CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA August 21, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Thursday, August 21, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA TO TAKE DENUNCIATION OF U.S. BIOLOGICAL WARFARE TO GENEVA 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONDS TO U.S. REPORTS OF RELAXED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS DURING POPE'S VISIT TO CUBA 3.- GRANMA EDITORIAL BLASTS COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA'S DEMOCRATIC PROCESS 4.- THIRD IBEROAMERICAN CONGRESS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TO TAKE PLACE IN HAVANA IN SEPTEMBER 5.- AGING OF THE CUBAN POPULATION RAISES SOME CONCERN 6.- COSTA RICAN SMALL FARMERS' DELEGATION MEETS WITH CUBAN COUNTERPARTS 7.- CUBAN FILM INDUSTRY INCREASES PRODUCTION THIS YEAR 8.- AND IN SPORTS... CUBA TO TAKE DENUNCIATION OF U.S. BIOLOGICAL WARFARE TO GENEVA Havana, August 21(RHC)-- Cuba will present charges of biological warfare against the United States at an official gathering of the United Nations Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons in Geneva next week. The charges refer to last October's spraying of a liquid substance over central Cuba by an aircraft registered to the U.S. State Department. Shortly after the incursion by the U.S. aircraft, the voracious Thrips Palmi insect appeared on the island, destroying numerous agricultural crops. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Maria de los Angeles Florez will be heading the Cuban delegation and announced today that they will leave for Geneva this evening. The Cuban deputy foreign minister stated that her delegation has abundant evidence that a biological attack did in fact occur and that Cuba will ask the 150 signatory nations of the U.N. Convention to carry out a thorough and wide-ranging investigation of the charges. Among the evidence to be presented by Cuba on Monday, the 25th, is the testimony by the crew of a Cuban civilian airliner that witnessed the release of a liquid substance over Cuban territory by the U.S. aircraft. One member of the crew has years of experience as a crop duster. This will be the first time that a signatory nation of the U.N. Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons will use the mechanisms of this body to denounce an act of biological aggression. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONDS TO U.S. REPORTS OF RELAXED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS DURING POPE'S VISIT TO CUBA Havana, August 21(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marianela Ferriol spoke with reporters in the Cuban capital today and addressed the issue of recent news reports from the U.S. saying that Washington will allow Cuban-Americans and U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba during Pope John Paul II's visit to the Island in January. Ferriol said that any decision on the matter would have to be jointly analyzed by all sides involved in the preparations of the Pope's visit. She stressed that what is now in force is the decades' old U.S. government prohibition on its citizens travelling to Cuba and a more recent ban by U.S. President Bill Clinton on family trips to Cuba by Cuban-Americans. In response to another question, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marianela Ferriol said that Cuba could not seriously take into consideration attempts to accuse the Island in a Florida court with respect to the downing of two U.S. pirate planes inside Cuba's territorial airspace in 1996. Ferriol stressed that it was the U.S. that was responsible for that regrettable incident, in which four people died. The Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesperson also categorically denied allegations that there could have been a secret deal between the Cuban government and outgoing Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada with respect to the recovery of Ernesto Che Guevara's remains before the coming to power in Bolivia of Hugo Banzer. She discarded such reports as totally false, noting that "Che was too important for Cuba to have entered into any kind of obscure deal regarding the repatriation of his remains." GRANMA EDITORIAL BLASTS COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA'S DEMOCRATIC PROCESS Havana, August 21(RHC)-- In today's edition of the Cuban daily Granma, the lead editorial takes aim at a counterrevolutionary campaign, led by the United States and waged against the country's democratic process. The editorial says that those who want to see an end to the Cuban Revolution are carrying out a campaign of lies and propaganda against the recent discussion by Cuban citizens of the Fifth Communist Party Congress document. The document -- entitled "The Party of Unity, the Democracy and the Human Rights Which Defend" -- has now been discussed by more than six million Cubans in over 230,000 meetings across the island. Members of the Communist Party as well as non-Party members, workers and trade union members, students and farmers have all participated in the discussions -- making more than 20,000 suggestions, changes or constructive criticisms of the document and preparations leading up to the Party Congress in October. The Cuban newspaper reminds its readers that it is the United States which has stated quite clearly that it wants to see another form of "democracy" imposed on Cuba -- one that has the approval of Washington and which necessarily brings with it a capitalist economic system. Today's editorial in Granma rejects the counterrevolutionary attacks and Washington's plan -- "a transition to so-called democracy" -- and affirms that capitalism will never be restored in Cuba. THIRD IBEROAMERICAN CONGRESS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TO TAKE PLACE IN HAVANA IN SEPTEMBER Havana, August 21(RHC)-- The Third Iberoamerican Congress of Mechanical Engineering is scheduled to take place in the Cuban capital from September 23rd through the 26th. Participants at the meeting will discuss mechanical designs and engineering, as well as energy conservation and environmental protection. Hundreds of experts and specialists in the area of mechanical engineering will be present at the upcoming Third Iberoamerican Congress, representing Europe and Latin America. AGING OF THE CUBAN POPULATION RAISES SOME CONCERN Havana, August 21(RHC)-- With a population of 11 million people, Cuba is currently facing its main demographic problem: aging. Recent statistics show that one million 400 thousand people are more than 60 years old -- accounting for 13 percent of the island's population. Experts agree that the development of this phenomenon has intensified over the past few years. Estimates from the Cuban Health Ministry put life expectancy at 74.7 years. Experts point out that the phenomenon has profound effects on society. In 1997 alone, Cuban authorities will earmark more than one billion 700 million dollars for programs to assist the elderly. Cuban experts believe that the increase in life expectancy and aging of the population is the result of the profound social and economic reforms since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. COSTA RICAN SMALL FARMERS' DELEGATION MEETS WITH CUBAN COUNTERPARTS Havana, August 21(RHC)-- A Costa Rican small farmers' delegation is in Havana to exchange experiences with their Cuban counterparts. The head of the 32-member delegation, Anabel Contreras, told journalists in Havana that there are plans to continue such meetings "because they greatly assist Latin American and Caribbean integration." While in Cuba, Costa Rican farmers will visit the provinces of Havana, Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus in the central region of the island. The visitors have also expressed interest in doing voluntary work stints in the fields before returning to Costa Rica early next week. CUBAN FILM INDUSTRY INCREASES PRODUCTION THIS YEAR Havana, August 21(RHC)-- In contrast to film production during 1996, the Cuban Film Institute is turning out many more productions this year. Sources from the film industry institute say that some twenty feature-length films, documentaries and cartoons will hit the `big screen' before the year ends. Three films are already complete and ready to be shown: "Violeta", "Vertical Love" and "Mambi." Another four are in the making: "Kleiner Tropicana" by Daniel Diaz, the Cuban- Spanish co-production "1898," the Cuban-Peruvian film "Mariategui" and the Cuban-French co-production "Villa Vanilla." AND IN SPORTS... Havana, August 21(RHC)-- Cuban high-jump champion Javier Sotomayor arrived in the Cuban capital yesterday from his successful showing in Athens. Upon his arrival at Jose Marti International Airport, Sotomayor presented his son with the gold medal he won at the World Championships held in Greece. Cuban government and sports officials, friends, relatives and athletes were on hand at the airport to give Javier Sotomayor a warm welcome. Speaking to journalists, the Cuban champion said he has not had any new physical problems and that he's now in excellent shape to go on to more competitions. After reconquering the World Title in Athens, Sotomayor beat all competitors -- with a jump of 2.35 meters during a festival held last weekend in Eberstad, Germany. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org