ WARNS AGAINST A BLIND LEAP INTO AMERICAS FREE TRADE ZONE
Caracas, April 2 (RHC)--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has asserted that
moving up the creation of a free trade zone of the Americas would constitute
the beginning of a process of disintegration for the weakest countries of
Latin America and the Caribbean. The upcoming Third Summit of the Americas
in Quebec is planning to propose a regional free trade zone in the year 2003
instead of 2005.
During his weekly radio program, Chavez said that Venezuela's position is
shared by Brazil, and that this will be at the center of his talks with
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso during his one-day official
visit to Brazil on Tuesday. The Venezuelan president said Latin America and
the Caribbean are not prepared to compete with the much more powerful U.S.
and Canadian neighbors, two countries, he added, that subsidize their
agriculture and provide their producers with technical and credit
facilities. He said economic integration processes should develop
step-by-step and should be carefully measured.
Viewpoint:
*INTER-PARLIMENTARY MEETING OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE
Representatives of the parliaments of some 120 countries are meeting for the
second time in Havana. The majority of the more than 1500 representatives
participating in the Inter-Parliamentary meeting are here, not as part of
the normal work, but to learn how others from other countries think, to
learn about their problems and their aspirations.
Though some of the world's problems appear to have no solution, solutions
must be found if we are to continue living together on this planet Earth.
The elected officials, who are meeting this week in Havana, bear much of the
burden to find the answers that will make it possible for us all to live
together in a sustainable world.
We can say to them that we will continue supporting our sisters and brothers
in the Third World, that we will continue demonstrating to the rich and
powerful that there are more important things than money and luxury: which
is something that Cuban have learned after having resisted a blockade for
the past 40 years and an economic crisis for the past 10 years.
Those were words spoken by Cuban President Fidel Castro recently in a
meeting with the island's top athletes, during which Cuba's best 100
athletes of the 20th Century, were honored. Of those 100 top Cuban sports
figures, only ten were from the past, before the triumph of the Revolution
in l959 and 90 came out of the island's new society.
Today, the world is polarized into two large blocks: the smaller part made
up by the rich, who only represent one fourth of humanity. The other 75
percent or some 4.5 billion people, have as their only fortune their labor
and their will to survive. However, within that massive number of human
beings, many millions lack the most basic necessities, which would allow
them to live with dignity and hope. That is why, rather than trying to
destroy each other, we must work together now to make the changes that
justice and humanity are calling out for.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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