> © Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba >Jose Imperatori's message to the Canadian people > >I did not arrive of my own free will in this magnificent and >hospitable country, which I admire and respect and where I have >stayed for over four and a half days. > >I was at the apartment where I lived in Washington as an official of >the Cuban Interests Section in the United States. I had been wrongly >accused of doing intelligence work against that country, therefore, I >was declared persona non grata and required to leave. > >The reason for that absolutely false accusation was a conspiracy >concocted in Miami by a terrorist mob of Cuban Americans in an >attempt to definitely discredit the U.S. Immigration and >Naturalization Service (INS) whose Commissioner, Mrs. Doris Meissner, >had acknowledged the right to paternal authority to Juan Miguel >Gonzalez Quintana, a Cuban citizen living in our country who is the >father of a six-year-old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, already known all >over the world whose mother perished during a shipwreck off the >United States coasts. > >The illegal journey had been organized by the child's stepfather, a >violent man with gruesome penal records, who unknown to the father >and without his consent took the boy away from his school, his >maternal and paternal grandparents, his ambiance and his homeland as >well as from the only parent with the full right to paternal >authority. The child, who miraculously survived the wreckage, was >provisionally placed in the hands of a distant relative living in >Miami. This person is an ambitious and alcoholic man who has caused >traffic accidents in the United States while driving under >the influence of alcohol for which he has been tried and convicted. > >As for his background in Cuba, American journalists have unearthed >and confirmed unpublished events that took place at the time he was a >professor of Physical Education and Sports in a school for children >who he sexually molested. Such behavior shows that the man is >absolutely unfit to receive the custody of any child in any civilized >country of the world. > >Following instructions from the Cuban American Foundation, the >distant great-uncle has kept the child. The INS had decided that he >should be turned over to his father but then a corrupted Miami judge >gave the child's custody to the sinister character. The U.S. Attorney >General had endorsed and supported the INS through a legal resolution >thus overriding the judge's decision. Then, the Foundation mobsters >filed an appeal with a Florida Federal Court contesting the Attorney >General's resolution. > >The hearing on the case was scheduled for February 22, but four days >before that decisive step, a senior INS official was publicly charged >of espionage activities involving both the former vice consul and >myself. > >I have felt the unavoidable need to provide the Canadian people with >this background information. > >In order to prove my innocence and the absolutely false charges >brought against the INS official as well as to save that Cuban child >who has been kept captive in Miami for over three months in violation >of every standard of International Law, the Convention on the Right >of the Child and the most basic ethical principles, I decided to >resign my position in the Cuban Interests Section in Washington and >the diplomatic immunity thereof, to stay in the United States' >territory and to declare myself on a hunger strike. This I did at >great personal risk and assuming all the consequences therein. > >For that reason, at 8:35 p.m. that same day I was arrested and >brought to Canada on an American airplane. I had not applied for a >visa, nor did I know what would happen with me. I decided to continue >with the hunger strike at my country's embassy in Canada. I had not >made any pledge to anybody. So, this is the true story behind my >presence here. I did not intend to come to Canada, I wanted to remain >in the United States facing up to the lies and the slanders and >defending the rights of the child whatever the consequences. > >I harbor no complains against the Canadian people. I neither want to >accuse the authorities of this country who undoubtedly acted in good >faith. Perhaps, they were trying to help me when they accepted that I >was forcibly brought here. > >After a reasonable solution was found with honor and dignity for my >homeland and for me, I begged the Cuban ambassador in Canada that as >soon as I departed Ottawa for my homeland he delivered this message >to the press since out of courtesy and respect for the governmental >authorities I had refrained from making any public statement while on >this country that on extremely difficult days was friendly towards >Cuba, a blockaded nation subjected to a harsh economic warfare. I >hope that, whatever the lies and the slanders, the Canadian people >will understand what happened and believe in the sincerity of this >message. > >Jose Imperatori Garcia >9:35 a.m., March 2, 2000 > > **************** > © Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba > >Greater development of links with Japan predicted > >* Ambassador Saburo Tanaka highlights advances in bilateral relations >over the last three years > >BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS > >"AFTER three years of living in Cuba, our whole family is convinced >that the Cuban Revolution and the following 40 years are destined to >be recalled as an exceptional epoch in human history," affirmed >Saburo Tanaka, Japan's ambassador to Cuba, who is concluding his >diplomatic mission on the island. > >During his three years as ambassador here, Tanaka has made a >significant contribution to the strengthening of Cuban-Japanese >relations, which is reflected in improved economic and cultural >links. "We believe that it is our duty and blessing to continue >making our small contribution to a better understanding of Cuban >leaders and patriots among the Japanese people and the peoples of the >world," stated the diplomat, who also announced that he plans to >write a book as part of that contribution. > >He recalled that three years ago relations with his country were >very limited, due to the existence of a debt in the economic sphere, >but also in the political sphere. He noted that things have changed >as a result of three objective circumstances. The first was the >humane attitude shown by President Fidel Castro during the Japanese >embassy hostage situation in Lima, still recalled by the Japanese. >According to the diplomat, the response from the Cuban government and >its leader closed the political and psychological gap between Cuba >and Japan. > >Another influential factor, Tanaka noted, was Pope John Paul II's >visit to the island and the demonstrations of hospitality shown to >His Holiness by the Cuban people and the island's leaders. The >atmosphere between the two countries benefited further from the >celebrations to mark the centennial anniversary of Japanese >emigration to Cuba. "We know that President Fidel Castro has a high >regard for Japanese immigrants, who made a significant contribution, >principally in agriculture and fishing," he affirmed. > >Tanaka also referred to the economic and trade relations between the >two countries, stressing in this context the rescheduling of the >external and official debt in the short term, all of which favors the >granting of financial facilities, the renewal of official credit >security on exports and therefore a recovery in bilateral trade >levels. Tanaka predicts a greater development of trade links with the >island, and reiterates that Japanese economic circles are interested >in major Cuban sectors such as sugar and tourism. > >He likewise mentioned the aid dispatched to Cuba by the Tokyo >government, which started with a community project that has >blossomed, given that there are now eight agreements of this nature. >That cooperation is being extended to cultural and educational >activities, one reflection of which is a contribution to the >University of Havana's foreign language laboratories. There was also >a donation of 260,000 tons of rice. > >DIVERSE AND SOLID RELATIONS > >Speaking of the future, Ambassador Tanaka expressed a hope for >diverse and solid relations with his country. "I should like to see >relations between Cuba and Japan become more profound, with greater >cultural exchange in a genuine dialogue, the exchange of artists and >intellectuals," he added. He would also like to see more aid to the >island. > >The ambassador advocated an increase in political dialogue between >the two countries and, in this aspect, mentioned the suggestion of a >visit to Cuba by the Japanese foreign minister. > >With 35 years as a diplomat, Tanaka reiterated his affection for the >little Caribbean nation which, in his words, is a sentiment that he >felt before arriving in Havana three years ago, when he read a >biography of Jose Marti and another of Fidel Castro. > >In his farewell message to the Cuban people, he stated that Fidel and >the Cuban government have devoted their greatest energies to >education and have thus attained a highly educated and enterprising >people, "which gives me a better basis for feeling confident about >this country's future." He also praised the results in medicine and >the island's international cooperation in this field. > >He added in this respect: "My dream is that in the near future, Japan >will be able to cooperate with the international medical aid that >Cuba has been taking to Africa and the Latin American countries. When >I say medicine, I'm not referring only to looking after our health, >but to everything related to people's basic existence, something very >rare in this world of enormous burdens and difficulties, as there are >so many countries in which this aspect of people's dignity isn't >fulfilled." > >He also highlighted the Cubans' concern for justice and truth, >concepts which, he affirms, are very abstract ones in other places >but are very real and substantial for the Cuban people. That is >because people in Cuba are not obsessed about material things, he >noted, adding that in his country little is known about Cuba, and >reiterating his desire to contribute there to a greater understanding >of its leaders and people. > >Editorial office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Business officeL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > *************** > © Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba > New judge named and illegal hearing postponed > >* Third presiding judge strongly opposed by Elian's father and the >Cuban government > >Michael Moore has been selected to impart justice in the case of >Elian Gonzżlez, the Cuban child illegally detained in the United >States, after the previously designated magistrate had to be >hospitalized, according to press reports. > >District Judge Edward Davis appeared in the court of William >Hoeveller, who suffered a stroke on February 20, to preside over the >hearing scheduled for February 22. He announced Moore's designation >and the postponement of the hearing until March 6, reported Prensa >Latina. > >The appeal which this court will hear was filed by Eliżn Gonzalez' >distant relatives, who are contesting the decision made by the U.S. >Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to return the minor to >his father and grandparents in Cuba. > >In the March hearing, Moore must first decide whether his court >has jurisdiction to oppose an order from a federal institution like >the INS. Eminent international jurists, and others from within the >United States itself, believe that it does not. Legislation in that >country is clear with regard to INS prerogatives in migratory issues >of this type. " JC > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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