From mail.infocom.etecsa.cu!radiohc@mail.infocom.etecsa.cu Wed Mar 19 15:11:21 1997 Return-Path: mail.infocom.etecsa.cu!radiohc@mail.infocom.etecsa.cu Received: from dns2.infocom.etecsa.cu ([169.158.64.1]) by nyxfer.blythe.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id PAA24848 for ; Wed, 19 Mar 1997 15:11:06 -0500 Received: by dns2.infocom.etecsa.cu (Smail3.1.28.1 #3) id m0w7RhG-0002EpC; Wed, 19 Mar 97 15:10 EST Received: from manati.in.etecsa.cu by dns2.infocom.etecsa.cu with SMTP id XXXXXXXX-Xa29480; Wed, 19 Mar 97 15:10 EST Received: by manati.in.etecsa.cu (Smail3.1.28.1 #3) id m0w7RhF-00004tC; Wed, 19 Mar 97 15:10 EST Message-Id: Subject: Radio Havana Cuba news service, March 18th, 1997 To: reg.cuba@conf.igc.apc.org Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 15:10:52 -0500 (EST) From: "Lic. Jorge L. Ruiz" Cc: nyt@blythe.org, cubaseccion@igc.apc.org X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL13] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Length: 7680 Status: RO CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA Tuesday, March 18, 1997 The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Tuesday, March 18, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CABLE NEWS NETWORK BEGINS BROADCASTING FROM HAVANA 2.- JAPANESE SECRETARY OF STATE SCHEDULED TO VISIT HAVANA 3.- CUBA'S DEFENSE MINISTER SPEAKS TO CUBAN UNIONISTS 4.- HALF A MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE UP CUBA'S UNION OF YOUNG COMMUNISTS (UJC) 5.- ARTISTS FROM 25 NATIONS COMPETE AT HUMOR BIENNIAL IN CUBA 6.- ARGENTINEAN UNIVERSITY OPENS DEPARTMENT TO STUDY THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA CABLE NEWS NETWORK BEGINS BROADCASTING FROM HAVANA Havana, March 18(RHC)-- Cable News Network -- CNN -- inaugurated late Monday its new 24-hour transmission to Latin America, in Spanish, with its first report live from Havana. CNN correspondent Lucia Neuman's first report from the Cuban capital focused on Washington's pressures against the island. She concluded that though the U.S. Helms-Burton Law has negatively affected Cuba's economy, it has not had the devastating impact that Washington had hoped. As an example of the difficulties, Neuman pointed to Cuba's sugar industry which, she asserted, was unable to acquire a loan from a Dutch bank due to fears of Helms-Burton reprisals. The CNN correspondent also highlighted the widespread rejection in Cuba of Washington's so-called "democratic transition program," stating that new U.S. pressures against the island have only sharpened the Cuban leadership's determination to not bow to the U.S. government. CNN showed images of Cuban President Fidel Castro when he called the U.S. government an insolent and arrogant empire. The news program also transmitted statements from Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto and Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon. Prieto said that Washington's most recent anti-Cuba moves demonstrate that the island only has the choice between independence and annexion, while Alarcon said that U.S. Senator Jesse Helms has been unable to strangle the Cuban economy. CNN's new 24-hour broadcast to Latin America includes some 200 experienced journalists here in the region. JAPANESE SECRETARY OF STATE SCHEDULED TO VISIT HAVANA Lima, March 18(RHC)-- Japan's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura is expected tomorrow in Havana in connection with Peru's hostage crisis. Koumura met today in Peru with President Alberto Fujimori on the 91st day of the hostage crisis, asserting that he was neither pessimistic nor optimistic concerning a peaceful solution. Two weeks ago, President Fujimori also made a stop-over in Havana, seeking ways in which Cuba could help in a resolution to the crisis. The Cuban government said it would be willing to grant asylum to the rebel commando holding 72 hostages in the Japanese embassy in Lima, but only if both sides agreed. Cuba also stated that it would not mediate in the crisis. CUBA'S DEFENSE MINISTER SPEAKS TO CUBAN UNIONISTS Havana, March 18(RHC)-- Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro says the U.S. Helms-Burton Law has come up against Cuban courage. Castro spoke to journalists Monday, following a meeting of the Executive Board of Cuba's Workers Confederation -- the CTC. The Cuban Defense Minister submitted a report on the work of the Cuban Armed Forces in 1996. Cuban trade unionists agreed to sign the Declaration of 20th Century Mambi Independence Fighters -- a document issued and signed by the Armed Forces in support of the Revolution and in rejection of Washington's latest attempt to colonize the island. The process of signing the revolutionary document will be done, on a voluntary basis, in all the island's 80,000 work places. Cuban unions have also decided to dedicate 1998 to marking the 50th anniversary of slain of union leader, Jesus Menendez. In announcing the 3rd Congress of the Caribbean Association of Physicians to be held in Havana next year, union leader Pedro Ross, said that the event will have the support of the Cuban workers movement. Meanwhile, France's Workers Confederation, has presented its Cuban counterpart with 10,000 pins bearing the image of Che Guevara which will be awarded to outstanding workers. At their meeting, the Executive board of Cuba's Workers Confederation agreed to award the distinction to Cuban President Fidel Castro, Defense Minister Raul Castro, and Vice President Carlos Lage. HALF A MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE UP CUBA'S UNION OF YOUNG COMMUNISTS (UJC) Havana, March 18(RHC)-- Half a million young people are determined to maintain their membership in the island's Union of Young Communists. UJC leader, Victoria Velazquez, made the announcement Monday at the official launching of a campaign commemorating the 35th anniversary of the founding of the UJC on April 4th. The Union of Young Communists leader noted the importance of commemorating the anniversary along with the Cuban people. She pointed to the 3000 new members of the youth organization who joined during the hardest times of the domestic economic crisis -- sparked by the collapse of the European socialist block and the strengthening of Washington's blockade against Cuba in the early 1990's. ARTISTS FROM 25 NATIONS COMPETE AT HUMOR BIENNIAL IN CUBA Havana, March 18(RHC)-- More than 350 entries are competing in the 10th International Humor Biennial underway in western Cuba. The biennial -- an event that combines wit and visual arts -- takes place every two years in the town of San Antonio de los Banos -- some 35 kilometers south of Havana. This year's jury -- presided over by French Georges Wolinski illustrator for Paris-Match, Le Journal du Dimanche and L'Humanite newspapers -- will award winners in the categories of political satire, general humor, personal cartoons, comics and humorous photographs. Graphic works by artists from Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico are among possible winners. The humor biennial is hosted by the International Humor Museum -- the first facility of its kind in Latin America -- founded in 1979. It collects and preserves works by artists from more than 40 nations and political cartoons from 19th Century Cuba. ARGENTINEAN UNIVERSITY OPENS DEPARTMENT TO STUDY THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA Buenos Aires, March 18(RHC)-- The State University of Buenos Aires, Argentina has set up the Ernesto Che Guevara Department. Local educational authorities say beginning in April, the Department will offer courses on Che's political, economic and humanist thinking. Among the outstanding Latin American personalities on the staff of the new Ernesto Che Guevara Department of Buenos Aires State University are: writer David Vinas, theologian Ruben Dri and historian Alberto Ola. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba, P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007