From: NY Transfer News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 14 December 2001
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*CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER RENE GONZALEZ RECEIVES 15-YEAR SENTENCE
*FIDEL RETURNS TO HAVANA FROM SUMMIT OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES
*OPEN-AIR CONCERT TO CELEBRATE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF CHARANGON DE REVE
ORCHESTRA
*EASTERN PROVINCE OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA BOASTS 24 PROTECTED AREAS
*FIRST US SHIP CARRYING GRAIN FOR CUBA TO ARRIVE ON SUNDAY IN HAVANA
*CUBA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL CIGAR FESTIVAL
*US PRESIDENT INFURIATES CONGRESS BY DENYING ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
*OSAMA BIN LADEN VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS POLARISATION BETWEEN US AND ARAB WORLD
*BRAZIL THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FROM FTAA TALKS TO PROTEST US PROTECTIONISM
.
*CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER RENE GONZALEZ RECEIVES 15-YEAR SENTENCE
Havana, December 14 (RHC)-- The third Cuban patriot being held in
Miami's jails, Rene Gonzalez, has been sentenced to 15 years in
prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Joan
Lenard, after having issued two life sentences to Gerardo Hernandez
on Wednesday, and a life sentence to Ramon Labanino Thursday.
Before receiving sentence yesterday, Ramon Labanino addressed the
court. He said he and four other Cubans arrested with him three years
ago in the United States were totally innocent of the charges of
espionage. Ramon reiterated that he and the others were merely
obtaining information on right-wing Cuban-American groups in southern
Florida -- to protect the island from terrorist attacks.
During his pre-sentencing speech, Ramon Labanino sharply criticized
the U.S. government for harboring and protecting terrorists. He
further accused prosecutors of blackmailing Cuban-Americans
subpoenaed as defense witnesses with threats of prosecution to keep
them off the stand. And he also attacked the FBI for allowing the
extreme Miami right to go unpunished for terrorism in Cuba.
Ramon Labanino listed a number of terrorist actions carried out by
right-wing Cuban-Americans in the very city where the trial had been
held: Miami, Florida. He went on to note that, just a few years ago,
bombs had been placed in Havana hotels -- killing an Italian
businessman and wounding a number of others. The bombing campaign had
been paid for by a Miami-based terrorist organization: the
Cuban-American National Foundation. Ramon Labanino noted that given
these facts, his sentence "could not be more ironic or unjust."
During the nightly roundtable discussion -- dedicated to the
sentencing hearings -- panelists denounced the judicial farce that
has been playing out in Miami.
Defense attorneys for both Gerardo Hernandez and Ramon Labanino have
said they will appeal the sentences of life in prison.
*FIDEL RETURNS TO HAVANA FROM SUMMIT OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES
Havana, December 14 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has
returned to Havana from the Third Summit of the Association of
Caribbean States. Arriving at Jose Marti International Airport at
5:05 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the Cuban leader returned from
Venezuela's Margarita Island where he took part in the Summit of
Caribbean heads of state and government.
During the two-day meeting, Fidel Castro met with his Venezuelan
counterpart, Hugo Chavez, as well as other leaders of the region.
Shortly before leaving Margarita Island, the leader of the Cuban
Revolution held a joint news conference with Chavez and answered
questions put to him by local and international journalists.
Fidel Castro said that the economic and social situation in Latin
America and the Caribbean is extremely difficult. He noted that
Washington's proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas -- the FTAA --
further complicates the already disastrous regional situation. The
Cuban leader said that everyone knows what the FTAA represents:
"imperialist expansion, a new attempt to impose U.S. domination
through its economic might and the use of force."
Shortly after his arrival back in Havana, Fidel Castro made his way
to the studios of Cuban National Television, where he participated in
the live broadcast of Thursday evening's roundtable discussion -- on
both radio and television -- dealing with the sentencing of Cuban
political prisoners in Miami.
