CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA May 16th, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Friday, May 16th, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- PASTORS FOR PEACE CROSSES THE BORDER INTO MEXICO 2.- CUBAN AUTHORITIES ISSUE DECREE LAW ON HOME RENTALS 3.- 22 NATIONS HAVE SIGNED INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND PROTECTION AGREEMENTS WITH CUBA 4.- COTAL CONGRESS AND TOURISM CONVENTION WIND UP IN HAVANA 5.- CUBAN POET GASTON BAQUERO DIES IN SPAIN AT THE AGE OF 79 6.- RADIO HAVANA CUBA WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED VOICE OF THE 14TH WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS PASTORS FOR PEACE CROSSES THE BORDER INTO MEXICO Tijuana, May 16(RHC)-- The western contingent of the 7th Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan crossed into Mexico on Friday, without opposition from federal police. According to organizers from the U.S. religious/solidarity organization, more than 20 vehicles crossed the border and are now in Mexico. There was a confrontation just before the border crossing involving several members of the ultra-right wing Cuban-American group Alpha 66. As the Pastors for Peace caravan was heading from a local church to the U.S.-Mexico border, members of Alpha 66 attempted to run several of the caravan vehicles off-the-road. Two vehicles were damaged and there were several minor injuries. Although the damaged vehicles were unable to make the crossing, all of the humanitarian aid was loaded on to other vehicles and is now across the border. Members of the 7th U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment are scheduled to arrive in Havana on Saturday. This caravan has been dedicated to the children of Cuba and will be bringing medicines, school supplies, toys and musical instruments -- as well as several school buses and an ambulance. CUBAN AUTHORITIES ISSUE DECREE LAW ON HOME RENTALS Havana, May 16(RHC)-- The Cuban State Council has passed Decree Law 171 regulating houses and room rentals on the island. The decree -published in its entirety in Friday's edition of Granma- recognizes the right of homeowners to rent parts of their houses or the house. It also stipulates the payment of taxes depending on the portion of the property rented. The new decree modifies article 74 of the General Law on Housing. According to the new decree, foreign diplomats, NGO's and foreign firms will not be allow to lease property to privates. Home rentals are prohibited for commercial, industrial and service purposes. Homeowners who decide to rent, will have to register in the Municipal Housing Authority and to report to Minister of Interior's Immigration and Foreigners Department on the identity of non-national guests. The newly announced decree is part of measures to put an end to housing-related illegalities that have boomed on the island over the last few years. According to Finances and Prices Ministry sources, it is estimated that during 1996 16% of tourists who travelled to the island stayed at private homes. So far in 1997, 25% of tourist stayed in private homes. Homeowners have paid no taxes on the income made on the rentals. According to the new decree, the money collected from the rentals, will be used to refurbish, give maintenance and build new houses everywhere in the island. 22 NATIONS HAVE SIGNED INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND PROTECTION AGREEMENTS WITH CUBA Havana, May 16(RHC)-- The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation -MINVEC- says that 22 nations have signed investment promotion and protection agreements with Cuba to date. In a press release issued in Havana Thursday, the Ministry adds that not a single foreign investor has withdrawn from the island in spite of stepped up pressures by Washington to reinforce the blockade. According to MINVEC, these agreements are aimed at opening the doors to high technology, market and fresh capital -vital elements for the development of the island. Some of the nations that have reached foreign investment and promotion agreement with Cuba include Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Spain, Italy and Great Britain. Currently, more than 260 joint ventures of Cuban and foreign capital are operating on the island 34 sectors of the economy. Their gross revenues are totalling more than 2.1 billion dollars a year. COTAL CONGRESS AND TOURISM CONVENTION WIND UP IN HAVANA Havana, May 16 (RHC)--The 40th Congress of the Latin American Tour Organizations Confederation COTAL elected the President of Cuban Travel Agencies Association and President of the Cuban company Fantastico, Fausto Garcia as Secretary of COTAL for a one year period. The election took place at the end of the COTAL congress in Havana Friday. The COTAL gathering ran parallel to the Cuba '97 18th Tour Convention which also wound up in the Cuban capital Friday. As part of negotiations, Cuban and international companies signed contracts that will bring 141 thousand visitors to Cuba during the next Autumn-Winter season. Agreements also included air tariffs for the 1997-1998 season, there were several requests for charter flights from various international agencies like a company from the Cayman Islands which requested two weekly charter flights between those islands and south central Cienfuegos province. Nearly 2000 tour experts from Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East attended the Tour Convention and the COTAL congress. It was announced that the 1998 Cuban tour convention will take place in Havana from May 11th through 15th, while the 41st COTAL gathering will move to Europe ...it will be held in the Portuguese city of Oporto. CUBAN POET GASTON BAQUERO DIES IN SPAIN AT THE AGE OF 79 Havana, May 16(RHC)-- Cuban daily Granma published today a review on the life of poet Gaston Baquero, who died in Madrid Thursday at the age of 79. Born in the eastern province of Holguin, the poet devoted his life to journalism and essay-writing both in Cuba and Spain where he lived since 1959. The biographical review reads that Baquero was part and parcel of the so-called Origenes group made up of renown intellectuals in the 1940's. His poetry books "Poems" and "Saul Over the Sword" published in 1942 placed him at the vanguard of the Cuban poetry. RADIO HAVANA CUBA WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED VOICE OF THE 14TH WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS Havana, May 16(RHC)-- The organizing committee of the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students has picked up on Radio Havana Cuba to be the official voice of the summer event. The head of the event's organizing committee, Rogelio Polanco, said Radio Havana Cuba was one of the first radio stations to disseminate details and information about the Youth Festival slated from July 28th to August 5th in Cuba. Polanco said more than 5,000 young people from 127 nations will attend the festival. This 14th edition of the youth festivals marks the 50th anniversary of the festivals' movement started in London in 1947. For the first time in the history the event will be self-financed not to burden the Cuban state with expenses due to the island's current hardships. [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. 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