RHC Weekend-24/25 February 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
RHC Weekend - News Update - 24/25 February 2001
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*FIDEL CASTRO INAUGURATES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SPORTS
*CUBAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS CLOSING CEREMONY OF 3rd HABANO CIGAR FESTIVAL
*PANAMANIAN URGES TIGHTER SECURITY FOR POSADA CARRILES GANG
*TO REALIZE MARTI'S VISION OF JUSTICE FOR ALL IS GOAL OF CUBAN SOCIALISM
*NEW INFORMATION ON BAY OF PIGS TO BE DECLASSIFIED IN HAVANA
*GUYANA'S AMBASSADOR TO CUBA CALLS FOR BROADENED BILATERAL COOPERATION
*ZAPATISTA REBELS BEGIN HISTORIC MARCH TO MEXICO CITY
*EL SALVADOR GRIPPED WITH FEAR AND DEPRESSION AFTER ONGOING EARTHQUAKES
*Viewpont: HAVANA CONTINUES TO COMPLY WITH CUBA-USA MIGRATORY ACCORDS
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*FIDEL CASTRO INAUGURATES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SPORTS
Havana, February 24 (RHC) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro inaugurated late
Friday the International School of Physical Education and Sports. Located on
the outskirts of Havana, in the San Jose de las Lajas Municipality, the
institution has enrolled 586 students from Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean -- though it's total capacity is one thousand 500 students.
The Cuban leader said that this new institution is not only one pillar of
support for the development of sports in other Third World countries, but
also has the objective of strengthening the ties of brotherhood between the
region's nations. President Castro spoke, moreover, of the necessity to
struggle against the commercialization of sports.
He said converting sports into a merchandise is just as tragic as converting
health care into a merchandise, and that today Cuba is practically alone in
the struggle against the commercialization of sports. The Cuban leader said
athletes in countries with few sports installations and trainers oftentimes
have no other alternative than to sell themselves to other nations and
embark on the path of professionalism.
Addressing other issues in a little more than one hour speech, Fidel Castro
called for a common Latin American position -- a dignified, honorable,
courageous and independent position -- opposing Washington's efforts to
condemn Cuba next April at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. He
said that for the shame of those countries that prostrate themselves before
the United States government, Cuba -- with no forcibly disappeared, no
political assassinations and no cases of torture -- is an example.
President Castro wound up the speech by reiterating that the Cuban
Revolution will survive his death because the Revolution's ideas are
embodied in the hearts and souls of the Cuban people. And, he added, those
ideas are not only the patrimony of the Cuban people, but of millions and
millions worldwide.
*CUBAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS CLOSING CEREMONY OF 3rd HABANO CIGAR FESTIVAL
Havana, February 24 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro attended an
auction of tobacco humidors, marking the closing of the 3rd International
Habano Cigar Festival.
During the ceremony, held Friday night at the world famous Tropicana
Cabaret, seven humidors made of leather, cedar and silver were auctioned.
Added to these was one humidor made of mahogany and maple, with room for 21
boxes of 25 cigars each -- donated by the Swiss company Michel Perrenoud.
The humidors contained boxes of different brands of top quality Habano
cigars, all of them autographed by the Cuban leader.
Another donation came from the English Export Company Hunter & Frankaus,
consisting of a small box of Habano cigars of the Henry Clane brand. The
auction of this particular box, which was made between 1912 and 1931, began
at 500 and ended at 20,000 dollars.
Fidel's presence at these events has become a tradition, since all
revenues-- which this year amounted to 607,500 dollars -- are earmarked for
the island's public health system. The Cuban leader thanked the 500 people
present at the ceremony and said that the money collected will pay for the
vaccination of over 50,000 Cuban children against poliomyelitis and tetanus.
Renowned Cuban musician Francisco Repilado, better known as Compay Segundo,
was selected Habano Man of the Year in the category of communications. Other
awards went to Cypriot George Fridmus in the sales category; and Gregorio
Socorro, from the Canary Islands, in the trade category. Emilia Tamayo, from
El Laguito tobacco factory, was the first woman ever to receive the Habano
Woman of the Year prize in the production category.
The 3rd International Habano Cigar Festival, which began last Monday, was
dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Cohiba cigars, as well as 5th
anniversary of the Cuaba and Vegueros brands.
*PANAMANIAN URGES TIGHTER SECURITY FOR POSADA CARRILES GANG
Panama City, February 24 (RHC)-- A former Panamanian legislator has called
for increased security for international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles.
