>Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 07:31:57 -0400 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-14 September 2000 06:00 >To: undisclosed-recipients:; >Status: > >Radio Havana Cuba-14 September 2000 06:00 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 14 September 2000 06:00 > > >*WASHINGTON APPROVES VISAS FOR SEVEN CUBAN LAWMAKERS, BUT NOT FOR ALARCON > >*EMIR OF QATAR ARRIVES IN CUBA ON OFFICIAL VISIT > >*HONDURAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE IN HIS COUNTRY > >*NEW JAPANESE RESTAURANT OPENS IN HAVANA > >*RESIDENTS OF HAVANA¥S PLAYA MUNICIPALITY READY FOR MASSIVE CLEANUP > >*IMPORTANT SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY FOR HOLGUIN NEIGHBORHOODS > >*CUBA WILL LEAD LATIN AMERICA IN SYDNEY > >*WOMEN'S OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL TEAM FACES TOUGH CHALLENGE > >*SOTOMAYOR, PEDROSO ARRIVE IN SYDNEY TO COMPLETE CUBA'S OLYMPIC DELEGATION > >*WHEN THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY: CUBA'S ECONOMIC RECOVERY > > >*WASHINGTON APPROVES VISAS FOR SEVEN CUBAN LAWMAKERS, BUT NOT FOR ALARCON > >Havana, September 14 (RHC)-- The U.S. State Department has approved visas >for seven Cuban lawmakers to attend a Washington meeting of the U.S. >Congressional Black Caucus, but still refuses to grant permission to >National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon. The Cuban Parliament president >told reporters on Tuesday that he had planned to travel from New York to >Washington to announce an offer by the Cuban government to yearly allow 250 >poor, Black Americans to study medicine in Cuba free-of-charge. > >Details of the proposal were reportedly to have been worked out with >Representative James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina and the Caucus >Chairman. The U.S. State Department also refused to grant Alarcon a visa to >attend a meeting of presiding officers of the world's parliaments two weeks >ago, despite the fact that the event was sponsored by the United Nations. > > >*EMIR OF QATAR ARRIVES IN CUBA ON OFFICIAL VISIT > >Havana, September 14 (RHC)-- The Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa >Al-Thani, arrived in Cuba this evening for an official visit at the >invitation of Cuban President Fidel Castro. The visit constitutes the first >of a head of state from the Persian Gulf region. > >The high-level delegation also includes Qatar's Ministers of Foreign >Relations, Energy, Economy, Industry and Trade. > > >*HONDURAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE IN HIS COUNTRY > >New York, September 14 (RHC)-- Honduran Foreign Minister Roberto Flores has >praised the support of a Cuban medical brigade working in that Central >American nation. > >The Honduran leader spoke with reporters on Tuesday in New York City at the >United Nations, following a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Perez >Roque. Flores stated that Cuban medical personnel have offered an enormous >service to the Honduran people, who are now receiving medical attention >free-of-charge. > >Foreign Minister Roberto Flores said he was also grateful to Cuba because >over 420 Honduran young people are studying on scholarships to become >doctors at Havana's Latin American School of Medicine. In addition, Honduran >youngsters are being trained as technicians and sports trainers at a >recently inaugurated International Sports Institution in the Cuban capital. > >According to Cuba's Health Ministry, as of the end of August, there were a >total of 123 health professionals offering medical services free of charge >in the most remote areas of Honduras. > > >*NEW JAPANESE RESTAURANT OPENS IN HAVANA > >Havana, September 14 (RHC)-- Cuba's Cubanacan Palmeras Company has announced >the opening of Havana's first Japanese Restaurant. > >The Sakura Restaurant -- which in Japanese means "well-being, happiness and >rebirth" -- will allow lovers of traditional Japanese cuisine to enjoy a >real Japanese meal in the Cuban capital. The project received technical >assistance and advice from the Japanese Embassy in Havana. > > >*RESIDENTS OF HAVANA¥S PLAYA MUNICIPALITY READY FOR MASSIVE CLEANUP > >Havana, September 14 (RHC)-- Residents of Havana's Playa municipality are >ready for a massive cleanup of their neighborhoods and coastal areas, >scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd. The huge effort is part of an >international campaign entitled "To Cleanup the Planet," sponsored by the >United Nations Environmental Program. > >According to Dr. Angel Corvea of Cuba's Oceanology Institute, the >coordinating body of the campaign, the objective is to educate the >community. He added that the support of local residents and institutions is >necessary to care for and protect the environment. > >The Cuban scientist stressed that what is important about the cleanup is not >how much trash or raw materials are collected, but the experience gained by >the community, which can serve as a starting point for instilling >environmental values. > > >*IMPORTANT SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY FOR HOLGUIN NEIGHBORHOODS > >Holguin, September 14 (RHC)-- In just 72 hours, an important system >supplying water to the eastern city of Holguin, was installed in the Gibara >reservoir. > >The water pipes, which were designed by the National Hydraulic Resources >Institute, will improve water service to numerous neighborhoods in Holguin >province located in the eastern part of the island. > > >*CUBA WILL LEAD LATIN AMERICA IN SYDNEY > >Sydney, September 14 (RHC)-- Latin America, led by Cuba, should make its >best sports performance in history during the Sydney Olympics, according to >the prestigious U.S. sports magazine, Sports