*OPEN-AIR CONCERT TO CELEBRATE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF CHARANGON DE REVE
ORCHESTRA
Havana, December 14 (RHC)--Some of Cuba's greatest musicians will
gather on Saturday night to celebrate the 45th anniversary of one of
the island's best loved groups, Charangon de Reve. Grammy
Award-winning jazz pianist and bandleader, Chucho Valdez, 94-year old
singer, Compay Segundo and guitarist, composer and leader of the
popular Van Van group, Juan Formell, are among the celebrities who
have performed over the years with the Charagon de Reve orchestra.
This week near Havana's seaside " malecon" these and other musicians
will give a concert honoring the 45 years of the Charangon de Reve
which is now led by Elio Reve Duvergell.
Though the dance band has been in existence for more than four
decades, it is now at the height of its popularity. Several years
ago, the orchestra's dynamic director, Elio Reve Matos, was killed in
a tragic car accident.
*EASTERN PROVINCE OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA BOASTS 24 PROTECTED AREAS
Santiago de Cuba, December 14 (RHC)--Eastern Santiago de Cuba
province now boasts 24 protected areas. Of those, 12 constitute
Biosphere Reserves of international significance.
These areas together represent 18 per cent of Santiago province,
mostly located in mountainous areas, and are considered to be
important refuges of biological diversity and of cultural and
historic significance.
Santiago province contains three important national parks that spill
over into other provinces: La Bayamesa and El Turquino, which share
territory with Granma province and Pico Cristal, which includes areas
in Holguin. All the parks are strictly regulated to minimize
environmental impact.
The Baconao Biosphere Reserve, which was declared by UNESCO in l987,
has a comprehensive program promoting research and conservation.
Other reserves run ecological stations and environmentally sound
recreation areas. Cuban law specifies control of protected areas,
environmental education, environmentally sound trail construction and
socially responsible economic enterprises designed to be in harmony
with the surroundings.
There are more than 250 protected nature areas throughout the island,
which amount to 22 per cent of the national territory.
*FIRST US SHIP CARRYING GRAIN FOR CUBA TO ARRIVE ON SUNDAY IN HAVANA
Havana, December 14 (RHC)--A merchant ship carrying corn from the
United States is expected to arrive in Havana Harbor on Sunday. The
U.S. "Ikan Mazatlan" is the first U.S. vessel carrying foodstuffs to
the island in 40 years according to a shipping company spokesman.
The large container ship left the port of New Orleans on Friday bound
for the Cuban capital carrying some 24,000 tons of corn, which
Washington authorized to be sold to Cuba despite the existing
blockade against the island.
The transaction was authorized by the U.S. Commerce Department in
order to help Cuba re-stock its food reserves after Hurricane
Michelle devastated much of the island's crops. The "Ikan Mazatlan"
is the first of a series of merchant ships that will bring foods,
medicines and building materials purchased in the United States.
*CUBA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL CIGAR FESTIVAL
Havana, December 14 (RHC)--Tobacco farmers, cigar dealers and
academics from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Cuba
participated Friday in a workshop, as part of the activities of the
International Cigar Festival underway in the western Cuban province
of Pinar de Rio.
The aim of the workshop was to discuss papers and exchange
experiences related to the links between cigars, culture, and
sustainable agriculture.
The Festival opened with a commercial fair in which all sectors of
the industry were well represented. According to the president of the
event's organizing committee, Alfredo Gonzalez, the celebration is an
example of the political will to encourage commercial and cultural
exchanges between Cuban business people and those other nations of
the world, especially Latin America and the Caribbean.
The program, which concludes Sunday, December 16th, includes visits
to the famous cigar plantations of Vuelta Abajo, where, according to
specialists, the world's best black tobacco is cultivated. There will
also be meetings with prominent Cuban tobacco growers.
*US PRESIDENT INFURIATES CONGRESS BY DENYING ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
Washington, December 14 (RHC)--US President George W. Bush has
invoked executive privilege to block a congressional subpoena
exploring abuses in the Boston FBI office. The move Thursday sparked
a bitter 4-hour confrontation between legislators from both parties
and the Justice Department.
