From: mart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [CubaNews] Huge rally in Havana condemns US law for deaths on high seas [WWW.STO HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- I notice that Reutors is *still* reffering to the Elian case as a "custody battle" rather than a kidnapping, and a violation of both U.S and international law! mart END THE BLOCKADE!! FREE THE MIAMI 5 NOW!! ----- Original Message ----- From: Jose G. Perez To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 12:33 AM Subject: [CubaNews] Huge rally in Havana condemns US law for deaths on high seas [It should be noted that Nov. 27 is one of the most important dates in Cuba's history. 130 years ago a group of medical students were executed by the Spanish colonial authorities. Today's activities included not only the the protest in front of the interests section at the Jos� Mart� anti-imperialist tribunal but also conmemorative actvities for the 1871 martyrs by university students. -- Jos�] Castro Leads Protest Over U.S. Immigration Policy By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - President Fidel Castro, wearing a black arm band, led Cubans in a rally in front of the U.S. diplomatic mission on Tuesday to protest the deaths at sea of 30 Cuban migrants, which Havana blames on Washington's immigration policy. In the latest and one of the worst tragedies involving Cubans being smuggled into the United States, the migrants, including 13 children, perished when their boat capsized in heavy seas after setting out from Cuba on Nov. 17. The boat and some debris, but no bodies, were found by the U.S. Coast Guard (news - web sites) on Nov. 20, some 47 miles off Key West, Florida. While Castro, who was to address the crowd at the end of the rally, was dressed in his traditional olive-green military uniform, many of the 300,000 protesters officials said participated wore black as a sign of mourning as they rallied in front of the eight-story building hugging Havana's sea-side Malison boulevard. The United States and Cuba have no formal diplomatic relations but maintain Interests Sections in each others' capitals. ``I feel terrible about the deaths of these children. It is the fault of the United States,'' said university student Luis Enrique Perez, who earlier had marched down the Malison with other students to the rally. With chants of ``down with the murderous law'' and ``long live the revolution'' coming from the crowd, 38-year-old economist Rebecca Morals said, ``We are against the Cuban Adjustment Act. It is a cruel trick and a sinister game.'' The 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act offers preferential treatment to Cubans seeking U.S. residence once they reach American soil. Cuba's official media and television commentators have repeatedly blamed the United States in recent days for the tragedy, charging the Cuban Adjustment Act entices people to make the dangerous voyage across the Florida Strait -- a notorious, shark-infested 90-mile stretch of ocean -- separating the two countries. But U.S. officials blame Castro for the constant trickle of Cuban migrants, saying restrictions on travel and immigration, plus the conditions created by a failed economy and a authoritarian political system, are the root causes. The issue was expected to be a main bone of contention when the United States and Cuba sit down for their semi-annual immigration discussion next month in Havana. 'CONDEMN IMPERIALIST LAW' ``We will condemn the infamous imperialist law responsible for the systematic murder of Cuban children during dozens of years,'' the official call to the rally said. ``The protest will also be an expression of mourning for the innocent children whom, in horrible and perhaps indescribable circumstances, had their short and joyful lives shattered due to the criminal policy carried out against our country for many years.'' Cuban television has broadcast over the last few days two emotion-packed special programs focusing on the incident and featuring grieving relatives and the children who died. Commentators waxed livid over what they charged was Washington's lax attitude toward Miami-based human traffickers who they said operated with impunity, a charge just as heatedly denied by the United States. The latest fatal incident in the Florida Strait came two years after a migrant tragedy that turned into a dramatic custody battle. Elaine Gonzalez, then 5, was rescued at sea on Nov. 25, 1999, after surviving a voyage that killed his mother and 10 other people. Since then Cuba has mounted dozens of mass protests at the U.S. Interest Section over U.S. policy in general, and in particular the Cuban Adjustment Act, though Tuesday's was the first since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
