>Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 21 June 2000 22:00 > > >*SHAKA SANKOFA 24 HOURS AWAY FROM EXECUTION >*EXPOCARIBE 2000 CONTINUES IN EASTERN SANTIAGO DE CUBA >*PARAGUAY'S MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE ENDS VISIT TO CUBA >*US PROFESSORS SAY WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA IS WEAKENING >*THE REALITY OF EXPLOITED CHILDREN DEBATED IN HAVANA >*CUBA'S ARAGON ORCHESTRA PERFORMS IN A PACKED CARNEGIE HALL >*Viewpoint: DESPITE CUBA'S ENEMIES US POLICIES UNDER FIRE > > >*SHAKA SANKOFA 24 HOURS AWAY FROM EXECUTION > >Havana, June 21 (RHC)-Wednesday night's round table discussion on Cuban TV >once again focused on the impending execution in the US state of Texas of >African American Shaka Sankofa. > >Sankofa, who is also known as Gary Graham, is scheduled to die tomorrow, >Thursday, at 6pm. RHC's Barbara Bettancourt and Tricontinental Magazine's >Arlene Rodriguez both spoke of the inhuman conditions that African American >prisoners on death row suffer in the US and the system that ensures that the >poorer you are the more likely you are to receive the maximum penalty. > >They cited the example of Mumia Abu Jamal the African American activist who >explained what it is like to live in solitary confinement allowed out of a 4 >meter by 4 meter cell only 2 hours of the day, living the other 22 hours >under lights that are never turned off, eating food that has no taste or >smell. > >Gloria Rubac, the president of the Texas Movement to Abolish the Death >Penalty, who also appeared on Monday's round table here in Havana, spoke by >phone from Houston, Texas. She explained that there have been demonstrations >across the entire country to condemn the coming execution with many major US >newspaper editorials criticizing the manner in which Sankofa's trial was >conducted and demanding a retrial. > >Cuban TV's Wednesday round table then touched on the vote in the US Congress >yesterday which refused to create a US/Cuba bi-partisan commission to study >ways to improve relations between the two countries. The panel opined that >because of the influence of Florida's anti-Cuba legislators and that of the >right wing in Congress not even the creation of a commission to study the >problems everyone talks about can be approved. It indicates no desire >whatsoever to improve relations, the round table participants concluded. > >The panel then ended the discussion by talking about Elian Gonzalez. A call >made to Lisa Valenti who is the president of the US/Cuba Sister City >Association elicited the comment that the father Juan Miguel and his family >are the best ambassadors for Cuba during their forced stay in the US. By >just being your average, responsible father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez has gained >the support of the great majority of the people of the USA, said Valenti. > >The round table series was begun with the kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez last >November and continues to provide an excellent forum for the discussion of >issues relating to his case and that of other issues pertaining to the US. > > >*EXPOCARIBE 2000 CONTINUES IN EASTERN SANTIAGO DE CUBA > >Santiago de Cuba, June 21 (RHC)- In Santiago de Cuba, economic negotiations >were consolidated during an important commercial exhibition, the EXPOCARIBE >2000 Trade Fair, according to the President of Cuba's Chamber of Commerce, >Hector Perez. > >The Cuban official highlighted the large turnout at the event with the >participation of over 890 firms from 41 countries. > >Meanwhile, Haiti's Foreign Trade Minister, Gerald Germain visited the trade >fair at the invitation of his Cuban counterpart, Raul de la Nuez. The >Haitian official emphasized the positive relations between the two >countries. > >Germain characterized EXPOCARIBE 2000 as a significant expose of Cuba's >productive capacity, and defined the objectives of his visit in terms of >bettering trade with the island. > > >*PARAGUAY'S MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE ENDS VISIT TO CUBA > >Havana, June 21 (RHC)-Winding up an official visit to the island, Paraguayan >Minister of Industry and Trade, Euclides Acevedo, stated that the agreements >signed with Cuba will broaden bilateral cooperation significantly. > >Acevedo added that Cuba will be present during next July's Expo Trade >Exhibition, scheduled to take place in Paraguay, while Paraguayan business >executives plan to attend the Havana Trade Fair to be held next November. > >Paraguay's Minister for Industry and Trade announced that his country plans >to establish an embassy in Cuba, while Havana has expressed the desire to >construct an embassy in Paraguay. He also announced his return to the >island, next month, accompanied by Paraguay's Foreign Minister Juan Esteban >Aguirre. > > >*US PROFESSORS SAY WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA IS WEAKENING > >Havana, June 21 (RHC)-U.S. professors Cliff Durant and Joahline Dodson >stated in Havana, on Wednesday, that Washington's