>Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Preview - 23 June 2000 17:00 > > >*USSR'S COLLAPSE: "WE SURVIVED THROUGH UNITY AND SOCIALISM"--FIDEL > >*US REPUBLICAN LEADERS WILL STOP OPPOSING FOOD, MEDICINE SALES TO CUBA > >*PARTIAL LIFTING OF BLOCKADE IS A POSITIVE STEP, BUT NOT ENOUGH > > >*USSR'S COLLAPSE: "WE SURVIVED THROUGH UNITY AND SOCIALISM"--FIDEL > >Havana, June 23 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has asserted that Cuba >could not have survived the collapse of the socialist camp without unity and >socialism. This is one of the Cuban leader's key responses to an extensive >interview of 33 questions, granted to former UNESCO Director General >Federico Mayor Zaragoza, published Thursday in the Cuban news daily Granma. > >Granma explained that the interview took place last January 28th and will be >included in a book that Mayor Zaragoza plans to publish later this year. >The newspaper also explained that the decision to publish the interview >follows the publication earlier this month by a French magazine of notes >taken by Mayor Zaragoza in which some of the Cuban leader's responses were >erroneous interpretations that were out of context. > >In response to a question about whether or not socialism is still a >meaningful term, the leader of the Cuban Revolution said "without a doubt." >Fidel Castro insisted that what happened 10 years ago was "the naive and >inadvertent destruction of a formidable social and historic process that >should have been perfected, but never destroyed." > >The Cuban leader said that developed capitalism, which has led to today's >modern imperialism, "has nothing to offer humanity except its >self-destruction," though such an event will perhaps also destroy the >natural conditions that provide the sustenance for human life on this >planet. Fidel said we cannot continue along the path that each day widens >the gap between rich and poor. > >In reference to the European Union's political conditions for the >establishment of formal trade relations with Cuba, President Fidel Castro >said Cuba will never accept them -- not from Europe and much less from the >United States. He termed as interesting the fact that the EU is much less >concerned about the internal situations of other countries that represent a >greater economic interest than Cuba. > >And in reference to the double standard of Washington's Cuba policy, he said >long hours and many historic references would be needed for an in-depth >analysis of what he called "the hypocrisy and indecency of that policy." > >The former UNESCO official asked Fidel Castro his opinion of the criticism >leveled against Cuba for the alleged limitations on freedom of expression >and thought on the island. The Cuban president said first one should ask >whether in Latin America, where the majority of the population is totally or >functionally illiterate, one can speak of these freedoms. He said many >people in the world not only lack the freedom of thought, but that their >tools for thinking have been destroyed -- adding that "without culture and >education freedom is not possible." > >Asked about the legend that has been woven around him, Fidel Castro said >that legend has been created by successive U.S. governments and that if he's >a living legend it's because of all the failed efforts by the CIA to >eliminate him. > > >*US REPUBLICAN LEADERS WILL STOP OPPOSING FOOD, MEDICINE SALES TO CUBA > >Washington, June 23 (RHC)-- House Republican leaders in the United States >have said they're willing to drop opposition to the sale of food and >medicine to Cuba, according to Thursday's edition of The Washington Post. >Washington Post staff writers Eric Pianin and Karen DeYoung reported that >Wednesday evening, negotiators said they were making progress, asserting >that House GOP leaders agreed in principle to accept the change after it >became clear that they would likely lose to Democrats and farm state >Republicans in a showdown vote. > >The article quoted House Majority leader Richard K. Armey, a Texas >Republican, who said that "a deal is in the making." House Speaker J. Dennis >Hastert and Majority Whip Tom Delay, who had vigorously opposed the measure, >are now reportedly signaling a willingness to allow food and medicine sales >to Cuba, but they want to deny U.S. credit guarantees for Havana. > >The influential news daily asserted that the decision marks a dramatic shift >in policy toward Cuba, fueled largely by farm state Republicans frustrated >over the loss of billions of dollars in agricultural sales and by churches >and humanitarian groups that contend the sanctions hurt innocent people. > >The Washington Post staff writers also asserted that a major new element in >this year's Cuba equation is the Elian Gonzalez case. > >According to opinion polls, states the article, resentment at what were seen >as heavy-handed tactics in Miami to keep the six-year-old boy from returning >to Cuba led a majority of Americans to question sanctions as the cornerstone >of U.S. policy toward the island. > > >*PARTIAL LIFTING OF BLOCKADE IS A POSITIVE STEP, BUT NOT ENOUGH > >Havana, June 23 (RHC)-- Cuba has reiterated that the lifting of Washington's >restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to the island is a step in the >right direction, but is insufficient. Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesperson >Aymee Hernandez told local and foreign news correspondents on Thursday that >Cuba is closely following this legislative process in the United States, but >that what's needed is the total lifting of Washington's blockade. > >Hernandez said the amendments currently before Congress do not guarantee >normal relations between the business firms of the two countries, normal >financial transactions, regular lines of air and maritime transport and >regular access to government credits which, she added, make the amendments a >mere token gesture. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. > >================================================================= > NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems > Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us > 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 > http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >================================================================= > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Law Enforcement Professionals: SAVE ON LONG DISTANCE TODAY!!! >http://click.egroups.com/1/4170/0/_/30563/_/961795768/ >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >Cuba SI - Imperialism NO! >Information and discussion about Cuba. >Socialism or death! Patria o muerte! Venceremos! >http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi > >Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Change Delivery Options: http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > > > __________________________________ 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] ___________________________________
