>Petersburg to travel with him to the Island. > >This is a big Fair, he commented, "Cuba's pavilion is the largest and when >evaluating local productions we can say that Cuban economic development has >good prospects," he added. > >The governor congratulated Cuban businesspeople for economic achievements of >the last decade, in spite of the strengthening of the US blockade, he said. > >Since his arrival last Wednesday in Cuba, Yakovlev has met Cuba's >vice-president Carlos Lage, minister of Government Ricardo Cabrisas, and >Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon, Foreign Trade Minister Raul de la >Nuez, officials from the Basic Industry Ministry, and Havana City Government >vice-president Roberto Labrada. > >The governor and Labrada signed an agreement for urban economy, health, >education, culture, and tourism cooperation. Yakovlev visited Old Havana >Historic Center, the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center, and >Varadero Beach Resort, some 140 kilometers East of Havana. > >"I think this visit to free and revolutionary Cuba will be very fruitful, a >nation that like Leningrad (St. Petersburg) resisted all blockades. There >are conditions favoring development of bilateral relations," he considered. > >The official said that Cuba and Russia are ready to enrich economic and >cultural exchange. He stressed the importance of his contacts with Cuban >authorities prior to Russian president Vladimir Putin's trip to Havana, >before year's end. DIG/CCS > > . > >*CUBA LEADS LATIN AMERICAN PERFORMANCE AT CHESS OLYMPIADS > >ISTANBUL, Oct 30 (PL) Cuba is, along with Spain, in the eighth position at >the Chess Olympiads (men), with 6.5 points, leading the Latin American >delegation to chess' biggest event. > >After two days, Cubans have achieved two victories (4-0 versus Jamaica and >2.5-1.5 versus Ireland) and today were to meet the Finns on the third day of >competition. > >Hungary is in first position, the only one with eight points, thanks to the >perfect performance in its first two presentations. Russia, Germany and >Moldavia share second with 7.5 points. After Cuba, Latin American >representatives that appear in outstanding places are Brazil and Mexico >(tenth. with 5.5 points). Costa Rica (twelfth with 5.0), Ecuador >(thirteenth with 4.5), Venezuela, Argentina and Jamaica (fifteenth with >4.0). > >The Argentineans only played one round, because they arrived one day late to >Istanbul. > >Teams from 132 countries are taking part in the 34th Chess Olympiads, in >both men's and women's categories. FVS/CCS > > . > >*MEXICAN INNOVATION REDUCES RISKS OF LUNG CANCER > >MEXICO, Oct 30 (PL) Researchers of Mexico National Autonoma University >(UNAM) developed a procedure to reduce smokers' risk to suffer from lung >cancer by 90 per cent, they reported. > >According to the authors of the study, Faustino Juarez and Sergio Palacios, >the method is to give a special treatment to the tobacco plant during its >development to avoid and reduce negative effects of cigarette smoke for >human health to the minimum. > >Juarez and Palacios believe these effects can be reduced if heavy metals and >radionuclides are eliminated; these are components present in considerable >quantities in the plant accelerating the development of the disease. > >While they recognize that such substances are not the only lung cancer >causes, UNAM scientists asserted that they are one of the most important. > >The project, entitled "Tobacco Cancer and its Elimination," explains that >the components present in tobacco are more harmful for passive smokers >because they easily adhere to their lungs. Passive smokers lack a layer in >their respiratory conductors so are highly susceptible to radiation effects >on the organ's tissue. > >The UNAM project is in its greenhouse experimental phase, but could be >developed if it awakens tobacco producers and cigarette manufacturers' >interest. OM/CCS > > . > >*HONDURAS: A SILENT DEMONSTRATION REPUDIATES POLITICAL CRISIS > >TEGUCIGALPA, Oct 30 (PL) Thousands of people, dressed in white and holding >handkerchiefs, protested in absolute silence this afternoon against the >political crisis consuming Honduras, reported local press. > >Civil society, confirmed organizers of the "Silent March," seeks to call >Liberal and National parties' attention and put an end to the struggle for >power. > >Honduran trade unions, churches, intellectuals, students and the public made >up the demonstration, which began at 4 PM in El Obelisco Park and ended at >General Francisco