CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA June 4, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Wednesday, June 4th, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- PROCESS TO CHOOSE DELEGATES TO 5th CUBAN COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS CONCLUDES 2.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON BLASTS U.S. MEASURES DESIGNED TO BRING THE CUBAN PEOPLE TO THEIR KNEES 3.- CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY FAVORS CUBA'S REINCORPORATION INTO ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES 4.- PASTORS FOR PEACE SHIPS ARRIVE AT THE PORT OF HAVANA 5.- NEW ANTI-CUBA MEASURES IN U.S. CONGRESS ARE IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO PROMISES MADE TO EUROPEAN UNION 6.- CUBA AND JAMAICA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH 7.- ACTIVITIES MARKING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHINESE PRESENCE IN CUBA CONCLUDE IN HAVANA 8.- CUBAN FLUTE PLAYER WINS GRAND PRIX IN PARIS PROCESS TO CHOOSE DELEGATES TO 5th CUBAN COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS CONCLUDES Havana, June 4(RHC)-- The election of candidates for delegates of the 5th Cuban Communist Party Congress, and as members of the Central Committee, wound up islandwide, following an ample process of consultation with the population. Some 53,000 people have been chosen as candidates for Congress delegates and some 16,000 candidates for members of the Central Committee. Delegates and Central Committee members come from all walks of life, and were proposed to represent their fellow communist party members for their outstanding human and revolutionary values, prestige, and the results of their work. The final process to choose delegates and communist party members will take place from August 20th to September 10th. The 5th Cuban Communist Party Congress is slated for October, 1997. CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON BLASTS U.S. MEASURES DESIGNED TO BRING THE CUBAN PEOPLE TO THEIR KNEES Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Cuba's Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon stated that "not one nor one thousand laws or amendments in the U.S. Congress will force the Cuban people to their knees." Speaking at the University of Havana on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Cuban National Union of Jurists, Alarcon said the legislation recently approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress -- designed to tighten Washington's blockade of the island -- was accomplished quietly, without its usual fanfare, in order to deliberately hide its intentions from its European allies. Alarcon recalled that the White House promised to try to clean-up the extraterritorial aspects of the Helms-Burton Law -- convincing the European Union to drop its dispute with the law before the World Trade Organization. The Cuban parliamentary leader said that "fascists and old members of the Batista tyranny, who are now living in the United States," joined together to work-up the draft proposals with the aim of destroying the Cuban Revolution. But, Ricardo Alarcon assured his audience, Cuba will not bow to pressures from Washington and its mafia allies in Miami. CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY FAVORS CUBA'S REINCORPORATION INTO ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Lima, June 4(RHC)-- The 14-member states of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, have gone on record in favor of the reincorporation of Cuba into the Organization of American States (OAS). Speaking at a news conference in Lima during the 27th General Assembly session of the OAS, Jamaican Foreign Minister Ben Claire stated that all Caribbean nations support the positions put forward by the delegations from Mexico, Brazil and Canada with respect to Cuba's inclusion into the regional body. Accompanied by the delegates from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Belize and the Bahamas, the Jamaican foreign minister affirmed that Cuba forms an integral part of the Caribbean region, condemning Washington's attempts to isolate Cuba from its island neighbors. Foreign Minister Claire reminded journalists that Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson recently visited Cuba and was preceded by Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell. Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean community attending the 27th session of the OAS, Jamaica's foreign minister summed it up by saying: "We have no problems with Cuba." PASTORS FOR PEACE SHIPS ARRIVE AT THE PORT OF HAVANA Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Two cargo ships carrying the latest material aid shipment from Pastors for Peace have arrived in the Port of Havana. Sailing from Montreal, Canada and Tampico, Mexico, the ships were loaded by activists from the 7th U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment which recently visited the island. The nearly 500 tons of material aid for Cuban children will be distributed by Cuban church agencies over the next few days. Pastors for Peace carried the material aid across the U.S. borders into Canada and Mexico without a State Department license, requiring that all such aid be authorized by Washington. The religious/solidarity organization considers that complying with the requirement constitutes endorsement of the U.S. blockade of Cuba. Speaking for the U.S.