CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA December 2, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, December 2, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA ACCUSES THE UNITED STATES OF DENYING VISAS TO CUBANS WANTING TO VISIT RELATIVES IN THE UNITED STATES 2.- EUROPEAN UNION OFFICIAL ASSERTS CUBA MAKES GOOD USE OF HUMANITARIAN AID 3.- CUBA'S MOST OUTSTANDING RESULTS ANALYZED AT INTERNATIONAL GATHERING UNDERWAY IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 4.- CUBA CONCLUDES FIRST YEAR OF TESTS FOR ANTI-AIDS VACCINE 5.- HAVANA'S FILM FESTIVAL GETS UNDERWAY IN THIS CAPITAL CITY TODAY CUBA ACCUSES THE UNITED STATES OF DENYING VISAS TO CUBANS WANTING TO VISIT RELATIVES IN THE UNITED STATES Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Cuba has accused the United States of continuing the practice of applying severe and unjustified restrictions to Cubans wishing to visit their relatives in the United States. The President of Cuba's Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, issued the charge today shortly before the first session in Havana of the 8th round of Cuba-US migratory talks. Alarcon said thousands of Cubans who don't want to permanently reside in the United States, but who do want to visit their family members, are arbitrarily denied temporary visas, which, he charged, violates the letter and spirit of the Havana-Washington migratory accords signed thus far. Alarcon said US authorities also continue admitting Cubans in US territory who used violence to immigrate -- an implicit reference to the case of Jose Fernandez Puppo, who in 1996 hyjacked a civilian airliner at gunpoint. A US immigration judge recently denied assylum to Fernandez Puppo, though refused to extradite him to Cuba. US authorities are reportedly searching for a 3rd country willing to accept the hyjacker. Alarcon did admit, however, that in other cases in which violence was used, US authorities have extradited the perpetrators back to Cuba. The head of the Cuban delegation to the migratory talks also took the opportunity to condemn Washington's recently announced plan to use an aerostatic baloon to send a TV signal to Cuba with programming of an anti-Cuban nature. Alarcon said the plan would be in violation of a 1984 accord between the 2 nations concerning radio and TV transmissions -- as is Radio Marti, he added, though the station is not heard here. But despite the criticisms, Cuba's leading lawmaker said the migratory talks with the United States are flowing in a positive direction. EUROPEAN UNION OFFICIAL ASSERTS CUBA MAKES GOOD USE OF HUMANITARIAN AID Havana, December 2(RHC)-- In Havana, the director of the European Union's Humanitarian Aid Department, Alberto Navarro, said today that Cuba has made good use of the aid sent to the island, and that unlike other countries, that aid is not siphoned off. Navarro's statements came within the announcement of another humanitarian aid project for Cuba to the tune of 9.6 million dollars between now and June of next year. Since 1993, the EU has earmarked 64.3 million dollars in aid to Cuba, without counting the 20.5 million dollars in food aid since 1994. Navarro said that aid has directly benefitted close to 500 thousand Cubans, particularly those sectors most vulnerable like the elderly who live alone and single, unemployed mothers. Non governmental organizations from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain and Sweden supervise the distribution of the aid. CUBA'S MOST OUTSTANDING RESULTS ANALYZED AT INTERNATIONAL GATHERING UNDERWAY IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Biotechnology '97 has opened its doors Monday at Havana's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology --CIGB. During his speech at the opening ceremony, Dr. Albert Sasson, special consultant of UNESCO's Director General, said that Cuba's achievements in biotechnology over the past 10 years are noticeable. Dr. Sasson, also the event's president of honor, stressed that biotechnology has a promising future and pointed out the devotion of researchers in the field and the committment and support of the Cuban government. On the first day of sessions, CIGB director, Dr. Manuel Limonta, delivered a lecture on the development of Biotechnology in Cuba. Limonta, president of the event's organizing committee, pointed out that, at present, there are 70 research projects developed by the CIGB in various stages, among them vaccines for human and veterinary use, against diseases such as AIDS, dengue, and a new one against cattle tick; interferon formulas and an improved reecombinat streptokinase. Today, Cuba is one of the countries with the largest capability in the use and production of interferons. The skin growth factor is available in specialized hospitals where patients receive treatment for severe burns, and the streptokinase is used in intensive care units, where thanks to that medicine doctors have saved the lives of 200 people in 1997 alone. The event's agenda includes issues such as modern technologies for clinical diagnosis, new drugs, genetic engineering in monoclonal antibodies and biotechnology and social development. A Trade Fair in which 75 countries participate is running paralell to Biotechnology '97 -- attended by over 1200 delegates from 48 countries. CUBA CONCLUDES FIRST YEAR OF TESTS FOR ANTI-AIDS VACCINE Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Cuba has already concluded the first year of clinical tests for a prototype vaccine whose results will be ready by the next century. Cuba's experience in this regard began in 1996 with a group of volunteers. If this trial is successful, the prototype vaccine will have two additional stages, one with 200 people and another one with a larger group. Cuban Public Health Ministry official, Dr. Rigoberto Torres says, however, that so far a protected conduct is the only way people have to fight AIDSs, that is to say, to prevent it, since the anxiously expected vaccine and treatments to cure the disease are far only in the realm of hope and dreams. A report by the United Nations Program Against AIDS, issued on Sunday, says that the panorama of AIDS in the world is discouraging. The so-called epidemics of the 20th century increases at a rate of over 5 new infections every 30 seconds --over 650 per hour. So far this year, AIDS has caused the death of 2 million 300 thousand people --among them 820 thousand women and almost half a million children under 15 years of age. This year, World Day Against AIDS, marked yesterday, was dedicated to "Children in a World with AIDS", since almost 4 million minors have been infected by the HIV virus since the epidemics began in early 1980, and 2 million 700 thousand have already died. UN AIDS Program executive director, Dr. Peter Piot, said that "nine of every ten people in the world ignore that they're infected by the AIDS virus". At present, researchers and scientists in 10 nations are working on a vaccine against AIDS, the only safe option against the kiler disease, according to them. HAVANA'S FILM FESTIVAL GETS UNDERWAY IN THIS CAPITAL CITY TODAY Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Movie fans in Cuba will be able to enjoy a host of new films from around the world and get acquainted with the latest news in film-making, from December 2nd to the 12th. Movie screens around the Cuban capital light up today as the 19th International Festival of New Latin American Film gets underway. Since early Tuesday morning Havana's streets have been filled with movie lovers pursuing the extensive program and finding movie houses and video centers. The official opening takes place at Miramar's Karl Marx Theater at 8:00 this evening, when a special surprise film will be exhibited. There will also be a show designed by Cuban film-maker Enrique Alvarez. More than 300 movies, feature lengths, documentaries, animated films and videos will be competing for Festival Coral Awards during the 10 day Festival. 52 are fiction feature length movies. They will be shown in 21 Havana movie houses and in 8 other Cuban provinces. In addition, movie buffs will be able to visit exhibition of Cuban movie posters and see extensive retrospectives of Spanish, Italian, French, Japanese, Russian, British and American independent features. Cuban TV will also get in on the act by running documentaries and other short subjects participating in the Festival along with interviewing Cuban and international film personalities. [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. 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