>from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba press release 120, 122 > FOR ALLDIPLOMATIC MISSIONS >HAVANA, MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2000 > >MATANZAS.- The father of Elian Gonzalez, Juan Miguel, yesterday >sent Fathers Day telephone greetings from Washington to Cuba. He said >he regrets not being able to be together with his people to celebrate >this day, but will feel the Island's warmth whilst participating in >an activity organized by the Cuban Interests Section in the U.S. In >the message, broadcast by local radio, Juan Miguel said everyone >there is fine, the children are doing well in their lessons and Elian >is already catching up with his classmates thanks to their enthusiasm >and that of their teacher. "We have really made a very close team >here, which makes our stay more pleasant, because we feel like >brothers", he stated. > >CAMAGUEY, CUBA.- On Saturday, over 300,000 people from Camaguey met >at "Mayor General Ignacio Agramonte y Loynaz" Square in Camaguey's >provincial capital, eastern Cuba, to join the Cuban reclamation for >the return of child Elian Gonzalez. The act began at 08:30 local time >(13:30 GMT) with the arrival of Army General Raul Castro, Cuban >First Vice President and Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Minister, >plus historic Commanders of the Revolution Juan Almeida, Ramiro >Valdes and Guillermo Garcia. Also in attendance were Camaguey Cuban >Communist Party Provincial Committee First Secretary Salvador Valdes; >Cuban Young Communist League National Committee First Secretary Otto >Rivero, plus other civilian and military authorities from Camaguey. > >HAVANA.- Carlos Falquez Batallas, Ecuadoran National Congress >Vice President, arrived in Havana yesterday, aiming to strengthen >inter-parliamentary relations and learning about Cuba's development >in various sectors, he said on his immediate arrival at Jose Marti >International Airport. Falquez Batallas will begin an eight day >official visit to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban People's Power >National Assembly (Parliament). The visitor was received by Ecuadoran >Ambassador to Cuba Eduardo Tobar Fierro, deputy Elsa Rojas Hernandez, >plus various officials. The Vice President will meet Cuban Minister >for Agriculture Alfredo Jordan and Cuban National Assembly Vice >President Jaime Crombet, according to his official program. > >VARADERO, CUBA.- Ukrainia's President Leonid Kuchma left for his >country last night from Varadero's Juan Gualberto Gomez International >Airport. On the last day of his visit, President Kuchma visited the >Santa Cruz del Norte thermo electric plant, Havana province, and the >watchtower located next to the Bacunayagua Bridge, in the western >province of Matanzas. Kuchma toured Varadero, finding out about the >development of the resort's tourist infrastructure. He was >accompanied by Cuban Tourism Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz. > >SANTIAGO DE CUBA.- Nearly 900 trade enterprises and firms from Cuba >and another 40 countries attended the opening of the 9th Expocaribe >2000 fair, taking place in Santiago de Cuba. Foreign Trade Minister >Raul de la Nuez told press that the wide participation of foreign >firms confirms business people's interest in strengthening relations >and initiating collaboration links with Cuba. Currently, nearly 300 >foreign and 600 Cuban firms have been registered for the trade fair. >The latter face the challenge of reducing imports and increasing >exports in the region. The fair ends on June 25. > >HAVANA.- The most modern Cuban distillery, located in Aguada de >Pasajeros, Cienfuegos province, had begun its test phase, reported >Opciones economic weekly. According to the source, tests should end >this month, as the managers' purpose is to begin operating in July, >in accordance with their schedule, so far carried out without >problem. Cuban-Spanish ALFICSA joint venture company is responsible >for the investment in the factory. Main manager Jose Aleman explained >that this type of distillery is due to the diversification strategy >that the Sugar Ministry is carrying out. Pharmaceutical, perfume, >cosmetics, liquors and drinks, and biotechnology industries will >benefit with alcohol and other products, thanks to the new technology >introduced, he added. DPTO. >INFORMACION/ MINREX " JC > > *********** > >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Cuba press release 122 > FOR ALL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS >HAVANA, TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2000 > >HAVANA.- The Cuban government has postponed migration talks with the >U.S., scheduled in New York from June 26-29, confirmed authorized >sources. Consulted sources corroborated the announcement made in >Washington by State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher, who >could not say whether the Cuban authorities would restart the talks >again, according to Press versions. Cuba and the U.S. signed >migration agreements in 1994-95 seeking for a legal, orderly and safe >migration. According to the agreements, Washington grants Cuba a >minimum amount of 20,000 visas annually. It is also bound to >return all illegals intercepted at sea or at the Guantanamo naval >base, militarily occupied by the U.S. > >HAVANA.- Cuban Peoples' Power National Assembly (Parliament) >President Ricardo Alarcón called yesterday in Havana for the 1st >ordinary period of sessions corresponding to the current year. As >published by the main media, Alarcón convoked the 5th Ordinary Period >of Sessions for the 5th Parliament's Legislature on July 12. The >corresponding ordinary sessions will take place at Havana's >Conference Centre. The current parliament was elected in 1998 with >601 members by 98.35 percent of the electorate; 95 percent votes were >valid, with 94.39 percent voting in unison. > > WASHINGTON.