CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA May 15th, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Thursday, May 15th, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINEAN SENATE EDUARDO MENEM 2.- CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH LATIN AMERICAN TOURISM EXECUTIVES 3.- PASTORS FOR PEACE POISED ON U.S. BORDER WITH MEXICO; CROSSING SET FOR TOMORROW, FRIDAY 4.- CUBA DENOUNCES RIGHT-WING FLOTILLA AS ANOTHER NEW PROVOCATION AGAINST THE ISLAND 5.- SPAIN CRITICIZED FOR INSULTING INVITATION TO CUBA AS AN OBSERVER TO UPCOMING IBEROAMERICAN PARLIAMENTARY MEETING 6.- EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT INTENT ON PRESENTING A NEW CLAIM AGAINST HELMS BURTON AT WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 7.- NORWAY DEFIES WASHINGTON'S HELMS-BURTON LAW 8.- THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL GRANTS FOUR CUBAN NGO's ADVISORY STATUS 9.- CUBAN RUNNER AMA FIDELIA QUIROT SAYS SHE STILL HAS ENERGY FOR MORE 10.- CARIBBEAN CULTURE FESTIVAL OPENS IN JULY IN EASTERN SANTIAGO DE CUBA PROVINCE 11.- REFURBISHING OPERATIONS CONTINUE IN THE HISTORIC SECTION OF HAVANA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINEAN SENATE EDUARDO MENEM Havana, May 15(RHC)-- The President of Argentina's Senate, Eduardo Menem, says his meeting in Havana with President Fidel Castro, was "very positive". Menem, on an official visit to the island, told Prensa Latina News Agency, that his exchange with the Cuban leader was very interesting and he expressed his satisfaction at having been able to speak for more than one hour with the Cuban President about bilateral relations between Argentina and Cuba, the international situation, the state of peace processes around the world and the development of the Cuban and Argentinean economies, among other topics. Menem meet today with Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Ibrahim Ferradaz. After the meeting, the Argentinean lawmaker noted that many possibilities exist to increase Cuban- Argentinean cooperation. Menem, who is the brother of Argentina's president, Carlos Menem, mentioned the areas of tourism and petroleum as especially important. Also on Thursday, the Argentinean delegation toured the Carlos J. Finlay Institute in Havana where vaccines and serums are produced and advanced research is underway on a vaccine against AIDS. The Argentina delegation, which is in Cuba at the invitation of Cuba's Parliament, leaves on Saturday for Caracas where its members will attend a Latin American Parliament Meeting. CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH LATIN AMERICAN TOURISM EXECUTIVES Havana, May 15(RHC)-- Cuban president, Fidel Castro, has met with regional tourism executives in attendance at the 40th Meeting of the Confederation of Latin American Tourism Organizations -COTAL- underway in Havana. Quoted by today's Granma newspaper edition, COTAL Vice President, Gonzalo Rueda, said President Fidel Castro pointed to the importance of tourism for regional development and the role of integration efforts to attain that goal. The Cuban leader also referred to the island's efforts to boost the tourism, among the island's top hard currency earning sectors. President Fidel Castro conversed with members of COTAL's executive board, the seven tourism Ministers attending the international event and a group of tour operators. Meanwhile three of Cuba's most important tourism companies -Cubanacan, Horizontes and Cubatur-are achieving great success at the MERCOTAL Tourism Fair -an event running parallel to the main meeting. As a result of the first negotiating session, Cuban tour operators contracted six hundred thousand tourist days. A member of COTAL tourism Fair organizing committee, Regino Cruz, said Cuban companies are offering transportation services and summer college courses as well as scientific and technological events. PASTORS FOR PEACE POISED ON U.S. BORDER WITH MEXICO; CROSSING SET FOR TOMORROW, FRIDAY San Diego, May 15(RHC)-- The western contingent of the 7th Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan is set to cross the border into Mexico tomorrow, Friday. Organizers say they are unable to predict how U.S. authorities will react when the group attempts to cross from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico with humanitarian aid for Cuba -- but they are planning for every possible contingency. Past caravans have been harassed by U.S. officials and, in some cases, the aid has been seized by federal customs agents on the border. The most well-known incident occurred last year when border agents in San Diego confiscated more than 400 computers, which were to be donated to the Cuban health care system. The confrontation prompted a 94-day fast, with several Pastors for Peace activists refusing to eat solid food for more than three months... until U.S. authorities finally allowed the computers to be shipped to Cuba without a license. Those computers are now serving Cuba's health care system, linking hospitals and clinics around the island. In San Diego today, activists held classes on civil disobedience -- practicing non-violent methods they will employ if federal agents begin to seize the cargo and arrest the caravan's participants. Observers point to Wednesday's crossing by the eastern contingent into Canada as one possible indication of what may happen tomorrow on the border with Mexico. 50 vehicles accompanied by more than 100 people crossed the bridge from Buffalo, New York into Canada, without any problem from U.S. authorities. CUBA DENOUNCES RIGHT-WING FLOTILLA AS ANOTHER NEW PROVOCATION AGAINST THE ISLAND Havana, May 15(RHC)-- Cuba has called plans by right-wing groups in Florida to organize a flotilla against the island "another new provocation". Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marianela Ferriol told reporters Thursday in Havana that the Cuban government, as on previous occasions, will take all necessary measures to prevent the violation of the island's territorial airspace and waters. Earlier this week, ultra-right Cuban-American organizations announced that they will send a flotilla of boats and planes on Saturday, the 17th, to just outside the territorial limits of the island. In recent days, even U.S. authorities have warned the groups not to enter Cuban waters or airspace. SPAIN CRITICIZED FOR INSULTING INVITATION TO CUBA AS AN OBSERVER TO UPCOMING IBEROAMERICAN PARLIAMENTARY MEETING Santiago de Chile, May 15(RHC)-- New criticisms of Spain's insulting invitation to Cuba to participate in an upcoming Iberoamerican meeting as an observer, rather than a full-member. Chilean Senator Carlos Ominami sharply criticized Madrid, saying that the Chile-Cuba parliamentary group that functions in the Chilean congress will meet in the next few days to analyze the situation. Earlier this week, in an open letter to the Spanish Parliament, Cuba condemned the invitation, calling it insulting and reminding Madrid that the island is no longer a colony of Spain. In Santiago de Chile on Thursday, Chilean Senator Ominami told reporters that Cuba is a full-member of the Iberoamerican countries and has regularly participated in all meetings related to the group of nations. The Chilean senator said that Spain does not have the right to issue invitations to any country as a mere observer to the upcoming parliamentary meeting, set to take place in Madrid later this month. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT INTENT ON PRESENTING A NEW CLAIM AGAINST HELMS BURTON AT WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION Strasbourg, My 15--(RHC) The European Parliament demanded Thursday that a new claim against the Helms Burton Law be presented before the World Trade Organization, the WTO. During a plenary meeting, the Eurodeputies passed a binding resolution in which they ask the issue of the anti-Cuba legislation and its unilateral, extraterritorial character, be again raised at the WTO. The European Parliament was thus protesting the EU's decision to withdraw a former WTO claim against Helms-Burton after an agreement on the law was reached with Washington. The parliamentarians were complaining that the Union's legislative body had not been consulted or even informed about the decision. The European Parliament resolution notes that there was no time constraint or any other reason why the European Parliament was not consulted. The European Parliament indicated, however, that it could abandon its demand if a way was found to regularly seek its considerations on WTO-related matters. NORWAY DEFIES WASHINGTON'S HELMS-BURTON LAW Oslo, May 15th(RHC)-- A Norwegian official has expressed opposition to Washington's anti-Cuba Helms-Burton law. Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Egeland, asserted that the Helms Burton is "ridiculous , and has no chance of survival". The Norwegian government official in Oslo told Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency that the US legislation not only affects Cuba but the entire world given its extraterritorial character. Egeland, who added, that the Helms-Burton is doomed to failure, stressed that Cuba-Norway bilateral relations are good and that there are perspectives to boost trade links in oil, marine and energy sectors. THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL GRANTS FOUR CUBAN NGO's ADVISORY STATUS Havana, May 15(RHC)-- Despite Washington's opposition, the United Nations Economic and Social Council has granted four Cuban NGO's advisory status. The Federation of Cuban Women, the National Association of Economists, the National Association of Legal Experts and the Felix Varela Center were chosen by the United Nations to form part of the international body's economic and social council. Though the Cuban NGO's will not have the right to vote, local authorities say the UN decision recognizes the prestige and reputation of the four Cuban organizations. Washington's pressures also failed to exclude from the United Nations Economic and Social Council the Latin American Continental Students Organization or OCLAE headquartered in Havana. The international institution had applied for membership in the United Nations Non Governmental Organizations Committee. Washington attempted to interfere in the elections demanding a vote count rather than the traditional consensus. CUBAN RUNNER AMA FIDELIA QUIROT SAYS SHE STILL HAS ENERGY FOR MORE Havana, May 15(RHC)--Veteran runner Cuba's Ana Fidelia Quirot has once again postponed her retirement. She announced she still has what it takes for more competitions this year and during 1998. Local Rebelde Radio station aired the news Wednesday asserting that Ana Fidelia has the physical and psychological conditions to remain in active sports for a little longer. There were rumors, including comments from Ana Fidelia that she would retire once the Athens Track and Field World Championship was over. With her 34 years, and following a long absence from the tracks due to a severe domestic accident, Ana Fidelia is one of the main figures at the Barrientos memorial tournament set to begin in Havana tomorrow. Track and field actions over the weekend will attract athletes from Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto among other countries. CARIBBEAN CULTURE FESTIVAL OPENS IN JULY IN EASTERN SANTIAGO DE CUBA PROVINCE Havana, May 15(RHC)-- More than a thousand Cuban and foreign performers and intellectuals will participate in the 17th Caribbean Culture Festival slated for July in Santiago de Cuba. This time the folkloric event will be dedicated to Brazil. Cuban and Brazilian folk music bands and dancers will take to local stages. In addition, Spanish and US musicians and performers will join in the annual Caribbean celebration, which is annually hosted by the Santiago de Cuba-based Casa del Caribe and the island's Ministry of Culture REFURBISHING OPERATIONS CONTINUE IN THE HISTORIC SECTION OF HAVANA Havana, May 15(RHC)-- More than 160 public and private buildings are undergoing refurbishing operations in the historic colonial section of Havana. The comprehensive recovery project covers an area of five square kilometers. Refurbishing operations are under the control of the Office of the City's Historian, Eusebio Leal, who has reiterated the city's decision not to burden the state with expenses. Leal is advocating that a portion of the revenues made by Habaguanex S.A -a company set up by the Office of the City's Historian, be used to help finance refurbishing operations and community projects. [c] 1997. 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