Morazan Civic Square. Last Saturday, 32 social and >political organizations asked President Carlos Flores Facusse to resolve >differences among the parties and avoid a return to the political corruption >ruling Honduras for several decades. > >In a document given to Facusse, creation of an Arbitration Court integrated >by prominent public figures and intellectuals was recommended to end the >conflict between the Liberal and National parties. > >While the president, Liberal Party (PL) leader, declared himself outside the >political struggle, the opposition Nacional Party (PN) summoned thousands of >its followers to support Ricardo Maduro. Political experts affirm that both >PL and PN are designed in the "family client" framework so these >institutions do not serve Honduras nor its people's interest, but instead, >the interests of those who use them to become rich. > >The crisis began when the National Election Court (TNE), in response to a >Liberal request, did not include Maduro as Nacional candidate; declaring his >citizenship illegal. Maduro, son of a Honduran mother and Panamanian >father, was born in Panama and went to Honduras at six years of age. The TNE >should make a definite decision in November. > >According to the Constitution, a candidate for election should be born in >Honduras or if born abroad must be of Honduran parents. Both parties are >working toward the primary elections in December when some 20,000 candidates >for the 2001 general elections will be elected. OM/CCS > > . > >*SANDINISTAS STILL FAVORITE FOR NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS > >MANAGUA, Oct 30 (PL) Opposition Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) >candidate Herty Lewites for Managua Mayor's Office, remains the favorite >among electors, according to a poll by the M&R Company published today in >Managua. > >The poll, made between October 20-24 of 1,200 eventual voters, reflected >Lewites as possible winner in November 5 municipal elections with 38.2 per >cent of votes, followed by the Nicaraguan Conservative Party (PCN) candidate >William Baez, with 25.9 per cent. Titled "Managua 2000, In Search of the >Mayoralty," the poll places ruling Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) >third with 19.8 per cent, followed by the undecided (14.8), and the >Nicaraguan Christian Way (CCN) candidate, Carlos Guadamuz, with 1.3 per cent >of the intended vote. > >Lewites is number one with positive criteria for Managua's voters over the >other three candidates with 59.7 per cent, followed by Baez (49.6), Navarro >(41) and Guadamuz (16.7). > >Regarding negative criteria, Guadamuz is first with 69.5 per cent, followed >by Navarro (48.4), Lewites (32.1) and Baez (23.6). Lastly, net opinion >(that is, subtracting positive and negative opinions), Lewites appears first >with 27.6 per cent, followed by Baez (26), Navarro (minus 7.4) and Guadamuz >(minus 52.8). > >Although Lewites is the favorite to win Managua's mayoralty -a very >important position for any party to win the 2001 general elections- national >analysts do not discard a change of mind when voting. > >In addition, they said, Baez has consolidated the anti-Sandinista forces, >and many of those who say they will vote for Navarro (PLC) could change >their mind by Sunday and favor the PCN candidate. Some votes from the >undecided 14.8 per cent could be found as well, they added. > >M&R Company states Baez has become "the best option among non-Sandinista >voters to defeat the candidate of Sandinista voters." But to achieve this, >the pollsters assert PCN must capitalize the anti-Sandinista vote, currently >divided between Baez and Navarro. According to the poll, 86 per cent of >Managua's electors said they will exert their right to vote next Sunday, >while 14 percent asserted they would not vote at all. GM/CCS > > . > >*MOCKUS WIN AND CONSERVATIVE DEFEAT COLOR COLOMBIAN ELECTIONS > >BY LUIS ENRIQUE GONZALEZ > >BOGOTA, Oct 30 (PL) Scholar Antanas Mockus' victory for the Bogota Mayoralty >and the absolute defeat of the conservatives characterized Colombian >regional elections today where calm apparently reigned in all the national >territory. > >The University professor verified last weeks' polls by defeating former >Foreign Minister Maria Emma Mejia by more than 100 thousand votes. Mejia ran >as an independent candidate despite her acknowledged affiliation in Horacio >Serpa Liberal Party. > >Bogota's former Mayor of Lithuanian origin with degrees in mathematics and >philosophy, Mockus got 43 per cent of the