CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA December 29, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Monday, December 29, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- PRESIDENT OF GALICIA ANNOUNCES UPCOMING VISIT TO CUBA 2.- CUBAN-ITALIAN SOLIDARITY ENCOUNTER WINDS UP IN HAVANA 3.- YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE WILL HOLD CONGRESS IN JANUARY 4.- SUCCESSFUL DRY-RUN FOR JANUARY 11th ELECTIONS 5.- BRITAIN STUDIES ANTI-DRUG COOPERATION WITH CUBA 6.- HABAGUANEX TOURISM COMPANY SURPASSES PLANNED REVENUES 7.- SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE ARRIVES IN CUBA MONDAY PRESIDENT OF GALICIA ANNOUNCES UPCOMING VISIT TO CUBA Havana, December 29(RHC)-- The President of the northwestern Spanish autonomous region of Galicia, Manuel Fraga Iribarne, has announced upcoming visits to five Latin American countries, including Cuba. He made the announcement in Santiago de Compostela, the Galician capital. Fraga, who also visited the island in September 1991, will receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree at Oriente University, located in eastern Santiago de Cuba. Fraga said, however, his visit to the Caribbean island has no definite date yet. Manuel Fraga founded the Democratic-Christian Popular Alliance in 1976 which, at its 9th Congress held in 1989, became the Popular Party -- currently governing Spain. CUBAN-ITALIAN SOLIDARITY ENCOUNTER WINDS UP IN HAVANA Havana, December 29(RHC)-- "Communist ideals must be placed in the forefront of a culture capable of resisting the current wave of globalization and right-wing ideology." The Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto spoke at the closing ceremony of the Cuba-Italy Solidarity Encounter, which met in the Cuban capital over the weekend. Prieto urged participants to openly encourage more room "for collective, independent, creative and revolutionary discussion that can destroy the right-wing dogmas designed by imperialist interests." The Cuba-Italy Solidarity Encounter was attended by nearly 500 Italian participants and Cuban experts who dealt with the effects of neoliberal globalization on the economy and the social and cultural life of the peoples. YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE WILL HOLD CONGRESS IN JANUARY Havana, December 29(RHC)-- The Young Communist League, the UJC, will convene its 7th Congress in January "to recover the organization's vanguard role and to improve discipline among its ranks." According to UJC General Secretary Otto Rivero Torres, the organization's main accomplishment during the 1990's was the fact that most of its members joined the organization over the past seven years, as the island went through a serious economic crisis. Rivero recalled that a high percentage of the island's economically-active population is under 30 years of age and pointed out that the UJC must also be concerned about the increase in productive efficiency and cost reduction. SUCCESSFUL DRY-RUN FOR JANUARY 11th ELECTIONS Havana, December 29(RHC)-- The President of the National Electoral Commission, Manuel de Jesus Pirez, says that the dry-run held on Sunday for the upcoming January 11th elections was, in his words, "very successful." The electoral commission president revealed that the 33,000 polling stations set-up across the island are ready. Cubans will go to the polls on January 11th to elect 601 deputies to the island's National Assembly of People's Power and one thousand 192 delegates to the Provincial Assemblies. BRITAIN STUDIES ANTI-DRUG COOPERATION WITH CUBA Havana, December 29(RHC)-- Britain is studying the possibility of granting aid to Cuba amounting to 300,000 dollars over the next two years. The assistance would be part of a bilateral anti-drug cooperation program. British representative Patrick Nixon told the Cuban weekly "Juventud Rebelde" that the aid will be granted because his country considers that Cuba makes efficient use of assistance. Nixon said that his government is very satisfied with the anti-drug cooperation it has maintained with the island over the past two years. HABAGUANEX TOURISM COMPANY SURPASSES PLANNED REVENUES FOR 1997 Havana, December 29(RHC)-- The Cuban tourism company Habaguanex has surpassed its planned revenues for 1997 by ten percent. Habaguanex, which is part of the office of Havana Historian Eusebio Leal, had initially planned to obtain revenues worth 30 million dollars this year. Sales Manager Yusem Machado told journalists that those results were derived from sales in more than 70 facilities including bars, cafeterias, stores and hotels that belong to the firm. Habaguanex was founded in January, 1994 to reinvest revenues in restoring Old Havana's historic section and in upgrading the living standards and working conditions of the area's residents. SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE ARRIVES IN CUBA MONDAY Havana, December 29(RHC)-- The 15th Contingent of the "Southern Cross Brigade" from Australia and New Zealand is scheduled to arrive in the Cuban capital this Monday at the invitation of the Cuban Friendship Institute, ICAP. The brigade will celebrate its 15th anniversary of support for Cuba with a jam-packed agenda on the island -- including volunteer work in the fields and tours of sites of economic and social interest in Cuba. [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. 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