According to Rigoberto Paredes, Posada Carriles was taken from his prison
cell to a local hospital for a medical check-up on Friday without police
escort. The former opposition lawmaker told reporters in Panama City that
not only was the prisoner simply accompanied by a doctor and a nurse, but he
was not handcuffed.
Luis Posada Carriles and three other terrorists were arrested in Panama City
last November after it was revealed that the four were planning to
assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro. The leader of the Cuban Revolution
was in Panama to attend the 10th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and
Government.
The former legislator told journalists that Posada Carriles and his
accomplices should be considered dangerous and high-risk prisoners -- noting
that none of them are currently being held in maximum security facilities.
Cuba has formally requested the extradition of Posada Carriles, who would
face multiple charges of terrorist actions against Cuba. Panamanian
authorities arrested the four and confiscated weapons and C-4 plastic
explosives, which were to have been used in the assassination attempt on the
leader of the Cuban Revolution. According to police investigations, they
were planning to blow up an auditorium on the campus of the University of
Panama, where the Cuban leader was scheduled to speak the next day.
Among other terrorist activities, Luis Posada Carriles has admitted to being
the mastermind behind the sabotage bombing of a Cubana airliner in October
1976. The plane was blown up in mid-air over Barbados.
*TO REALIZE MARTI'S VISION OF JUSTICE FOR ALL IS GOAL OF CUBAN SOCIALISM
Havana, February 24 (RHC)-- Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón
affirmed that improving Cuba's socialist system realizes Jose Marti's dream
of justice for all.
Alarcón participated in a roundtable discussion aired live on Cuban radio
and television Friday, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Cuban
Socialist Constitution. The constitution became the law of the land on
February 24th, 1976.
Participants in the roundtable discussion pointed to two important aspects
that characterize the Cuban electoral system. First, those elected must give
a periodic accounting of the work they have done for those who elected them.
Secondly, another important element that makes the Cuban democratic system
unique is that constituents can recall any one elected, at any level, if
they feel that their representative has not adequately carried out their
job.
Panelists on Friday night's roundtable added that Cuban legislators do not
get paid for their legislative activity, since they are not professional
politicians. Instead, they all maintain their regular jobs like any other
Cuban citizen. It was pointed out that unlike any other legislative body in
the world, the Cuban parliament is much more committed and has much more
responsibility to the people that elected it.
Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón, for his part, explained that
democracy in Cuba would have never been achieved without the revolutionary
victory in 1959. He stressed that without the support of the people, the
country's firm resistance against Washington's continued attempts to destroy
the Cuban Revolution would have been simply unthinkable.
At the end of the roundtable, Alarcón charged that despite countless
achievements during more than 40 years of socialism, much remains to be done
to improve Cuba's democracy -- which was Jose Marti's dream of complete
justice for all.
*NEW INFORMATION ON BAY OF PIGS TO BE DECLASSIFIED IN HAVANA
Havana, February 24 (RHC)-- Cuban authorities announced the
declassification in March of new information on the Bay of Pigs, known in
Cuba as Playa Girón.
The declassification of documents on the U.S.-led mercenary invasion in 1961
will coincide with an international conference entitled "Girón, 40 Years
Later," set for March 20th through the 25th here in Havana.
Cuban Council of State official José Ramón Fernandez told journalists in
Havana that the aim of the conference is to clarify all aspects of the Bay
of Pigs invasion, including the events leading up to the invasion, as well
as its effect on the U.S.-Cuba relations. Fernandez, a pilot at the time,
was instrumental in the Cuban victory against the mercenary troops.
The conference in the Cuban capital will be the first time that actual
participants on both sides will meet together to discuss the issue.
*GUYANA'S AMBASSADOR TO CUBA CALLS FOR BROADENED BILATERAL COOPERATION
Havana, February 24 (RHC)-- Guyana's Ambassador to Cuba, Timothy Crichlow,
called for broadened bilateral trade cooperation between the two countries.
During a ceremony on Friday to commemorate the 31st anniversary of Guyana's
Independence, Crichlow praised Cuba's cooperation in different fields such
as health and education.
He pointed to the young Guyanese students at the Latin American School of
Medicine, as well as the recently inaugurated International Physical
Education and Sports School.
*ZAPATISTA REBELS BEGIN HISTORIC MARCH TO MEXICO CITY
Chiapas, February 24 (RHC) -- Thousands of Zapatista rebels in Chiapas
today began converging on the 4 towns and the city through which the rebel
leadership will pass before beginning their march to the capital, Mexico
City. Rebel commander Marcos and 23 Zapatista leaders left the town La
Realidad, in the heart of the Lacandona Jungle, in vehicles donated by
non-governmental organizations.
