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Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 03:41:20 -0500
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Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-15 January 2002
Radio Havana Cuba-15 January 2002
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 15 January 2002
.
*FIDEL CASTRO URGES LARGER ROLE FOR FAMILY DOCTORS IN DENGUE CAMPAIGN
*DELEGATION FROM MASSACHUSETTS VISITS CENTERS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
*INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CAYO COCO RESORT BEGINS OPERATIONS
*CUBA FOCUSES ON REFORESTATION TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES
*DANISH THEATER GROUP TO PERFORM IN CUBA
*COLOMBIAN REBELS AND GOVERNMENT AGREE TO REVIVE PEACE TALKS
*ARGENTINE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE
*WHITE HOUSE ROLLS BACK ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RULES
*THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN REFUGEES HUDDLE ON BORDER WITH PAKISTAN
*US HANDLING OF AFGHANISTAN POWs MAY VIOLATE GENEVA CONVENTION - RED CROSS
.
*FIDEL CASTRO URGES LARGER ROLE FOR FAMILY DOCTORS IN DENGUE CAMPAIGN
Havana, January 15 (RHC)- Cuban President Fidel Castro urged an
increase in the role of family doctors in the campaign against the
Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
During a meeting on Monday at the headquarters of the Communist
Party's provincial committee in Havana, Fidel Castro insisted on
family doctors playing a more decisive role in the efforts to
eliminate the aedes aegypti mosquito -carrier of dengue, as well as
the early detection of the disease.
During the meeting, it was revealed that over the last three days
since the launching of the campaign, on Saturday morning, 800 cubic
meters of waste materials have been collected in the Cuban capital.
It was also revealed that of the 4,500 water leaks reported in
Havana, 239 have been classified as actual mosquito breeding areas.
The Cuban leader recommended the creation of new brigades to
concentrate on solutions to eliminate the water leaks.
On hand were various ministers, government and party leaders, health
officials and representatives of grassroots organizations in Havana.
*DELEGATION FROM MASSACHUSETTS VISITS CENTERS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
Havana, January 15 (RHC)- A delegation from the U.S. State of
Massachusetts visited centers for disabled children in the Cuban
capital.
The delegation, comprised of 30 activists from the Massachusetts
Access Project, donated books on different subjects and some
materials in Braille, as well as medical products and equipment.
During a meeting at the Bejucal library located on the outskirts of
Havana, the visitors praised the attention and treatment given to
disabled children in Cuba.
The Access Project includes people from different religious groups
and professional occupations. Their aim is to help build bridges of
friendship between the United States and Cuba.
The U.S. visitors toured, among other places, the Abel Santamar�a
special school for visually impaired children.
*INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CAYO COCO RESORT BEGINS OPERATIONS
Ciego de Avila, January 15 (RHC)- With the arrival of a flight from
Argentina, Cubana Airlines began international service to the
island's Jardines del Rey airport on Tuesday. The airport is located
on the Cayo Coco tourist resort, a key in the northern province of
Ciego de Avila.
The start of operations at the Jardines del Rey international airport
adds to the attractiveness of that tourist resort, while also
reducing by some 110 kilometers the distance to the area of
exceptionally beautiful beaches.
Most visitors to the keys on the northern coast of Ciego de Avila
-Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo - arrive on the island through the
M�ximo G�mez airport, centrally located in the province. When the
final construction phase is completed by October this year, the
terminal will have a capacity to welcome more than 1 million visitors
a year.
*CUBA FOCUSES ON REFORESTATION TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES
Camag�ey, January 15 (RHC)- Over the next four years, Cuba will
undergo a reforestation process, aimed at protecting its water
systems.
Fidel Ramos Perera, President of the National Reforestation
Commission, stated that most Cuban provinces have focused work in
this area as a result of the current low levels of the country's
reservoirs. Today, the island's has 246 dams, only 17 of them in
wooded areas. There are also a total of 747 micro-dams, which are
mainly used to supply water for agriculture and livestock.
The organizations in charge of making these investments will
concentrate on planting seedling trees and making sure that they grow
correctly.
Ramos Perera added that several practical and research tasks would be
carried out as part of Cuba's program of activities for the 2002
United Nations international Mountain Year.
A research team, made up of representatives from students'
institutions and forest-related entities, is interested in learning
about water contamination and its repercussions in the area,
indigenous fauna and the current state of the island's water
resources.
*DANISH THEATER GROUP TO PERFORM IN CUBA
Havana, January 15 (RHC)- The prestigious Danish Theater group, Odin
Teatret and its director Eugenio Barba will put on their first
performance in the Cuban capital this week.
The prominent Danish company, which arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, will
perform several theatre pieces and shows as well as holding workshops
and exchanging experiences with their Cuban counterparts.
