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Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 11:18:51 -0500
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Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-11 December 2001
Radio Havana Cuba-11 December 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 11 December 2001
.
*FIDEL CASTRO ARRIVES IN VENEZUELA FOR CARIBBEAN STATES SUMMIT
*CUBA JOINS UNITED NATIONS AGENCY ON BUDGET CONTROL
*MEXICAN SENATE CALLS FOR END OF U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA
*INCREASED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN WITH DIABETES
*JARDINES DEL REY GEARS UP FOR ITS FIFTH CONVENTION
*NIGERIA DEFIANTLY IMPORTS CHEAP COPIES OF PATENTED AIDS DRUGS
*AFGHAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS ONLY 1,000 PEACEKEEPERS WILL BE ALLOWED
*UN OFFICIALS SAY PROMISED MONEY FOR AFGHAN RELIEF SLOW IN COMING
*US CONGRESS POISED TO DELIVER SHARP BLOW TO UN, INTERNATIONAL COURT
*PENTAGON ADMITS TO "GULF WAR SYNDROME" FOR THE FIRST TIME
Viewpoint:
*HUGO CHAVEZ STANDS FAST TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE FROM CORPORATE GREED
.
*FIDEL CASTRO ARRIVES IN VENEZUELA FOR CARIBBEAN STATES SUMMIT
Margarita Island, December 11 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro
arrived late Monday evening in Venezuela to participate in the 3rd
Summit of the Association of Caribbean States. The Cuban leader is
one of the 18 dignitaries to attend the summit, held Tuesday and
Wednesday on Venezuela's Margarita Island.
During an informal discussion with reporters shortly after his
arrival, the leader of the Cuban Revolution said Venezuela is living
through historic moments -- in reference to President Hugo Chavez's
adoption of progressive laws and measures, while coming up against
opposition from right-wing forces. He said Chavez's Bolivarian
movement is on the battle field, defending a noble cause.
On Tuesday, Fidel Castro accompanied Chavez in the proclamation of a
fishing and aquatic development law, one of a package of nearly 50
social and economic measures that have been approved by the
Venezuelan Parliament. The measure reportedly benefits small
fishermen, which Chavez called one of the weaker sectors in society
that has never had a government to defend it.
For his part, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told reporters that
the lockout staged Monday by what he called "the plundering
oligarchy," proves that his revolution is on the right path.
The Association of Caribbean States has 25 full members and three
associated members.
*CUBA JOINS UNITED NATIONS AGENCY ON BUDGET CONTROL
Havana, December 11 (RHC)-- Cuba has been designated by the United
Nations General Assembly to form part of a Geneva-based agency that
examines the world body's budget.
Created in 1976, the work group is responsible for guaranteeing that
financial resources of the United Nations are used appropriately.
The UN budget inspection agency is composed of 11 monitors,
representing different geographic regions. Members have the power to
examine financial matters and make observations and recommendations
on how the United Nations may improve the efficiency of its
operations.
*MEXICAN SENATE CALLS FOR END OF U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA
Mexico City, December 11 (RHC)-- The Mexican Senate has requested
that the Mexican government, as a member-nation of the United Nations
Security Council, insist on an end to Washington's blockade against
Cuba.
The Mexican Senate has also suggested that the country's Foreign
Relations Secretariat instruct Mexican diplomats in Washington and
the UN to contribute to efforts to end the U.S. economic war against
Cuba.
According to reports from Mexico City, it is believed that the
country should work for the lifting of all extraterritorial
legislation -- such as the Helms-Burton and Torricelli Laws -- aimed
at punishing foreign companies doing business with Cuba.
The Mexican Senate unanimously approved a resolution introduced by
legislators from the ruling National Action Party -- known by its
Spanish acronym PAN -- on the U.S. economic, financial and trade
blockade against Cuba.
The PAN initiative, which had the support of the eight political
parties represented in the Mexican Congress, calls on Washington to
comply with ten consecutive resolutions of the United Nations General
Assembly. The international community has overwhelmingly supported
the annual resolutions, sponsored by Cuba, urging an end to the U.S.
blockade against the island.
*INCREASED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN WITH DIABETES
Havana, December 11 (RHC)-- The National Health Program for diabetic
pregnant women has been gradually implemented on the island. Its main
objective is to guarantee that pregnant women suffering from diabetes
have a normal pregnancy.
Currently, the health system provides pregnant women with a care
program applied island-wide, which has been created by the Central
Service of Diabetes and Pregnancy and the Mother-Infancy Care Group.
The national program includes referring diabetic women and their
children to systematic examinations.
Professor Antonio M. Marquez, head of the new program, told reporters
that when a woman suffers from diabetes for many months before and
during pregnancy, she could have severe complications, including the
risk that her children have congenital malformations.
According to data from the National Registry, there are 43,087 women
suffering from diabetes in the country between 15 and 35 years of
age. The women are being treated with insulin, pills or a change in
diet.
The Latin American Association of Diabetes, which was founded in 1970
and gathers professionals from all over the continent, recently
elected Professor Marquez as vice-president of the prestigious
organization.
