>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba press release 36 JC Music Cigars > For all diplomatic missions Havana, wednesday, march 8, 2000 > >HAVANA.- The future of Cuban child Elian Gonzales could be decided >on Thursday when a Miami federal court hears the minor's case. Thus, >the day has come when it will be decided what prevails -justice, or >the political show led by the boy's distant relatives who are >illegally retaining him with the support and resources of the Cuban >American National Foundation (CANF) and other powerful Florida based >anti Cuban groups. Elian is still being held in Miami since his >November 25 rescue by U.S. fishermen after the vessel in which he, >his stepfather, mother and 11 other people sank. The only survivors >were the 6 year old minor and a couple unrelated to him. > >HAVANA.- Reporters and researchers analyzed the origin and essence >of terrorist acts carried out against Cuba during the third part of a >round table discussion in Havana on the hostilities sponsored by the >U.S. In the conference, broadcast by national television and radio, >participants offered new evidence on the immorality of those who want >to destroy the Cuban Revolution. As part of this goal, they are also >keeping Cuban child Elian Gonzalez Brotons in Miami. In previous >analysis, experts on the issue stated that the Cuban American >National Foundation (CANF) is the core of Cuban counterrevolution. >These round tables talks complement the young people and students >open tribunes, which have been taking place throughout Cuba >since December 5, demanding the prompt return of Elian Gonzalez. > >HAVANA.- Cuban Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Dr. >Rosa Elena Simeon presented evidence in Havana of the biological >warfare carried out by the U.S. against Cuba during the last 40 >years. Simeon appeared as an expert witness at Havana's Provincial >Court, which is hearing a claim, brought against the U.S. government >for economic damages caused to the country after the triumph of the >Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959. Supported by film, documented >evidence and results of specialized research, the scientist >demonstrated how outbreaks which had serious consequences for the >population and animals, and extremely harmful plagues affecting >the country's main crops were introduced. > >HAVANA.- Cuban agriculture lost over US$ 1.7 billion as a consequence >of the biological warfare employed by the U.S. against tobacco, >coffee, sugar cane and other crops. Witnesses and experts described >the damage caused by tobacco mildew, coffee and sugar cane rust, and >the thrips palmi insect which devastated fields of potatoes, beans, >peppers, cucumbers and pumpkins, among a total of 17 Cuban crops. The >denouncement of damage caused by biological warfare complements the >Cuban social and grassroots organizations' claim against the U.S. for >economic damage in Cuba over the last 40 years. > >HAVANA.- Vilma Espin, Cuban Women Federation (FMC) President, said >that there is a huge contrast between the situation of women in Cuba >and the rest of the world's poor countries. The FMC's leader spoke at >the second session of the 7th FMC Congress which is being held until >today in Havana's Conference Center, with the attendance of more than >900 delegates and guests. Espin stated that in the world, a process >of "feminization of poverty " is taking place because most of the >illiterate, sub-literate, unemployed are those with no access to >medicine and who lack basic food are women. > >HAVANA.- Cuban Minister of Justice Roberto Sotolongo confirmed >that conditions to carry out candidates nomination to People's Power >delegates at district level are now created in Cuba. The Minister, as >National Electoral Commission (CEN) President, stated that the >process began with neighbors' meetings, and will continue until April >2. At this level, electors propose their future representatives to >local government bodies. Partial elections will be held on April 23. >DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX" JC > > ****************** >(JC..A wandering email -"Sent to "bright women,musings of busy women" >* If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it will >always be yours. If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin >with. But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, >eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money and doesn't >appear to realise that you had set it free...you either married it or >gave birth to it. >* Reason to smile: Every seven minutes of every day, someone in an >aerobics class pulls a hamstring. >* The best way to forget all your troubles is to wear tight shoes. >* If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing ties? How >intelligent is it to start the day by tying a noose around your >neck?) > ************** > > © Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba > Formell: "My Grammy is a triumph for Cuban culture" > >NEW YORK (PL).