Illustrated. The magazine's >Special Olympic Edition predicts that Cuba will win more gold medals in >Sydney than during the > >1992 Barcelona games, when the island finished in fifth place. Cuba finished >8th in Atlanta four years ago. The head of Cuba's press corps at the games, >Pedro Martinez, told reporters on Tuesday that the goal of the Cuban >athletes is to surpass the total number of medals obtained during the >Atlanta games. > > >*WOMEN'S OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL TEAM FACES TOUGH CHALLENGE > >Sydney, September 14 (RHC)-- The mighty Cuban women's volleyball team comes >to Australia in search of an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic gold >medal --but is facing a tough challenge from the Russian and Brazilian >squads. These three teams appear set to dominate the two-week competition, >with the Chinese team also capable of joining this elite. > >Cuban head coach Eugenio George, however, is convinced the women's >volleyball team has a good chance to win the third consecutive Olympic title >in Sydney. Speaking with reporters in the Australian city, George pointed to >the team's excellent performance at the recently concluded Grand Prix, where >the Cubans not only won the tournament's title, but also finished >undefeated. > >He also pointed to the good training period the team spent in Japan before >arriving in Sydney. He said the players are in good shape and with no trace >of injuries. Volleyball competitions kick off one day after the inauguration >of the games, set for this Friday, September 15th. The starting line up >includes Taimaris Aguero, Marlenis Costa, Regla Bell, Regla Torres, Yumilka >Ruiz and Ana Ibis Fernandez. At the 1996, games Cuba defeated China three >sets to one for the gold and Brazil 3-2 against Russia for the bronze. > > >*SOTOMAYOR, PEDROSO ARRIVE IN SYDNEY TO COMPLETE CUBA'S OLYMPIC DELEGATION > >Sydney, September 14 (RHC)-- Cuban jumpers Javier Sotomayor and Ivan Pedroso >are now together with the rest of the island's delegation in Sydney. High >jumper Javier Sotomayor -- the 32-year-old world record holder -- told >reporters upon his arrival that he has recovered from a leg strain and would >be aiming for his second Olympic title. > >Sotomayor, who allegedly tested positive for the use of cocaine in a >controversial doping test at the Winnipeg Pan American Games, was cleared by >the Cuban federation but banned for two years by the International Amateur >Athletic Federation's (IAAF) arbitration panel. Last month, the IAAF's >ruling council decided to reduce the sanction to one year and allow >Sotomayor to take part in what he has said will be his last Olympic Games. > > >Viewpoint: > >*WHEN THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY: CUBA'S ECONOMIC RECOVERY > >The Cuban economy keeps steadily growing. According to Cuban Economy >Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez, addressing an Ibero-American Ministerial >meeting held last week in Panama, the economy has been increasing at an >annual average of 4.4 percent since 1995. > >It's well-known that the island almost lost all its foreign trade partners >after the collapse of Eastern Europe's economic system and the >disintegration of the Soviet Union. The Cuban people then faced the worst >economic crisis ever, reinforced by Washington's nearly four-decade economic >and financial blockade of the island. > >In order to counter the effects of the crisis, the Cuban government adopted >a package of economic readjustment measures, which included opening up the >economy to foreign investment. Mixed enterprises were created in partnership >with the Cuban State and foreign firms, with the purpose of improving >productivity, efficiency and accessing new markets. Tourism was prioritized >and has now become the island's major foreign currency earner. In addition, >unemployment has not increased to significant levels and social services -- >free-of-charge to all Cuban citizens -- have been guaranteed since 1959. > >Cuban Economy Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez recalled that from 1995 to 1999, >following a free fall of the Gross National Product, the island's economic >recovery kept steadily growing - reaching a solid 7.7 percent increase in >the first half of this year. > >Meanwhile, Cuba continues to develop commercial relations with other >countries -- allowing for the presence of nearly 400 mixed enterprises, >successfully operated with foreign capital in several economic sectors. Cuba >has no relations with international credit institutions such as the >International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, having to pay high, >short-term interest rates for loans coming from private entities. As Cuban >Economic Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez recalled in Panama, the course that >the island is taking is the right one and is already yielding results with >the least possible social cost. > >But it would be naive to believe that the recovery of the Cuban economy is a >miracle. It is the result of the wisdom of Cuba's leadership and the >people's clear understanding of the need of preserving the Revolution. >Moreover, the economic recovery has not been obtained through dependence on >foreign interests or by selling off the island's independence and >sovereignty. > >Cuba has demonstrated that no dim scenarios or sudden turns of history can >detour a people from its chosen path. As the old saying goes: When there's a >will, there's a way. > > >(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] >================================================================= > >nytcari-09.14.00-07:31:39-21569 > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