The Danish company is expected to perform some of their most
important pieces in various Cuban provinces including Villa Clara,
Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and Matanzas. The visit winds up on
February 21st.
*COLOMBIAN REBELS AND GOVERNMENT AGREE TO REVIVE PEACE TALKS
Bogota, January 15 (RHC)-- The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces
and the government of Andres Pastrana have agreed to return to the
peace table. The announcement was made after last-minute diplomatic
efforts removed obstacles to negotiations that had brought the
country to the brink of a broader war.
With Colombian army and paramilitary troops massed just outside the
16,000-square-mile demilitarized zone, rebel negotiators dropped
security demands that the government refused to consider. The
decision came following a tense day of talks with ambassadors from
ten facilitating countries and a United Nations representative.
Ambassadors from Cuba, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Norway, Italy, France
-- and others -- joined UN special envoy James LeMoyne in meetings
with rebel commanders.
Colombian President Andres Pastrana had given the Revolutionary Armed
Forces until 9:30 p.m. Monday to agree to drop their demands or face
an order for the army to enter the demilitarized area, created in
late 1998 as a venue for talks toward ending Colombia's four-decade
civil war. Until last night, the rebels had demanded that the
government end surveillance overflights and special patrols just
outside the zone. The government imposed these measures last October
to pressure the rebels, who responded by refusing to talk until the
security measures were lifted. The rebels have also demanded that
Pastrana crack down on paramilitary forces who have committed
numerous massacres of civilians.
Government and rebel negotiators are scheduled to sit down tomorrow,
Wednesday, to renew talks. According to observers, a cease-fire will
be top on the agenda. The Colombian president, in an address to the
nation late Monday night, said he would give the Revolutionary Armed
Forces until Sunday, January 20th, to show that -- in his words --
"they intend to return to the peace process." The demilitarized zone
is slated to expire on that day, unless Pastrana extends it. He has
extended the life of the area nine times -- the last time in October,
when he fixed the January 20th date.
Many observers agree that the rebels had no choice but to drop their
demands and begin talks with the government -- given the fact that
the military and paramilitary forces were poised to attack.
Pastrana's military command has long criticized the existence of the
demilitarized zone and many publicly continue to push for an end to
the peace process.
*ARGENTINE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE
Buenos Aires, January 15 (RHC)-- Argentine President Eduardo
Duhalde has announced plans for a national dialogue on the country's
economic situation. During a national television address Monday
night, the Argentine president said the dialogue would bring
together political, business, labor and church leaders to confront
joblessness, government spending, corruption and other key issues.
Duhalde -- Argentina's fifth president in less than one month -- said
that the dialogue is essential in order to confront the situation
that put the country -- in his words -- "on the brink of anarchy and
violence."
An International Monetary Fund delegation arrived in Buenos Aires on
Monday, with the stated intention of working with Argentine leaders
to gather information about the country's finances. Upon their
arrival, the IMF representatives said they would offer technical
assistance on efforts to rebuild the economy. Officials from the
international lending agency say they will consider fresh bailout
funds only if the government develops what they call "a sustainable
economic program."
The IMF withheld 1.2 billion dollars in aid last month as the
Argentine economy careened out of control, saying the government
wasn't doing enough to slow down spending. The agency had lent
Argentina more than 40 billion dollars. Analysts say the IMF wants
Argentina to drastically cut spending and suspend its dual currency
exchange rate.
The government has set an official rate of 1.4 pesos to the U.S.
dollar, but it applies mainly to foreign trade. For ordinary
citizens, the peso on the open market free floats and is now hovering
at 1.7 to the dollar. Economic insiders say the IMF wants Argentina
to free float the peso on all markets.
Over the weekend, Deputy Economy Minister Jorge Todesca was quoted as
saying: "we don't need the IMF to be telling us every two minutes
what course we should take."
Argentina's banking crisis began in early December, when then
President Fernando de la Rua partially froze accounts after panicked
depositors withdrew two billion dollars from the country's banks in a
single day. The freeze contributed to a social explosion -- which had
long been predicted -- and drove de la Rua from office later that
month. Twenty-eight people were killed in the unrest.
Last Thursday, Duhalde's government announced measures that put a
tighter grip on the financial system, freezing more than a third of
Argentina's 67 billion dollars in bank deposits. Today, the Buenos
Aires stock exchange remained closed for a seventh straight day due
to the government freeze on banking and finance. A spokesman said it
was unclear when the stock exchange might reopen.
In the northern Argentine province of Jujuy, hundreds of
demonstrators blockaded highways to demand that the government
fulfill pledges of assistance to the unemployed, while in central
Cordoba, more than 2000 people banged pots and pans to oppose the
banking restrictions.