Marquez acknowledged that his election was not the result of personal
achievements, but the achievements of the Cuban health system. He
added that even during the most difficult times of the economic
crisis, Cuba has maintained constant care and concern for children
and adolescents suffering from the illness of diabetes.
*JARDINES DEL REY GEARS UP FOR ITS FIFTH CONVENTION
Ciego de Avila, December 11 (RHC)-- With the aim of demonstrating
Cuba's excellent tourist product, Jardines del Rey -- Cuba's third
largest tour destination -- is gearing up for its fifth convention,
set for December 14th through the 16th.
This year's convention will be devoted to Canada, a major promoter of
tourists to hotels and other tourist facilities in central Ciego de
Avila province.
The El Sanador Hotel complex, inaugurated by Cuban President Fidel
Castro earlier this year, will be the site of the convention.
Participants will also tour other resorts, including two located on
Cuba's northern coast: Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo.
Connected to the mainland by a 17-kilometer road and located 105
kilometers away from the provincial capital, Jardines del Rey shows
the highest growth levels in Cuba. Its natural values, combined with
its safe and secure environment, make Jardines del Rey a unique
tourism destination in the Caribbean.
*NIGERIA DEFIANTLY IMPORTS CHEAP COPIES OF PATENTED AIDS DRUGS
Lagos, December 11 (RHC)-- Nigeria has defied pressure from
pharmaceutical transnationals by becoming the first African country
to import cheap copies of patented AIDS drugs. The British news daily
"The Guardian" reported in its Tuesday edition that the
groundbreaking decision will infuriate big drug firms, and that the
move is being closely watched by other states on the African
continent worst hit by the disease.
Nigerian authorities have announced that the government will shortly
begin distributing tons of drugs produced by CIPLA, a company in
India, at a fraction of the price charged by the major drug firms.
The imports will cut the cost of AIDS drugs by more than 16-fold,
from 4,000 British pounds to 225 a year for Nigerians who benefit
from the program at hospitals in several cities.
Over the coming months, distribution will be expanded to 10,000
people at 100 clinics across the country as part of a trial program
that the government hopes will ultimately reach most of Nigeria's
three and a half million citizens infected with HIV. Nigeria's
announcement coincides with an international conference on AIDS in
West Africa, where several governments have demanded access to
affordable anti-HIV drugs.
The president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, opened the meeting
Sunday in his country's capital, stating that the world is turning a
blind eye to AIDS -- describing the epidemic as a major crisis
retarding development in African countries. He said access to
medicines is the domain of the North, while the sick and ailing are
left to the South.
Nigeria's move follows the court victory by South Africa earlier this
year over a coalition of pharmaceutical firms that established the
right of governments to seek cheaper drugs to deal with health
emergencies such as AIDS. Since then, the multinational drug
producers have sought to bind African states into long-term
agreements, to use their products with offers of reduced prices and
the prospect of international subsidies. While Botswana -- with the
highest HIV infection in the world -- has accepted the deal, this
African nation is still paying almost two times more than Nigeria.
*AFGHAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS ONLY 1,000 PEACEKEEPERS WILL BE ALLOWED
Kabul, December 11 (RHC)-- Afghan Defense Minister Qasim Fahim has
asserted that an international peace-keeping force in his country
must not exceed 1000 men, who will have a very limited role. The
announcement coincides with the arrival in Kabul of United Nations
special envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, in another effort to
ease Afghan ethnic tensions and pave the way for a smooth transition
of power on December 22nd.
During talks last week in Bonn to form an interim transition
government, a pledge was made to demilitarize Kabul before the
deployment of UN peacekeepers, but the Northern Alliance has insisted
that it would not withdraw all its troops from the city. The issue of
peacekeeping troops is also part of a larger problem of serious
divisions over the allocation of power, leading alliance warlord
Rashid Dostum to decline offering support for the new government and
to announce his intention to not allow the interim administration
into the large areas of northern territory he controls.
Meanwhile, the last Al Qaida fighters holed up in the eastern Tora
Bora mountain range have reportedly agreed to surrender, though there
is no sign of Osama Bin Laden. Afghan opposition commanders said they
have no information on Bin Laden's possible whereabouts and refused
to comment on the fate of the mostly-foreign Al Qaida fighters
scheduled to turn over their weapons on Wednesday.
*UN OFFICIALS SAY PROMISED MONEY FOR AFGHAN RELIEF SLOW IN COMING
Geneva, December 11 (RHC)-- As crowds daily scuffle for food in
Afghanistan, the United Nations announced Tuesday that it has only
received half the money promised by the international community to
help rebuild the nation. In Geneva, the World Food Program stressed
that 300 million dollars are still lacking. The UN agency said that
in Kabul, alone, it's estimated that two-thirds of the city's
populace does not have enough to eat.
UN relief officials are describing Afghanistan as the worst
humanitarian situation in world. The Washington Post reported Monday
that there is also no money for the installation of the new interim
government. In a capital city destroyed by years of warfare and the
anti-bureaucratic Taliban, there are no desks, no chairs or
computers, no telephones, files or fax machines and in most cases, no
electricity.