- Songwriter and bass player Juan Formell called his >Grammy award in the salsa category as a triumph for Cuban culture and >the music the island has been making for the last 40 years. > >Speaking to Prensa Latina, the leader of Los Van Van, which has >maintained a high-quality sound for 30 years, said that among the >merits of his winning CD, entitled Lleg- Van Van, Van Van is Here, >are that it is balanced, with a variety of genres and impeccable >recording technique. > >The author of "Sandunguera" was sleeping in his Havana home when the >news of the award arrived. Having recently returned from Cancun, >Mexico, he was nursing a bad flu, but was awakened by an avalanche of >phone calls which turned the silence of the night into a party and >changed his mood to euphoria. > >"It's an unexpected success," he said, "a victory for Cuba. For a >long time the only music from the island that was promoted aboard was >the music of the "50s. Now, with the Grammy, the accumulated wealth >of the last four decades will be accessible to a wider audience. > >"It's been 30 years of intense efforts by our band," Formell >emphasized, "fighting the blockade, the difficulties of a country >under siege and slandered, but despite everything, we kept the faith >and did our work with great artistic responsibility." > >Los Van Van's CD won over strong rivals: La formula original (The >Original Formula), by Oscar DiLein; Gotcha, by DLG; Sola (Alone), by >India; and De otra manera (In Another Way), by Jerry Rivera. > >Formell, who also wrote well-known songs such as "Ya lo se" (I Know), >"Demis recuerdos" (My Memories) and "Si to te vas" (If You Go), the >next stage is very important and it will be necessary to intensify >the quality of his music even more. " > > ************** > © Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba > Habanos surpass expectations > BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS > >THE gala dinner, prizes and auction which brought to a close the 2nd >Habano Festival were a brilliant culmination of the event in the >Cuban capital which has become one of the principal fiestas for >smokers throughout the world. > >President Fidel Castro attended the special auction of Havana cigars >and humidors that, on this occasion, brought in some $800,000 USD. >The Habanos S.A. company holds this public sale without any profit >motive, given that the income is totally destined for the national >public health system. This time it will be used to purchase medicine >for children, announced Vice President Carlos Lage, who gave the >closing speech. > >Lage qualified the presence at the event of more than 600 visitors >from 40 countries as encouraging, an incentive and a prize to Cuban >cigar workers. In that respect, he stated that tobacco is also part >of Cuban culture and history and is the focus for encounters and >friendship like the festival dinner and other activities. > >The Cuban president was accompanied by Colombian writer Gabriel >Garc'a Marquez, Nobel laureate in literature, and his wife Mercedes. >Also present were Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, Agriculture >Minister Alfredo Jordan and Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas. > >During the ceremony, campesino Ricardo Barcele, from the San Luis >tobacco enterprise in Pinar del Rio, won the award for the best >cultivator of the year for his results in production and quality. > >This was followed by the presentation of Habanos men of 1999. Cuban >Abel Exposito, manager of the Partages cigar factory, one of the most >visited by foreign smokers in the capital, was selected in the retail >marketing category. > >Austrian Helmut Rome received the communications prize, while the >business section was taken by Jose Maria Cases, an entrepreneur from >Andorra with a distinguished record in marketing cigars. > >The British auction house Christie's conducted the auction, motivated >solely by an implicit spirit of fraternity, Habanos S.A. noted. Two >boxes of the best-known Cuban cigars and six humidors were auctioned. >The boxes, made with precious woods by eminent artists, were signed >by President Fidel Castro. > >The lots were acquired for figures ranging between $30,000 and >$70,000 USD by Pierre Cohen of France, Fotios Soterio of Cyprus, Jose >Maria Cases of Andorra, Franca Ressi of Australia, David Tang of Hong >Kong, Mac Goodman of Mexico and Lebanese Mohamed Zeldan. In all, they >paid $523,000 USD. > >Further contributions were made by Pupi Dangreri, advisor to >President Yasser Arafat, and the Belizean representative at the >United Nations and the World Trade Organization, who donated $50,000 >USD; and executives of ALTADIS, a corporation associated with Habanos >S.A., who contributed $200,000 USD to the Cuban public health system, >thus bringing the total collected to around $800,000 USD." JC > > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
