May 2nd, 1997 CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Friday, May 2nd, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- MASSIVE PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY CELEBRATIONS SHOWS THE WORLD THE STRENGTH OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION, SAYS CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO 2.- PASTORS FOR PEACE BEGINS ROUTES ACROSS THE U.S. 3.- CUBA'S FISHING INDUSTRY REPORTS PRODUCTION GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER 4.- NORWAY AND CUBA BOOST BILATERAL RELATIONS 5.- BUSINESS MISSIONS TO VISIT CUBA THIS MONTH 6.- CUBA'S IRAKERE JAZZ ORCHESTRA WILL PERFORM IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN EUROPE MASSIVE PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY CELEBRATIONS SHOWS THE WORLD THE STRENGTH OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION, SAYS CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO Havana, May 2 (RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro has asserted that the massive participation during the grassroots demonstration on International Workers Day is a clear signal of the Revolution's strength. Speaking to the local press Thursday evening during a tribute to outstanding workers, the Cuban leader said that May day celebrations demonstrated the force of the political process that began in 1959. He said it was a message to the world of the revolution's strength that he hoped wouldn't fall on deaf ears. The Cuban President said that all of Washington's increasingly obsessive anti-Cuba measures, and all that the US government does to weaken Cuba's social process, collides with the Cuban people's unity and strength of spirit. Several million Cubans participated in International Workers Day marches in cities and towns. According to the official Granma newspaper, participation in Havana surpassed by more than 100 thousand last year's record of 1 200 000 people who marched through Revolution Square. During the same ceremony, the Cuban leader said that the island's economy will grow this year, but he noted he didn't believe that this year's sugar harvest would surpass last year's. The Cuban leader pointed to several factors, including Hurricane Lili, which he said cost Cuba at least 200 000 tons of sugar. President Castro added that he personally witnessed the damage inflicted by the hurricane in the provinces of matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila. He also pointed to the Helms Burton Law which he said postponed, though did not interrupt, the arrival of important financing from abroad. The Cuban President said that as a result, the beginning of the harvest couldn't be coordinated with he arrival of resources from abroad, which were backlogged for a month. The Cuban leader admitted to the unquestionable subjective factors like the necessity to make a more optimum use of the resources at hand, including fertilizers and pesticides, which, he added, cost Cuba a lot of money. Last year, Cuba achieved a sugar production of 4.45 million tons, a big jump from the 3.3 millions produced in 1995 PASTORS FOR PEACE BEGINS ROUTES ACROSS THE U.S. Chicago, May 2 (RHC)-- The U.S. religious-solidarity organization Pastors for Peace is on the road, with several caravan routes beginning in cities across the United States. The caravan will be carrying humanitarian aid to the northern and southern borders for crossings on May 14th. According to Peggy Hopson, the group's coordinator, the caravan got started in the heart of the U.S. -- in a small town in Iowa. This is the 7th humanitarian aid caravan to Cuba and is unique in that it is dedicated to the island's children. Donations of toys, books and educational materials are being gathered in nearly 100 U.S. cities through which the caravan will pass on its way to Canada and Mexico and, eventually, on to Cuba. Hopson told Radio Havana Cuba that if everything goes well on the borders and U.S. authorities allow the aid for Cuban children to pass without incident, Pastors for Peace will arrive on the island May 17th. Last year, U.S. authorities stopped the group from crossing into Mexico with a shipment of computers, destined for Cuba's health care system. The confrontation prompted a hunger strike in which members of the group refused to eat solid food for 94-days, until Washington allowed the caravan to continue on to Cuba. CUBA'S FISHING INDUSTRY REPORTS PRODUCTION GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER Havana, May 2nd(RHC)-- Nearly 17 thousand tons of fish amounting to 13 percent growth is the result of Cuba's fishing industry in the first three months of 1997. Fishing Ministry sources say innovative acuicultural techniques were responsible for 8 100 tons of the total. The rest -says the source- comes from catches in the northern Atlantic Ocean and off the coasts of Cuba. Fish exports made revenues of 25 million dollars, six and a half million more than in the same period of 1996. NORWAY AND CUBA BOOST BILATERAL RELATIONS Oslo, May 2nd(RHC)-- Relations between Cuba and Norway are being strengthened. Norway's Secretary of State, Jan Egerland, and the Cuban Ambassador to Norway , Martin Mora,met in Oslo where they exchanged on bilateral relations and ways to improve them. Shortly before leaving Oslo after concluding his mission as Ambassador, the Cuban diplomat met with the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Norwegian Parliament, political personalities and solidarity activists. Norway's Culture and Sports Minister, Turid Birkeland, and Cuban authorities recently signed a cooperation protocol in the spheres of culture and sports stipulating an exchange of films and broader cooperation in volleyball, boxing and athletics. BUSINESS MISSIONS TO VISIT CUBA THIS MONTH Havana, May 2nd(RHC)-- The Spanish province of Zaragoza and China will send business missions this month to the island. The Chamber of Commerce of the Spanish province of Zaragoza has organized a Cuban tour for representatives of nine firms. The Spanish entity organizes such trips every year. Meanwhile 37 Chinese entrepreneurs will soon arrive on the island as part of a delegation of China's Council for the Promotion of Foreign Trade. CUBA'S IRAKERE JAZZ ORCHESTRA WILL PERFORM IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN EUROPE Havana, May 2nd(RHC)-- Renowned Cuban Jazz Band, Irakere, will begin an extensive tour of the United States and Europe on June 10th. Irakere will perform on 39 American stages together with trumpet player Roy Hardgrove and saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Irakere -one of Cuba's most popular bands- will perform in Hollywood, New York and Chicago. In Europe, Irakere will play in Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, France, the Netherlands and Turkey. After Irakere's performances on the old continent, the band will return to the States and later will travel to Puerto Rico. 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 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007