valid ballots in an election >characterized by a nonparticipation level over 55 per cent. > >The scholar left the city's administration for the 1998 general elections, >in which he was running-mate of presidential candidate Noemi Sanin. > >Mejia's defeat in this city was not a big deal for liberalism, as that >ideology won in almost the majority of disputed Mayoralties and >Gubernatorial offices throughout the country. > >The Conservative ruling party maintained only two Mayors of lesser >importance, winning in Mocoa (Putumayo) and San Jose Guaviare (Guaviare) out >of 965 mayoralties in dispute in a country where 22 million 900 people over >the age of 18 vote. > >President Andres Pastrana's political organization only won governor in >Cauca Valley, out of 30 in dispute, having lost in his traditional bastions >of Antioquia and Medellin. > >The authorities rated election day successful yesterday as only two >municipalities cancelled the voting process because of alterations. Light >disturbances were reported in Riohacha, in La Guajira department (state) >because the vote count was delayed due to Army and rebel clashes in Cuaca, >northern Santander and other regions without interfering in the elections. > >The poll's definitive results will be announced in the next few hours, but >the die has rolled and only municipality council members are yet to be >known. GRS/CCS > > . > >*SEARCH FOR REBEL OFFICER IN SOUTHERN PERU YIELDS NOTHING > >LIMA, Oct 30 (PL) Just like a ghost crossing Peru's Andes, rebel Lieutenant >Colonel Ollanta Humala spent the night without been found by the troops sent >to catch him. > >Press reports from Tacna and Puno southern regions stated that the search >for traces of the officer has turned up null. > >Government forces in the area took the town of Santa Rosa and remain, >expecting the rebels' arrival on their supposed route to Puno, on the >Bolivian frontier, said a PanAmericana TV channel correspondent. > >The journalist stated that the road crossing the area is well patrolled. For >this reason, he opines, we suppose that Humala is around Toquepala, a mining >town 1,100 km South of Lima, occupied since yesterday morning by Humala and >50-100 men. > >Humala -who does not recognize President Alberto Fujimori's authority or >that of the new top military officials, regarding them as illegitimate, >announced he would continue his demand for a legal government. > >In his declaration, he announced he would leave Toquepala to begin a march >evoking the guerrilla campaign of national hero Andres Avelino Caceres, >master of guerilla war, according to experts of the theme. > >Caceres used to be called "the witch of the Andes" for his ability to >mobilize and surprise when resisting the Chilean occupation between 1789 and >1883. > >The rebels hold some hostages, including General Bardales, head of the >anti-aerial defense unit where Humala served, and press reports affirm they >have artillery equipment; hence, their firing power is a mystery. > >The government has only moved the military forces and Executive members have >made no comments. Meanwhile, Fujimori held two meetings with the new head of >the Army, General Walter Chacon, to tear down the rebellion. > >The media (in line with the Government) assured that the troops sent after >Humala and his men will take them without violence, for social and political >stability, according to an Army communiquTheta announcing the actions to put >down the insurgents. > >Various press reports affirm that the president went to Puno in the last few >hours with elite troops, but this has not been officially confirmed. > >Meanwhile, the parents and relatives of Ollanta Humala and his brother >Antauro -Retired Major also in rebellion- became promoters of the rebel's >cause, justifying and defending their positions and encouraging other young >officers to join them. > >The family and the evident deterioration of citizen support of the >government have made a strong favorable current toward the rebels. >Opposition politicians share Humala's motivations, but consider this a >dangerous action counter to the democratic process being developed. GM/CCS > >(c) 2000 Prensa Latina, NY Transfer News. Todos los derechos reservados. > >================================================================= > 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-10.31.00-20:15:30-2314 > _______________________________________________________ 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] _______________________________________________________