House Government Reform Committee chair Dan Burton accused Bush of
being a dictatorial president and said the Justice Department was
treating him like a king. Bush announced executive privilege in
refusing to hand over prosecutor's memos in criminal cases, including
an investigation of campaign-finance abuse, saying doing so would be
contrary to the national interest.
Committee members said the order's sweeping language followed a
pattern in which the Bush administration has limited access to
presidential historical records, refused to give Congress documents
about the vice president's energy task force - involved in the Enron
finance scandal - and unilaterally announced plans for military
commissions that would try suspected terrorists in secret. Lawmakers
said this was the beginning of a constitutional confrontation.
The Government Reform Committee is investigating the FBI's use of
confidential informants in a New England organized crime
investigation that included deals struck with suspected murderers. It
is also exploring what FBI officials knew about the innocence of
Joseph Salvati of Massachusetts, who was found innocent of murder in
1997 after spending 30 years in prison. His conviction was overturned
after a judge concluded that FBI agents hid testimony that would have
cleared Salvati because they wanted to protect an informant.
*OSAMA BIN LADEN VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS POLARISATION BETWEEN US AND ARAB WORLD
London, December 14 (RHC)--Many news reports and commentators are
asserting that reaction to the Osama Bin Laden video tape has
highlighted the polarization between the US and the Arab world. The
British news daily "The Guardian" reported Friday that while New
Yorkers unquestioningly saw it as an admittance of guilt, in Cairo,
Beirut and the sizeable Arab population of London the view was that
the tape had been doctored.
The article affirmed that in contrast with the sense in New York that
the final piece of evidence had been gathered, many Arabs expressed
concern that the tape might have been tampered with by the US
administration, pointing to the many pauses, coughs and
indistinguishable parts of the discussion. "The Guardian" reported
that even Arabs hostile to Bin Laden questioned the US affirmation
that the tape is proof that he was responsible.
The BBC's Middle East correspondent, Frank Gardner, affirmed that at
street level in the Arab world, many believe the tape is a fake, a
public relations gimmick dreamed up the US administration - pointing
out that the recording is of both very poor audio and visual quality.
France's AFP news agency, in a cable dateline Dubai, United Arab
Emirates, December 14, reported that there was skepticism in the Arab
world, noting that Arab media outlets either downplayed the news or
expressed doubt about the tape's authenticity.
*BRAZIL THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FROM FTAA TALKS TO PROTEST US PROTECTIONISM
Brasilia, December 14 (RHC)--Brazilian Agriculture Minister
Vinicius Pratini de Morales has warned that his country will not
negotiate a Free Trade Area of the Americas if industrialized nations
continue to maintain protectionist measures in their agro markets. He
said if these restrictions are not part of FTAA negotiations, then
there's nothing to negotiate.
The Brazilian minister pointed to US restrictions on citrus products
produced in Brazil, the world leader in this agro sector -
responsible for 47 percent of world production. The warning coincided
with a unanimous vote on a resolution in the Brazilian House of
Deputies calling on President Fernando Henrique Cardoso to abandon
FTAA negotiations due to the protectionist measures included in the
Trade Promotion Authority, or fast track, granted to Bush this week
by the US House of Representatives.
Leftist Workers' Party legislator Aloizio Mercadante, author of the
resolution, charged that Washington wants Brazil to open up its
market, but doesn't want to open its own. Brazilian lawmakers are
angry over the fast track clauses that provide protectionist measures
for products like orange juice, sugar and meat - Brazil's principle
exports to the US.
The Latin American giant is also concerned about fast track measures
to control currency exchange rates so that the products of other
countries don't get cheaper, insisting that each country should be
free to adopt the exchange rates most convenient to their economies.
Brazilian political and business leaders have been warning that the
Free Trade Area of the Americas proposal will only lead to an
invasion of US products.
The president of Brazil's House of Deputies, Aicio Neves, stated that
he's willing to travel to the United States to personally present the
US Congress with the unanimously approved resolution against the
FTAA.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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