from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
subject: Radio Havana Feb 3. Unequal Wealth distribution
RHC Weekend-03 February 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend News Update - 03 February 2001
.
*FIDEL CASTRO CLOSES 3rd INTL MEETING ON GLOBALIZATION AND
DEVELOPMENT
*25,000 CUBANS DEMONSTRATE IN CIEGO DE AVILA
*INTL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VICE PRESIDENT HAS WORDS OF PRAISE FOR CUBAN
SPORTS
*10th HAVANA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR OPENS
*MEXICO SET TO EXTRADICT ARGENTINE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSER
*STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED BY ECUADOREAN PRESIDENT
*BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES DISTRIBUTE 22 MILLION CONDOMS IN BATTLE
AGAINST AIDS
*VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS CIVILIAN AS NEW DEFENSE MINISTER
Viewpoint:
*THE PLANET'S UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IS INCREASINGLY
DANGEROUS
.
*FIDEL CASTRO CLOSES 3rd INTL MEETING ON GLOBALIZATION AND
DEVELOPMENT
Havana, February 3rd(RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro denounced
Friday at the closing of the Third International Meeting of
Economists on Globalization and Development, that Washington is
maneuvering to prevent the extradition of terrorist Luis Posada
Carriles to Cuba.
At the event, which has been held at the Convention Center in Havana
for the last four days, the Cuban leader also expressed his
satisfaction for the dignified response of the Panamanian authorities
to such maneuvers.
The meeting was attended by experts from 45 countries and
several international institutions.
President Fidel Catro also condemned Washington's aggressive policy
towards Cuba by means of legislation such as the Cuban Adjustment
Act, which encourages Cubans to illegally migrate to the United
States. In relation to the negative aspects of globalization, the
Cuban leader said that the implementation of unrestricted free-market
policies and the maintenance of the current world economic order
directly threaten the lives of the world's present and future
generations.
FIDEL CASTRO: "I was telling my friends here that the world order is
based on an anarchical and chaotic production system. Today, it has
resulted in an imperial, hegemonic domination. Large reserves of the
world's resources have been wasted, which has brought considerable
damage to the environment. This imperial domination has also created
an unbearable and absurd consumer model, which is no more than a far-
fetched dream of most of the world's present inhabitants.
"In the last century, a considerable part of the hydro-carburant
reserves has been thrown to the air and sea. It took nature hundreds
of years to create such reserves. This generation of income at
whatever expense without any ethical, moral principles or concern for
the consequences, has already left a desolate imprint for present and
future generations. A worn-out, old world order can not save
humankind, nor can it set up the indispensable natural conditions for
safe, healthy and dignified life in the planet. The right to equal
opportunities and true justice for all human beings of all
nations, ethnicities, cultures and religions cannot be postponed any
longer.
"This is not about ideologies. I'm talking about a matter of life or
death for humankind. It is obvious that those in power who enjoy all
the privileges are not going to lift a finger to help. On the
contrary, the unrestricted free-market globalization they have
imposed on the world has become unbearable. The first symptoms of a
world crisis are already showing with economies transformed into ones
of speculation, which now includes nearly all financial transactions
taking place every day in our world."
*25,000 CUBANS DEMONSTRATE IN CIEGO DE AVILA
Havana, February 3rd (RHC)--More than twenty-five thousand Cubans
gathered in an open tribune Saturday at the municipality of Majagua,
in the eastern province of Ciego de Avila, to demand the end of the
Cuban Adjustment Act and the U.S. blockade and economic war against
the island. Demonstrators also demanded the extradition of Cuban-born
terrorist Luis Posada Carriles to Cuba, after his attempted murder of
President Fidel Castro at the last Iberoamerican Summit held in
Panama.
Cuban vice president Raul Castro was present having previously
visited a recently inaugurated local TV station. The inauguration of
this TV station in Ciego de Avila marks the completion of the local
TV network throughout the country.
*INTL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VICE PRESIDENT HAS WORDS OF PRAISE FOR CUBAN
SPORTS
Havana, February 3rd (RHC)--One of the candidates to the presidency
of the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, Belgian Yacs Roy,
expressed his admiration for Cuban sports in an interview published
last Friday by the Cuban news daily Granma.
Roy, who is the IOC's current vice president, said that Cuban sports
have a very positive influence on society and that combining high-
yielding sports talent with the enthusiastic participation of the
population was an excellent idea. Roy added that he would like to
visit Cuba some time soon and added that the two Cuban sports figures
he admires the most are World champions Felix Savon and Alberto
Juantorena.
*10th HAVANA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR OPENS
Havana, February 3rd (RHC)--The 10th Havana International Book Fair
opens to the public today, Saturday 3rd February and runs through to
the 10th of this month. The Book Fair is primarily located at La
Cabana, the 18th century fortress which overlooks Havana Bay.
Yesterday the press had a preview of some of the activities that will
take place over the next few days. This year the Fair will have a
Spanish theme with the main Pavilion given over to books written and
published in Spain. Cuban publications have increased enormously
since the 90s and books are on sale for as little as 2 Cuban pesos
with the really expensive ones priced as low as 20 pesos,
equivalent to one dollar.
There is also a special Children's section, which offers readings,
workshops and theatre performances. Yesterday the finishing touches
were being put to the children's theatre and book presentation area.