Also Monday, hundreds of state workers marched to the Labor Ministry
in Buenos Aires, demanding back pay from the new government.
*WHITE HOUSE ROLLS BACK ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RULES
Washington, January 15 (RHC)-- In the USA, the Bush administration
has announced that it will cut back on some of Clinton's
environmental protection rules covering wetlands and streams.
The move, which the White House claims is designed to reduce
unnecessary paperwork, met with immediate criticism from
environmental activists. They say the Bush administration, under
pressure from developers and mining companies, is reducing its
oversight role in the name of slashing bureaucracy.
According to reports from the U.S. capital, the Clinton
administration increased restrictions in March 2000 under a general
permit program affecting wetlands -- limiting the amount of stream
bed that may be disrupted without closer review and demanding closer
scrutiny of activities in flood plains.
Those revisions are rolled back under the new Bush plan. The Army
Corps of Engineers will now make a new distinction between perennial
and intermittent streams and will relax rules on filling streams that
do not flow year-round. The new plan eliminates some restrictions on
flood-plain development and gives local officials greater authority
to approve surface mining projects.
And environmental activists are upset. Howard Fox, an attorney with
Earthfirst, an environmental law firm, said: "It seems like the folks
who are dredging and filling in the wetlands have more friends than
they used to."
Julie Sibbing, an environmental lobbyist for the National Wildlife
Federation, called Bush's move "arrogant" and "another example of how
this administration is turning its back on protecting our nation's
wetlands."
*THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN REFUGEES HUDDLE ON BORDER WITH PAKISTAN
Kabul, January 15 (RHC)-- According to the United Nations, some 7000
Afghan refugees have reached the Pakistani border in the past several
weeks, begging for relief. But Pakistani authorities will not allow
them to enter established UN camps, which already house more than
70,000 refugees from the three-month old bombing campaign, led by the
United States.
UN officials report that many of the refugees are suffering from cold
and hunger. They have issued an urgent call for governments and
international aid organizations to help the refugees, who are facing
a harsh winter without adequate food or water supplies.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has appealed to Pakistan to
allow those gathered on the border to cross over into UN camps, but
only extremely sick refugees have been allowed to enter the country.
In other news, the reconstruction of Afghanistan will reportedly cost
$15 billion over the next 10 years. According to an assessment issued
Tuesday by the UN Development Program, the World Bank and the Asian
Development Bank, the money is needed to rebuild the country
following more than two decades of war and destruction.
The big dollar figure was released in advance of next week's donor's
conference in Tokyo. The meeting is aimed at securing funds for what
is being called a new Afghanistan, after the Taliban were ousted from
power. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell and representatives from Japan, the European Union, Saudi
Arabia and other countries are expected to attend the gathering.
*US HANDLING OF AFGHANISTAN POWs MAY VIOLATE GENEVA CONVENTION - RED CROSS
Kabul, January 15 (RHC)-- The treatment of Taliban prisoners held in
Afghanistan by U.S. authorities and the methods used in transporting
them to the Guant�namo Naval Base in Cuba may be in breach of the
United Nations' Geneva Convention.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that those
being held by U.S. military forces must be counted as prisoners of
war under the Geneva Convention, and are, therefore, entitled to the
full protection offered by the UN convention.
According to the International Red Cross, attempts to get Washington
to spell out the exact status of its Afghan prisoners has resulted in
a variety of often contradictory responses from different departments
in the Bush administration. Some of the terms used by the United
States to describe the prisoners -- such as "battlefield detainees"
-- have no legal meaning, according to the Red Cross.
The Independent Digital in London reported on Monday that the
conditions under which the prisoners are being held at the Kandahar
air base before they are shipped to Cuba, as well as the forcible
shaving of beards and mustaches for the journey, could be in breach
of articles of the Geneva Convention. The International Red Cross
states that Afghan and foreign fighters of the Taliban qualify for
prisoner-of-war status and should be treated as such until a properly
constituted court, in the United States or elsewhere, decides
otherwise.
A legal advisor for the Red Cross, Catherine Deman, has reportedly
arrived in Afghanistan to prepare an official report on the
situation. According to the humanitarian aid organization, many
prisoners held in Kandahar are being kept in unsheltered stockades in
the bitterly cold winter, without any privacy. These conditions,
according to the International Red Cross, would be a breach the
Geneva Convention.
The forcible shaving of Muslim prisoners before their flight to
Guant�namo could also be a breach of the convention, which stipulates
that the religious beliefs of prisoners of war must be respected.
The Red Cross added that the United States is within its rights,
under the Geneva Convention, to remove prisoners from Afghanistan to
U.S. territory even though there is no extradition treaty between the
two countries.
(c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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