They will pass through the towns Moises Gandhi, La Garrucha and Oventic
while on their way to the city San Cristobal de las Casas for the final
political activity before taking off on an approximately 15 day journey
through 12 Mexican states to drum up support for their cause. Thousands of
civilian Zapatista supporters, both Mexicans and foreigners -- along with
journalists -- were converging on San Cristobal.
The Zapatistas are expected to arrive in Mexico City on March 11th, to meet
the next day with Mexico's congressional Chiapas Peace Commission to discuss
approval of a law on indigenous rights and culture -- one of the indigenous
rebels' 3 demands for the resumption of the peace process. The beginning of
the march coincided with the announcement by Chiapas judicial authorities
that another 20 Zapatista prisoners will be released, bringing to 58 the
number of rebels excarcerated since President Vicente Fox assumed office in
December.
The Zapatistas are demanding the release of a little more than a hundred
rebel prisoners, another of their 3 demands. In related news, intellectuals,
artists, journalists and non-governmental organizations from around the
world have called on Mexican President Vicente Fox to comply with the
demands of the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas.
In an open letter published in the prominent Mexican news daily La Jornada,
the group -- headed by Portuguese Nobel Literature laureate Jose Saramago,
U.S. university professor, mainstream media critic and activist Noam
Chomsky, and U.S. film director Oliver Stone -- stated that the Zapatista
march to the capital constitutes a poignant demonstration in favor of peace,
and that the indigenous rebels decided to carry out this demonstration
despite the risks to their security.
The open letter said the Zapatistas have wagered on the opening of new
channels of dialogue with national and international civic society. The
letter was signed by organizations like Argentina's Mothers of Mayo Plaza,
Spain's Peace and Solidarity Foundation and the U.S.'s Humanitarian Law
Project.
*EL SALVADOR GRIPPED WITH FEAR AND DEPRESSION AFTER ONGOING EARTHQUAKES
San Salvador, February 24 (RHC) -- An on-going series of earthquakes in El
Salvador have left the population gripped with fear and depression. Five
tremors Saturday within a period of six minutes sparked panic in the streets
of numerous cities and towns. A total of either earthquakes shook El
Salvador between Friday and Saturday, with two of them registering 4.2 on
the Richter Scale.
Last Saturday there were a total of 18 earthquakes in over a span of seven
hours. Five tremors today resulted in more cave-ins, though thus far there
have been no reports of death or injury. Salvadoran sociologists say the
most affected psychologically are small children, who are unable to express
their fear and hear constant apocalyptic statements from adults.
Meanwhile, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores and the World Food Program
have issued an urgent call to the international community, warning that food
reserves for the hundreds of thousands of homeless Salvadorans are running
out.
*Viewpont: HAVANA CONTINUES TO COMPLY WITH CUBA-USA MIGRATORY ACCORDS
>From the very moment that Havana and Washington signed migratory accords in
1994 and 1995, the Cuban Revolutionary Government has complied with the
spirit and the letter of the agreements. At the same time, Washington has
only complied with part of its obligations under the accords.
The U.S. Coast Guard now returns many -- but not all -- of the illegal
immigrants who are intercepted at sea. However, many are now able to reach
the shores of Florida in speedboats -- and the trafficking of human beings
has become a major concern for Cuban authorities, even if it isn't a
concern for those in Washington. The trafficking of illegal immigrants from
Cuba has become a big business for the Miami mafia.
The Cuban Adjustment Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1966 -- 35 years
ago -- is still on the books and serves to only entice Cubans to illegally
immigrate to the United States. The legislation allows those who reach U.S.
shores to immediately receive work permits and obtain residency in only one
year -- when it takes immigrants from any other country at least five.
This law has turned illegal immigration into a game, to see who can touch
dry land without getting caught on the high seas. The problem is that many
lose the game; no one knows exactly how many perish in the attempt -- in
overcrowded or flimsy boats.
With the election -- or rather the "selection" -- of U.S. President George
W. Bush, the Miami mafia is promoting a campaign to completely do away with
the migratory accords between Havana and Washington. While the United States
falls short of full compliance, the solution is not to scrap the
agreements--
but rather to enforce them.
Fortunately, the Bush administration has just announced that it will
continue to respect the accords between our two countries. But Cuba will
continue to insist that the only real way to abide by the migration
agreements is to repeal the infamous Cuban Adjustment Act -- which only
serves to torpedo the existing accords between Havana and Washington.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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