Lots of flags, balloons and brightly painted figures add fun and
gaiety to the serious job of book browsing and book buying.
Two important books are being presented today, one about
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez titled, Hugo Chavez A New Latin
American Project, by Mexican writer Heinz Dieterich, published in
Mexico by Nuevo Milenio and National Identity and Globalization by
the same author published by the Cuban publishing house Abril.
There are all sorts of cultural and educational events running
parallel to the main event. Ballet, concerts, colloquia, poetry and
song events will entertain the visitors to the Fair.
*MEXICO TO EXTRADICT ARGINTINE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSER
Havana, February 3rd(RHC)--Human Rights organizations are terming
as "historic" Mexico's decision to extradict to Spain former
Argentinian torturer, Ricardo Miguel Cavallo. The defense now has two
weeks in which to file an appeal from the decision.
Cavallo is charged with genocide, terrorism and torture. Last month,
Mexican Judge Jose Guadalupe Luna ruled on the extradiction, but only
for genocide and terrorism. Ricardo Miguel Cavallo who headed the
notorious "Armed Mechanics School" under Argentina's last
dictatorship from l976 to l983, was known as "Serpico" and "Marcelo."
He was picked up last August in Mexico where he remains incarcerated.
*STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED BY ECUADOREAN PRESIDENT
Havana, February 3rd(RHC)--The president of Ecuacdor, Gustavo Noboa,
has decreed a state of emergency thoughout the nation. The move came
early Saturday after talks between the government and idigenous
protesters broke off.
The decree will allow for a mobilization of national armed forces and
the suspension of various consitutional guarantees such as the right
to privacy in the home, the right to free association and public
meeting . The president of the powerful Confederation of Indigenous
Nationalities, Antonio Vargas, announced the breaking off of
negotiations with the government after President Noboa refused to
take part personally in the talks.
Since Monday, when the uprsing began, indigenous groups have
disupted traffic on varous mountain highways. Thousands of protestors
are surrounded by police inside the Selesiana University of Quito
where they have improvised cooking facilities and have organized
sports activities. Vargas told the press that he was concerned that
the government may attempt to forcibly remove them and he warned that
such an act would set off a chain reaction that could bring down the
government.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister, Juan Manrique , claimed that the
government is not planning any such action in the vicinity of the
university where women and children are also surrounded by police .
Some 50 idigenous protestors began a hunger strike after the state
of emergency was declared. The leader of a christain idigenous group,
Marco Morillo, announced that the strike began at dawn this morning
and that he expected another 50 people would join the action.
*BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES DISTRIBUTE 22 MILLION CONDOMS IN BATTLE
AGAINST AIDS
Havana, February 3rd(RHC)-Brazilian authorities have ordered
the distribution of 22 million condoms one week before Carnival.
Of the 1.3 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in Latin America,
Brazil accounts for almost a half, according to the nation's Ministry
of Health. The mass distribution of condoms is designed to further
raise public awareness during a festive season where many people
drink heavily and have unprotected sex with strangers from all over
the world.
The number of preservatives to be distributed this year fully doubles
the number made available at last year's Carnival.
The president of the Brazil's National Conference of Bishops,
Jayme Chemello, objected to the move saying that to promote the use
of condoms was immoral, fomented free sex and in any case was not a
guarantee against HIV infection. In response, Peter Piot, the head of
the United Nations AIDS program, said that health authorities across
the globe need to stimulate the use of condoms - especially in the
male homosexual community - regardless of religious protests.
*VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS CIVILIAN AS NEW DEFENSE MINISTER
Havana, February 3rd (RHC)--In a bold move, Venezulean president Hugo
Chavez has appointed the country's first civilian as defense
minister. Seventy year-old Foreign Minister Jose Vincent Rangel, will
take over the post from current defense minister, General Isamel
Hurtado.
Meanwhile, Hurtado has been designated Minister of Infrastructure.
President Chavez said that his appointment of a civilian as defense
minister represents an important change which is part of a process
bringing together the military and civilians. Chavez announced the
changes on Friday in Caracas during a military parade.
Chavez himself is a retired lieutenant-colonel who led a failed coup
attempt against the government nine years ago and who won the
presidency by a landslide vote in l998.
.
Viewpoint:
*THE PLANET'S UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IS INCREASINGLY
DANGEROUS
The Cuban daily Granma recently published an article with staggering
data regarding the colossal wealth accumulated by the main magnates
of world capitalism.
Radio Havana Cuba has talked about and thoroughly analyzed the
depressing statistics about the situation faced by 80 percent of the
planet's population - not only in the Third World but also in the
marginal sectors of the rich First World nations.
However, we rarely refer in particular to any of those individuals
who swim in a sea of money ignoring the sufferings of the majority of
the human race. For example, according to Forbes magazine, the owner
of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is the richest man in the world with a
personal fortune of $60 billion. The owner of the company Oracle,
Lawrence Ellison, has accumulated $47 billion and Warren Buffet, a
stock market speculator, has pocketed $28 billion. There are several
others - the majority of them from the United States - but they are
few and far between in relation to the inhabitants of the planet.
There is an obvious need to create a consciousness about the unequal
system of distribution of the wealth which currently rules the world.
The situation has become unmanageable, unconscionable and very
dangerous.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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rhc-eng-14305 2001-Feb-03 22:39:06 " JC
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