-based organization, and on behalf of groups in Canada, Mexico and Europe which were part of the recent solidarity effort, Pastors for Peace Coordinator Peggy Hopson told reporters that although the aid is useful to Cuba, "the most important part of the project is the challenge to U.S. authorities and the defiance of an unjust and immoral law." The solidarity activist said that Pastors for Peace will continue to work to change U.S. policy toward Cuba and that material aid caravans will continue to come to the island until the U.S. economic blockade is lifted. NEW ANTI-CUBA MEASURES IN U.S. CONGRESS ARE IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO PROMISES MADE TO EUROPEAN UNION Mexico City, June 4(RHC)-- Cuban Ambassador to Mexico Abelardo Curbelo accused the United States of hypocrisy in its policy of hostility toward the island, when the entire Latin American and international community are calling for flexibility. During a news conference in Mexico City, the Cuban diplomat said the new anti-Cuba measures working their way through the U.S. Congress are in direct contradiction to promises made to the European Union. In April, Washington agreed to review the extraterritorial nature explicit in several sections of the controversial Helms-Burton Law -- in exchange for the European Union dropping its challenge of the U.S. law at the World Trade Organization. The Cuban ambassador to Mexico pointed out that the draft legislations passed last month by the House Foreign Affairs Committee are designed to tighten the U.S. blockade against the island and further punish third countries for having economic relations with Cuba. He added that such measures send a clear message to the European Union and the world: that the backers of Helms-Burton are not willing to water down the law and, in fact, are ready to make it even harsher. The Cuban diplomat was asked by a reporter about the push for Cuba's reintegration into the Organization of American States, led by Latin American and Caribbean delegations at the 27th General Assembly meeting of the OAS currently underway in Lima. Ambassador Curbelo replied that the statements coming out of the summit in recent days are a reflection of regional opposition to Washington's policies against Cuba. According to Cuba's ambassador to Mexico, Washington continues to defy regional pressures to recognize Cuba and holds its veto over the heads of the majority of countries that favor better relations with the island. CUBA AND JAMAICA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Cuba and Jamaica have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of health. The accord includes the exchange of specialists, mutual aid in technological, pharmaceutical, nursing, and electromedicine fields, as well as participation in conferences and congresses, among other fields of interest. The agreement was singed in Havana by Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres and his Jamaican counterpart, Peter Philip. Regarding this cooperation, which also establishes cooperation in cases of emergency or natural disasters, the Jamaican minister told Radio Havana Cuba: "We have discussed a number of issues with the Cuban authorities, including cooperation in human resource development, including training, exchange of personnel. We have discussed as well giant projects in research and investigation and ways of strengthening the linkages between scientific institutions in both countries. We have discussed giant cooperation to provide mutual assistance in the event of health emergencies caused in times of national crises, natural disasters, -hurricanes, etc, and ways in which we can allow for the technical experts -- doctors, nurses, etc- to benefit from the techniques that are in place in the two countries." ACTIVITIES MARKING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHINESE PRESENCE IN CUBA CONCLUDE IN HAVANA Havana, June 4(RHC)-- A symbolic docking at Havana's port, as occurred on June 3rd, 1847, when the first 206 Chinese immigrants came to Cuba, was performed yesterday, to close activities on the island marking the 150th anniversary of Chinese presence in Cuba. The docking took place at the exact point of their arrival at the time, at the Havana municipality of Regla, where a plaque marking this historic event was unveiled. Commemorative activities began in the Cuban capital last May 27th to mark the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants to the island, which included seminars on traditional Chinese medicine and the impact of Chinese presence in Cuba, as well as a workshop on the reanimation of Havana's Chinese neighborhood. A meeting between Cuban and Chinese business representatives also took place aimed at strengthening commerce between the two nations. And Chinese embassy in Havana also inaugurated a photographic exhibit on China today. CUBAN FLUTE PLAYER WINS GRAND PRIX IN PARIS Havana, June 4(RHC)-- 20 year-old Cuban flute player, Niurka Gonzalez, has been awarded the Gran Prix, at the Higher Conservatory in Paris, France. The Cuban artist won the Grand Prix after competing with contestants from Brazil, Japan, the USA, and France. Gonzalez obtained her admission after finishing 7th in the eliminations carried out among 86 artists who participated in the contest. At the decisive performance, the Cuban artist convinced the demanding jury with her precise technique, her musical ability, and the authenticity of her expression. This is the second time that a Cuban wins this important prize. Two decades ago, saxophonist Miguel Villafruela obtained the maximum points. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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