blockade against the >island is weakening. > >Cliff Durant, who is a Philosophy professor at Morgan State University in >Baltimore, Maryland, is one of the principle organizers of the 12th >Conference of Philosophers and Social Scientists at the University of >Havana, with the participation of over 70 U.S. academics. > >Professor Joahline Dodson from Colorado State University, said that forums, >like the one being held in Havana, facilitate an important exchange of ideas >between Cubans and Americans. Moreover, Americans get a first hand look at >the Cuban reality in contrast to the anti-Cuba propaganda they have been >saturated with by the U.S. mainstream media and government outlets. > >The first of these meetings, between Cuban and US Philosophers, was held in >1982 and, since then, both sides have continuously met in Havana. > > >*THE REALITY OF EXPLOITED CHILDREN DEBATED IN HAVANA > >Havana, June 21 (RHC)-The dramatic reality that characterizes the >exploitation of children in Latin America was at the center of debate, on >Wednesday, at Havana's Center for American Studies. > >The forum takes place as part of activities preceding the 10th >Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held next >November in Panama. > >The Summit, dedicated to children and teenagers, will focus on social >justice and equality on the threshold of the new millenium. > >Dario Machado, director of the Center for American Studies, put together a >conference entitled "Neoliberalism vs. Childhood; which side are we on," >showing the dramatic reality of poverty in Latin America with an emphasis on >the exploitation of children, and the poor conditions of education and >healthcare. > > >*CUBA'S ARAGON ORCHESTRA PERFORMS IN A PACKED CARNEGIE HALL > >New York, June 21 (RHC)-The legendary Cuban group, the Aragon Orchestra, >performed Tuesday night at New York's Carnagie Hall, as part of a US tour, >commemorating its 60th anniversary. > >The concert was dedicated to the memory of renowned Puerto Rican legend, >Tito Puente, who passed away early this month, provoking an emotional >response from the audience. > >The Aragon Orchestra was founded in 1939, in the central province of >Cienfuegos, and has since then contributed to the creation of critically >acclaimed traditional Cuban music. > >The renowned group opened last night's performance with the famous tune "El >Bodeguero," while the audience danced to the tropical rythums of Cuban >music. The last time Aragon performed at Carnegie Hall was in 1957. > > >*Viewpoint: DESPITE CUBA'S ENEMIES US POLICIES UNDER FIRE > >The U. S. Senate has shot down an amendment attached to next year's Pentagon >budget. The amendment was aimed at creating a bipartisan commission to >review U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba. Forty-one lawmakers were in favor >of the proposed commission while 59 voted against it. > >Tuesday's session on Capitol Hill was attended by all 100 senators, >demonstrating that there is a special interest in discussing the issue of >Washington's policies regarding Cuba. The measure was not aimed at >alleviating the effects of the U.S. economic blockade by authorizing the >sale of food and medicine to Cuba. It was rather aimed at a full review of >40 years of a hostile foreign policy towards Cuba. The fact that half of the >Senate favors an analysis and discussion of Washington's policy indicates >that there is a credibility crisis among U.S. government representatives >when it comes to its Caribbean neighbor. > >It has been reasonably said that the case of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez -- >who is still being illegally held in the United States, together with his >father and others -- was the spark that ignited the current debate over U.S. >policy. Regarding the case, Washington has had to admit that the Cuban >government is right and that the young boy should have been sent back to >Cuba long ago. > >The legislative project to allow the sale of food and medicine to Cuba for >"humanitarian reasons" is being strongly promoted by important U.S. business >sectors. They feel that they are at an extreme disadvantage with respect to >other foreign investors -- primarily Europeans -- because U.S. firms do not >have access to the Cuban market. U.S. businesses are blocked out of Cuba by >their own government's economic blockade, imposed on the island nearly 40 >years ago. > >The overwhelming majority of Americans support the return of Elian to Cuba. >And the right-wing Cuban-American groups in southern Florida -- the forces >that kidnapped the six-year-old and held him for more than five months with >the help of local authorities -- have been totally discredited before U.S. >public opinion. People throughout the United States have seen through the >lies of the Miami Mafia and are not only in favor of Elian's return home but >are also increasingly opposed to the criminal economic blockade against >Cuba. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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