> >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba press release 52,53 > FOR ALL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS >HAVANA, MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2000 > >HAVANA.- Cuba is not absolutely guilty for the battle generated by >the retention of Elian Gonzalez in Miami, said Cuban President Fidel >Castro at the 6TH Cuban University Students Federation (FEU) Congress >second closing plenary session. He also warned that there is a >situation of incalculable consequences. We did not provoke this, we >are not absolutely guilty for this situation, this battle, said Fidel >Castro. He made the anti Cuban Miami-based mafia, the imperialism and >the Cuban Adjustment Act, enforced in the U.S. since 1966, >responsible for the case. He also denounced that in Florida they are >using the shipwrecked boy's case to destabilize the country. > >HAVANA.- Cuban President Fidel Castro considered as a legal master- >piece the decision by U.S. federal judge Michael Moore regarding the >case of Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, illegally held in the U.S. for >four months. There were no opportunities for the retainers, said >Fidel Castro when he spoke to a Sunday crowd of thousands of young >people, who demanded Elian's return as a conclusion to the 6th Cuban >University Students Federation (FEU) Congress. Fidel Castro said the >anti Cuban Florida based groups, who are opposed to the return of >Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, illegally retained in the U.S. for four >months, have already lost the battle. > >HAVANA.- Cuban President Fidel Castro presented in Havana a series >of opinions of the Cuban population in the evolution of Elian >Gonzalez' case, when he spoke at the 6th Cuban University Students >Federation (FEU) Congress on Sunday morning. "I am not going to give >a speech, but to meditate a little about issues concerning this great >battle we have been carrying out and we committed to continue >carrying out for a long time", said Fidel Castro regarding the work >done by Cuba to achieve the return of the minor, held in Miami for >four months. > >HAVANA.- The silence of the Catholic church concerning the retention >of child Elian Gonzalez in the U.S. is considered as a manifested >lack of interest, according to Cuban President Fidel Castro on Sunday >morning. The President mentioned opinions offered by the Cuban >population in relation to the retention of the child in the U.S. for >four months and the demonstrations carried out by thousands of Cubans >to reclaim Elian's return. The fact that the Catholic church and Pope >John Paul II have not made any pronouncements on the case, is >considered as a manifested lack of interest in the case of the minor, >survivor of a shipwreck during a failed illegal people smuggling >operation at the end of November. > >HAVANA.- President Fidel Castro said there was evidences that Lazaro >Gonzalez, the kidnapper of the Cuban child Elian Gonzalez in the >U.S., committed sexual abuse with minors. Fidel Castro quoted 53 >testimonies that evidence Gonzalez' responsibility in lascivious >deeds with children put in his custody, by people who knew in Cuba of >his "doubtful" behavior. Witnesses are ready to testify on Gonzalez >responsibility in these acts, said the statesman on Sunday while >showing an envelop with the above mentioned evidence to the more than >1,000 participants to the 6th Cuban University Students Federation >(FEU) Congress closing session. > >HAVANA.- President Fidel Castro condemn the Czech Republic for its >alleged human rights violations accusations against Cuba and added >"It is preferable not to have relations if things like these are >going to happen". "For new times there is new diplomacy and the >exposition of truth", he said. "We want to have relations with the >Czechs but if they do not want to, they must be sure that we will not >die of sadness", said the President in the 6th Cuban University >students Federation (FEU) Congress penultimate session. He described >those who represented the Czech Republic accusing Cuban in the U.N. >Human Rights Commission, as puppets, and suggested to the more >than 1,000 young people attending the meeting to make a demonstration >against this lie in front of the Czech embassy in Havana. > >HAVANA.- Yesterday, the 6th Cuban University Students Federation >(FEU) Congress ended after 4 days of intense work carried out by the >more than 700 delegates, representing the majority of Cuban >university students. The participants, met in Havana's International >Conference Center, analyzed themes such as students' residence, >culture and promotion, foreign relations, the work of the >organization, sports and integrality, and the teaching of History. >When concluding the meeting, the organization's new leaders were >introduced. Hassan Perez Casabona, 22, and 4th year student >of History in the University of Havana, was re elected as FEU >president. The vice president was also re-elected and and 16 other >members of the board were appointed. The delegates made the final >session an open tribune to claim for Elian Gonzalez' return to his >father in Cuba. > >LISBON.- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage toured various >Portuguese localities of touristic and historical interest next to >Lisbon where he was received by the respective mayors. In the second >day of his official visit to Portugal, Lage visited the localities of >Cascai, Sintra and Evora, the two latter considered World Heritage >sites, along with government officials like Tourism Secretary of >State Victor Jose Cabrita Neto. Sintra, located 20 km. from Lisbon, >will be linked with Cuban Old Havana in the second half of this year, >said a press release. > >HAVANA.- Yesterday, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez >Roque returned to Havana after a successful tour throughout Angola, >Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Nigeria. Perez Roque said >that the visit contributed to, and exchanged points of view with >these countries' officials regarding the South Summit to be held in >Havana in April. During the tour, bilateral relations and >collaboration with Africa, exchange agreements were signed with each >one of the Foreign offices, one in especial referring to investment >protection. Perez Roque met with the heads of state, >Foreign Ministers and with Cuban doctors and civil collaborator in >five of the six countries where, he said, we witnessed the excellent >state of collaboration and its prestige. > >HAVANA.- A Cuban oil expert declared himself optimist to the >possibility of discovering big oil deposits in a wide sector of Cuban >northern coasts. Doctor Manuel Marrero, Cuban Basic Industry >Ministry's main oil assessor, said that there is the possibility of >finding oil in the so-called L block of the exclusive economic zone, >in the northern part of province Ciego de Avila. In an interview >published by Juventud Rebelde daily, he added that Cuba has signed an >agreement with the Brazilian Company PETROBRAS to make explorations >and perforations in this zone, and he added that he expects >the continuance of investigations for the end of this year and the >beginning of next. He declared that our country at last, after so >many years of work searching for oil deposits in the subsoil, would >modestly become an "oil country". > >HAVANA.- Cubans effected daylight time saving, by moving all clocks >forward an hour, with the purpose of making a good use of the sun >light and increase the electricity savings in the whole island. >According to the electrical union, the saving time will be in use >until October 29, date in which the official time of the Greenwich 75 >meridian is reestablished. > >DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX > > ***********\ >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > PRESS RELEASE NO. 53 > FOR ALL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS > HAVANA, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2000 > >HAVANA.- The Cuban people's battle for the return of Cuban child >Elian Gonzalez is being carried out with ideas and it is just >beginning, yesterday reaffirmed Cuban President Fidel Castro when he >spoke at a round table discussion broadcast by national television. >The Cuban President discarded the war means to solve this situation >created by the Florida based mafia and supported by the Cuban >American National Foundation (CANF). Fidel Castro criticized the >false interpretations made in the U.S. by the White House spokes- >person James Foley and the Elian Gonzalez' Miami based distant >relatives spokesperson, Armando Gutierrez, who distorted his words >by assuring that the Cuban leader had convoked to war on Sunday when >he spoke at the 6Th Cuban University Students Federation (FEU) >Congress closing ceremony. > >HAVANA.- Cuban President Fidel Castro considered as a maneuver the >way in which the ABC, U.S. television network handled the case of >Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, illegally retained in Miami, with the >segment of an interview broadcast yesterday. Fidel Castro said this >network carried out a series of works in Cuba linked to the minor's >family a few days ago and they have not yet published anything about >this, whilst they released the interview without asking for the >authorization to Elian's father, during an unusual speech at the >round table discussion of reporters and lawyers on the details >regarding the six year old minor. He also explained that when Cuban >Parliament President, Ricardo Alarcon, was invited to speak in the >interview, he refused to do it by stating that he did not know >anything about this and he was not aware of the existence of any >consultation with Elian's father to do and broadcast the boy's >interview. > >WASHINGTON.