CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA July 11, 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 Friday, July 11, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT HOLDS ITS 9th ORDINARY SESSION AND PASSES THREE NEW LAWS 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA SAYS THAT IF CHE WERE ALIVE TODAY, HE'D SUPPORT CUBA'S EFFORTS TO DEFEND SOCIALISM 3.- DENGUE OUTBREAK UNDER CONTROL IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA 4.- LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS SEND MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO 5.- MORE YOUNG PEOPLE PLAN TO COME TO THE 14th WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS 6.- INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN CUBA 7.- BRAZILIAN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES INTERESTED IN FURTHER COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH CUBA 8.- NEW ALBUM WITH SONGS DEDICATED TO ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA CUBAN PARLIAMENT HOLDS ITS 9th ORDINARY SESSION AND PASSES THREE NEW LAWS Havana, July 11 (RHC)-- The Environment, The People's Courts and the Attorney General's Office were the subjects of three laws passed by the Cuban Parliament Friday. The 9th ordinary session of the 4th legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power was preceded by a long and thorough process of evaluation, information gathering and proposals that led to the drafting of the three pieces of legislation. After more than ten months of discussions among specialists, state institutions and grassroots organizations, the drafts of the enacted bills were taken to the Parliament's Permanent Commissions before the vote by lawmakers at the ordinary session. The law on the environment reiterates the island's commitment to comply with Agenda 21, adopted by the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. The law emphasizes the need of prevention, the promotion of citizens involvement in environmental protection, the fostering of an environmental culture among the Cuban people and the sanctions of institutions, organizations or individuals that damage the environment. The two other laws focus on the structuring, perfecting and power of the People's Courts and the Attorney's General Office. The two laws seek to align the performance of these institutions with current changes underway on the island. In closing the one day session, Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon pointed to the spirit that prevailed in the process prior to the vote on the laws, where deputies across the island had the possibility of analyzing and evaluating the proposed legislations. Referring to allegations that the Cuban parliament lacked seriousness because it passed laws in one-day sessions, Alarcon said that all Cubans laws are preceded by a long process of analysis and discussion and receive more attention and time than the one accorded to laws in bourgeois parliaments, where rhetoric, long speeches and meetings abound. He said that kind of so-called "democracy" is totally divorced from the social realities and genuine interests of their voters. And Ricardo Alarcon concluded by saying that "the ordinary sessions of the Cuban Parliament are the culmination of a more democratic and participatory process that can be found in no other part of the world." CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA SAYS THAT IF CHE WERE ALIVE TODAY, HE'D SUPPORT CUBA'S EFFORTS TO DEFEND SOCIALISM Havana, July 11(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina said today that the legacy of Ernesto Che Guevara has special significance for generations of Cubans. Speaking to foreign journalists during a break at Cuba's National Assembly session, Robaina also stressed that if he were alive today, "Che would support Cuba's efforts in the defense of the country's sovereignty and socialism." Other veterans of the Cuban Revolution are issuing similar statements as Cuban, Bolivian and Argentinean forensic experts wrap up the identification of remains discovered last week in Bolivia that probably belong to Che and six other internationalist guerrilla fighters. Expectation is running high in Cuba concerning a positive identification of Che's remains and the repatriation of those remains to Cuba. DENGUE OUTBREAK UNDER CONTROL IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA Havana, July 11(RHC)-- Cuban Minister of Public Health Doctor Carlos Dotres has announced that the outbreak of dengue fever in Santiago de Cuba has been brought under control. Speaking before a Parliamentary Work Commission on Health, Sports and the Environment, Dr. Dotres pointed out that the prompt action of health authorities has stopped the spread of the illness, which was confined to eastern Santiago de Cuba. The Cuban health minister reported that the outbreak was detected in February and that steps were immediately taken to eradicate the carrier, known as the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Dr. Dotres recalled that in the Caribbean and Central America, a total of 41 countries have reported dengue fever. He added that given Cuban medical advances, many of those countries have asked for the island's assistance to eliminate the disease-carrying mosquito. Cuban Minister of Public Health Doctor Carlos Dotres emphasized that "we are taking the necessary steps to completely eradicate this new outbreak in the next few weeks." LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS SEND MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO Havana, July 11(RHC)-- Liberation theologians from 20 Latin American nations have unequivocally condemned Washington's blockade against Cuba. In a message sent to Cuban President Fidel Castro, the religious leaders expressed their long-standing solidarity with the Cuban people in their struggle to defend the island's sovereignty. The message was read at the closing ceremony of the 5th Forum on Latin American Theology and Ecumenical Education, which met for three days in the central province of Matanzas. The participants at the meeting also sent their U.S. colleagues a message, encouraging them to fight against Washington's hostile policy against Cuba. MORE YOUNG PEOPLE PLAN TO COME TO THE 14th WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS Havana, July 11(RHC)-- More than 8000 young people from more than 130 nations have confirmed their participation at the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students, to take place from July 28th through August 5th. According to the head of Cuba's National Preparatory Committee, Rogelio Polanco, the Canadian delegation will be the first to arrive on the island this Sunday, the 13th. The delegates will form a work brigade that will do voluntary stints in Cuban fields. During a news conference held in Havana on Friday, Polanco said that U.S. delegates have not given up their struggle to obtain travel licenses to come to Cuba this summer. In March, the U.S. Treasury Department denied permission to fifty young people making up that country's delegation to the Festival. The head of the Cuban National Preparatory Committee said that the number of nations expressing solidarity with the U.S. delegates continues increasing. INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN CUBA Havana, July 11(RHC)-- Prensa Latina News Agency's weekly publication "Opciones" is calling on international business leaders to attend two workshops on business opportunities in Cuba. The first is scheduled for late September in Santiago de Cuba and is aimed at promoting the economic and scientific potential of Cuba's eastern region. Another is slated for October and consists of a workshop on foreign financial and industrial investment and the creation of joint ventures. BRAZILIAN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES INTERESTED IN FURTHER COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH CUBA Havana, July 11(RHC)-- Brazilian business executives from the city of Sao Paulo have joined together to form a group interested in expanding commercial relations with Cuba. In attendance was the Cuban Deputy Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Minister Raul Taladrid and the President of the Brazilian Business Association Marcelo Mayione. During the meeting, business executives expressed their satisfaction at the results of a recently concluded Cuba-Brazil Mixed Inter-governmental Commission and the signing of an investment promotion and protection agreement. NEW ALBUM WITH SONGS DEDICATED TO ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA Santiago de Chile, July 11(RHC)-- Songs dedicated to the Heroic Guerrilla, Ernesto Che Guevara, by Chilean and Cuban musicians are part of an album that will be unveiled in Santiago de Chile later this month. On the 30th anniversary of the death in combat of Argentinean-born guerrilla Che Guevara, a series of songs will be released by renowned Chilean and Cuban singers and song writers -- including Angel and Isabel Parra and the late Victor Jara -- musical groups Quilapayun and Inti-Ilimani and Cubans Silvio Rodriguez, Vicente Feliu and Noel Nicola. The musical anthology is made up of 14 songs and poems dedicated to Che and will be available to the public on July 26th, coinciding with Cuba's National Day of Rebellion. [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