The international community has been trying to scrape together 10
million dollars to get the new government up and running, but this is
the tiniest fraction of the billions it will take to establish
Afghanistan as a functioning country -- an effort the newspaper
affirmed will have to be a years-long undertaking that will require
far more than a few phone calls and a gathering of loose change.
The Washington Post recalled that the track record for such massive,
long-term international efforts is not promising, pointing to slow
reconstruction in Kosovo, the total abandon of Somalia and other
similar situations in countries like Cambodia and East Timor.
*US CONGRESS POISED TO DELIVER SHARP BLOW TO UN, INTERNATIONAL COURT
Washington, December 11 (RHC)-- The U.S. Congress is poised this
week to deliver a sharp blow to the United Nations and its plans to
set up an international court to try war criminals. The American
Service Members' Protection Act forbids any U.S. cooperation with the
court, including the provision of intelligence information needed to
prosecute war criminals.
It also authorizes the use of military force to gain the release of
any U.S. or allied personnel detained or imprisoned by the court,
leading some of its critics to call it "The Hague Invasion Act,"
named after the city where the court is to be based. Ultra right-wing
Senator Jesse Helms last week successfully attached the measure to
the Senate version of a defense bill.
If signed into law, it would unilaterally exempt U.S. armed forces
from prosecution by the International Criminal Court and ban military
aid for countries that ratify its creation. An initiative backed by a
coalition of human rights groups, underdeveloped countries and some
of Washington's closest European allies, the court is likely to open
next year after 60 countries ratify an underlying treaty, the 1998
Rome Statute.
Forty-seven countries, including most of the European Union, had
already ratified it as of the end of last month. Human rights groups
see opposition to the court as simply the latest manifestation of a
fierce determination to put U.S. interests before those of the
international community, pointing also to Washington's rejection of a
number of multilateral arms-control agreements and the Kyoto Protocol
to fight global warming.
*PENTAGON ADMITS TO "GULF WAR SYNDROME" FOR THE FIRST TIME
Washington, December 11 (RHC)-- The U.S. Defense Department has for
the first time admitted that numerous American veterans of the 1991
war against Iraq are suffering the effects of what is known as the
"Gulf War syndrome." Following years of controversy, the Pentagon has
endorsed a new study demonstrating that the veterans of that war are
two times more likely to be affected by a fatal nerve disease than
other soldiers, also announcing for the first time that the affected
soldiers will receive government financial support.
Family members of soldiers believed to have died as a result of the
Gulf War syndrome may also request aid. For years, veterans associations
have been affirming that tens of thousands of former combatants
suffer from inexplicable illnesses believed to be related to
chemicals used to build certain weapons or to vaccinations. Tom
Donnelly, the father of a former soldier affected by the syndrome,
stated that the government has done what it should have done 10 years
ago: take this matter seriously.
The new study of nearly two and a half million members of the armed
forces constitutes one of the largest epidemiological studies in
history. It compared nearly 700,000 military personnel who
participated in the Gulf War to 1.8 million who did not.
Viewpoint:
*HUGO CHAVEZ STANDS FAST TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE FROM CORPORATE GREED
The recent events in Venezuela which led to a right wing lock out
of workers on Monday in a bid to destabilize the popular
administration of Hugo Chavez, have been portrayed by the Western
media as a worker's revolt -- calling it a general strike and a
massive rejection of Chavez' policies.
A closer look at some of the people involved in Monday's so-called
strike, however, gives a very different picture.
The president of the powerful Venezuelan Labor Confederation happens
to be Carlos Ortega, a member of the Social Democratic Action Party
which Hugo Chavez attempted to topple in 1989 because of its huge web
of corruption and incompetence. Ortega, in alliance with the business
community of Venezuela, stage-managed the entire affair this week in
which money was even provided to distribute compact discs with
pot-banging noise to give the impression that entire neighborhoods
were out protesting in the streets.
The business elite of Venezuela is incensed at the social changes
that have been made in Venezuela and that the President is firmly
determined to carry through in spite of threats to his life. The
organizers of Monday's charade were reported to have threatened
workers with firing if they showed up for work, thus giving the
impression of a massive general strike in lieu of what was
effectively a lock-out.
The Venezuelan president commented that if the business community
seeks to pressure him to repeal the socio-economic measures he has
adopted, then all the more reason to adopt them. He added that the
same business leaders never complained about the corrupt politicians
that support them.
In spite of these attempts to create social unrest that are similar
to the techniques used in Chile to bring down Salvador Allende; in
spite of massive corporate-sponsored media resistance; in spite of
pressure from Washington to pull Caracas back in line as a client
subservient state to its free market policies; in spite of clear
dangers to his life for which Cuban President Fidel Castro himself
has shown concern, Hugo Chavez still finds the time to attend the
Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, currently underway on
Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela.
The arrival Monday of Fidel Castro on the island is as much a show of
support and solidarity for his friend Hugo Chavez as it is an act of
important integration into regional organizing under the ACS. The
Venezuelan president is a man who has shown that he has the integrity
to protect the interests of the real people of his nation and that he
has the willpower to stand up to the phenomenal power of money --
from both local and also Washington circles.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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