- The case of Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, still illegally >held in the U.S., will be one of the main discussion themes at the >U.S. National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), to be held >on Wednesday. The convention, entitled "Camino al Futuro: Un Futuro >Diverso" (A Way to the Future: A Diverse Future) to be held in >Houston, Texas, will centre debates on various aspects affecting >Latino people's life in the U.S., especially that of journalists. A >release from the organizers reads that the NAHJ will carry out >various seminars and discussion panels on basic topics such as "press >coverage of the Elian Gonzalez case". They will also refer >to challenges facing Latino journalists in political controversies, >and the theme of U.S. schools and their role in the teaching of >Hispanic children. > >HAVANA.- Leonard Weinglass, main lawyer for Mumia Abul-Jamal - the >black U.S. journalist sentenced to death - stated that race, class >and politics have determined the injustice of the trial against his >client. During a Cuban T.V. round table discussion analyzing the >current situation of six year old Cuban child Elian Gonzalez, >illegally held in the U.S., the lawyer gave details of the negative >influence on a legal process if the accused is black, poor and has >politically progressive ideas. Weinglass cited a study by government >institution the General Accounting Office, which shows that in the >application of the death sentence, race is an important factor. This >is reflected in the fact that out of the 3,600 people awaiting the >so-called corridor of death, only 13 are white. Rosemary Mealy, >lawyer and close friend of the black journalist disclosed that the >U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was involved with the >Philadelphia police in the unfair trial of Abu-Jamal. Together with >Mealy, various legal figures, Mumia's friends, and different leaders >of Cuban solidarity associations condemned the unfair and >discriminatory character of the U.S. legal system. > >UNITED NATIONS.- Cuba reiterated that the U.S. blockade is the major >and most dangerous and difficult obstacle this country has to >overcome for women's development. The statement was made by Cuban >Science, Technology and Environment Vice Minister Soledad Diaz when >presenting a report on the fulfilment of the Convention for the >Elimination of all Types of Discrimination Against Women, before a >U.S. committee responsible for this topic. It is not absurd to say >that the blockade has no mercy, especially against women, the >majority of whom - besides coping with domestic work - also have to >face the obstacle that this policy places on the production or civil >activities that they carry out, she underlined. > >WASHINGTON.- The New York Times daily published yesterday that >record figures have been registered among U.S. citizens travelling to >Cuba over the last few years. The newspaper quotes U.S. Treasury >Department statistics when pointing out that the number of these >"legal" travelers to Cuba has increased by 10 percent annually in the >last 5 years. However, according to the Times, the number of U.S. >citizens that illegally travelled to the Island "grew at a higher >rate, because the figure doubled in the same period." The U.S. >blockade on Cuba prevents U.S. citizens from travelling to the >Island, except in cases with legal justification. This prevention >is considered to be a violation of U.S. citizens' constitutional >rights. > >HAVANA.- Relations between the U.S. and the magazine Encuentro de la >Cultura Cubana (Meeting Cuban Culture), edited in Spain by Cuban >writer Jesus Diaz, were denounced in an article published by Granma >daily. Entitled "La verdadera naturaleza de un desencuentro" (The >Real Nature of the Non-meeting), journalist and critic Pedro de La >Hoz gives details on how this quarterly is paid by the National >Endowment for Democracy (NED), receiving US$ 80,000 in 1998. >According to the journalist, the NED is a mechanism "established by >the U.S. administration for financing projects to favor its own >political interests throughout the world." This conception, says de >la Hoz, unmasks the "alleged independent character" that Diaz >gives to his magazine, which - according to the director - does not >represent, "nor is related to, any political party or organization, >neither inside nor outside Cuba." > >HAVANA.- Cuba has renegotiated its short term debt with its >principal creditors and acquired facilities for new development >projects, confirmed Cuban Central Bank president Francisco Soberon. >The refinancing -concluded with six countries, including Japan, >Germany and Italy- was made without endangering the future of the >Cuban economy and without increasing the debt, Soberon told press >during Parliament's Economic Issues Commission public hearing. He >added that the "new facilities (obtained through >bilateral negotiations) will be used to accelerate our development." >We feel very calm because the debt's refinancing is based on >realistic and serious policies, explained the Central Bank president. > >HAVANA.- Called by Parliament's Economic Commission, a public hearing >to evaluate development in the Cuban banking system was held in >Havana's Conference Center yesterday. In the meeting, deputies, bank >executives, business people, economists, researchers and university >students analyzed results of a recent banking system national >rearrangement, decentralization and modernization plan. The meeting >enabled the examination of credit, situation of debts to pay and be >paid, functioning of central bodies' finance houses and treasuries, >and the development of automatization in the national banking system, >published the official daily Granma. > >PANAMA.- Cuban and Panamanian national assemblies delegations opened >the Cuba-Panama 5th Interparliamentary Committee Working Meeting >yesterday in Panama City. In his opening speech, Panamanian >Legislative Assembly president Enrique Garrido expressed his >satisfaction with the presence of his Cuban counterpart and the >historic friendship between both countries. >DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX " 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] ___________________________________