- After negotiations amongst lawyers of Cuban child >Elian Gonzalez' Miami based distant relatives and U.S. Immigration >authorities,the latter said they "maintain their original position". >According to the CNN television network on Monday, the U.S. >Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) warned that "it will >revoke Elian's temporary stay in the U.S. if the relatives do not >accept a rapid appeal process. When restarting talks interrupted on >Sunday midnight, the INS insisted on a three week appeal process >whilst the Elian's Miami based distant relatives representatives said >not to be willing to accept "a deadline". An INS spokesperson told >the CNN that on Thursday, the six year old boy's status, which allows >his stay in the U.S. could be revoked, and therefore he should return >to Cuba. > >WASHINGTON.- U.S. lawyer Gregory Craig said that Juan Miguel >Gonzalez, father of Cuban child Elian, has always been willing to >fetch his son from the U.S., although his Miami based distant >relatives have not allowed this. Interviewed by the ABC television >network, Craig, who is Juan Miguel Gonzalez' lawyer, said the Florida >based Elian's retainers "have not allowed the father and the son >shake hands". "When the child's father presented his demand of >immediately returning his son after the November's shipwreck, >U.S. authorities did not invite Juan Miguel Gonzalez to fetch for his >son in the U.S.", he said. "Afterwards the U.S. Immigration and >Naturalization Service (INS) granted the temporary custody to the >Miami based distant relatives", he said. > >HAVANA.- Cuban President Fidel Castro's manifested concern for the >safety of Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, illegally retained in the >Miami, is growing after the release of a threat carried out by the >Cuban American National foundation (CANF). The daily Juventud Rebelde >(JR) yesterday published on its front page that 24 hours ago the CANF >published a release which could be considered as a declaration of war >and a serious threat against the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, >the U.S. legal system and President Clinton's administration. JR >states that an information dated in Washington by PRNewswire, >appeared on the Internet, which uses the CANF as a source and >in which without secrecy warns about the possibility of an armed >confrontation with U.S. authorities when they assure that the U.S. >Attorney General is propitiating "a new Waco". This is the name of a >Texas town where tens of people from a cult died during a >confrontation with the FBI in 1992. > >WASHINGTON.- The U.S. Attorney General was unsatisfied with the >procedures followed by Elian Gonzalez' kidnappers as they did not >keep their promise to present in writing their agreement with sending >the child to Cuba if they lose the case. "They unfulfilled last >Friday's chart", said Carol Florman, spokesman of the Secretary of >Justice Janet Reno, who conditioned the acceptance of the political >asylum demand to the promise of returning the child to Cuba if they >loose the case. > >HAVANA.- Juan Miguel Gonzalez, father of the child Elian Gonzalez who >is kidnapped in the U.S., has not authorized for the interview to the >minor by any U.S. TV station. Randy Alonso, host of a press >conference to analyze Elian's case situation, read 2 letters written >by Cuban Parliament president Ricardo Alarcon, to Carol Marquis, >program Good Morning America representative in Havana, in which the >first part of a report on Elian was broadcasted. In the letters, >Alarcon ratifies that the father did not received any request for the >interview on part of the journalist Diane Sawyer, who was in Cuba on >March 20-22 and is the author of the interview broadcasted by the ABC >TV channel. > >LISBON.- Cuba and Portugal decided to soon sign an agreement to >eliminate double taxation, to renegotiate the Cuban debt to the >European country and to widen tourism cooperation. The above was >announced to the press by Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage and >Portuguese Minister of Economy and Finance Joaquin Pina Moura, at the >end of a meeting between both officials. Lage, who ended an official >three day visit to Portugal yesterday, and his host, agreed on the >fact that the agreements will strengthen bilateral economic and >business and tourism ties. DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX" JC > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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