CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA
                          May 20th, 1997               
                       E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org


The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's
International Shortwave Service in English for Tuesday, May
20th, 1997. Today's stories:

1.- LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT ANGRY AT DECISION TO LEAVE       
    HAVANA OUT OF IMPORTANT IBEROAMERICAN LEGISLATIVE MEETING

2.- CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT JOSE RAMON FERNANDEZ IS APPOINTED     
    HEAD OF THE CUBAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

3.- PASTORS FOR PEACE MEMBERS ATTEND ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON 
    EFFECTS OF U.S. BLOCKADE ON CUBAN CHILDREN

4.- OFFICE FOR THE JOSE MARTI PROGRAM OFFICIALLY PRESENTED IN  
    HAVANA

5.- PANAMERICAN OPHTHALMOLOGY ASSOCIATION RESTORES CUBA AS     
    FULL MEMBER

6.- CHILEAN SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS AGREE TO INCREASE ACTIVITIES  
    IN SUPPORT OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION

7.- CAPE VERDE AND CUBA OPEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

8.- CUBAN BALLET TROUPE DANCES IN PARAGUAY

LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT ANGRY AT DECISION TO LEAVE HAVANA
OUT OF IMPORTANT IBEROAMERICAN LEGISLATIVE MEETING

Caracas, May 20(RHC)-- The Latin American Parliament's Board
of Directors has rejected Spain's arbitrary decision to
exclude Cuba from an Iberoamerican meeting set for Madrid this
month. Recently the organizing commission of the Iberoamerican
Parliaments Conference, scheduled for the Spanish capital on
may 29th and the 30th, decided to exclude the Caribbean island
as a full member of that gathering.

The President of the Cuban National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon
categorically rejected Madrid's invitation to participate as
an observer. In a letter protesting the decision, Alarcon
upheld the Cuban parliament's full membership in the
conference and termed the decision intolerable, unilateral
and discriminatory. Cuba said that all Latin American
legislative bodies, and at Mexico's initiative, gathered at
the Latin American parliaments' Board of Directors meeting in
the Venezuelan capital, have agreed to send a message to the
Spanish government rejecting the decision and reiterating
the Cuban National Assembly's right to participate in the
Madrid gathering as a full member.

CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT JOSE RAMON FERNANDEZ IS APPOINTED HEAD OF
THE CUBAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Havana, May 20(RHC)--The members of the Cuban olympic
committee unanimously elected  vice-President Jose Ramon
Fernandez as chairman of that organization Monday .   

Representatives from the island's 45 sports federations gave
their vote to Fernandez who from his post at the Council of
Ministers has been supervising the nation's sports movement
for almost two decades. He was also in charge of the
Organizing Committee for the Panamerican games held in Havana
in 1991 and the Central American and Caribbean games of 1982. 

Vice-president Fernandez replaces Manuel Gonzalez Guerra  who
died at age 84, April 18th due to heart failure. Former 1976
olympic  champ, runner Alberto Juantorena and 1972 olympic
bronze medalist in basketball Ruperto Herrera were appointed
vice presidents. The current President of the National Sports
Institute, Reynaldo Gonzalez, was elected as General
Secretary. 

In his first message after election, new Cuban Olympic
Committee Chairman  Jose Ramon Fernandez stressed the island's
sports authorities commitment  to be  respectful with every
olympic rule and procedure. Cuban  athletes, trainers,
specialists and all the personnel involved with sports, added
Fernandez,  should prepare themselves with discipline, honesty
and devotion to  best represent the island at national and
international competitions. 

PASTORS FOR PEACE MEMBERS ATTEND ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON
EFFECTS OF U.S. BLOCKADE ON CUBAN CHILDREN

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- Members of the 7th U.S.-Cuba
Friendshipment Caravan attended a round-table discussion on
the effects of the U.S. economic blockade against the island 
-- and especially its effects on children.  

Economic experts addressed the group and they also heard from
Cuban young people themselves about the difficulties of
obtaining school supplies, medicines and other needs for Cuban
children.

Tuesday the delegation also visited museums and other places
of social and cultural interest here in the Cuban capital.

Many of the caravanistas are young people -- given that this
caravan is dedicated to Cuban youth -- and most are visiting
the island for the first time.  Radio Havana Cuba spoke with
Gail Walker of the Interreligious Foundation for Community
Organization, IFCO -- the parent organization of Pastors for
Peace:

"There is a lot of interest in having free time to meet with
people... on the streets, in the parks, down by the Malecon or
wherever we go...  People want to have interchanges with the
Cuban people on a casual, informal basis.  And, as it happens
with every caravan we have organized to Cuba, there are always
a number of people who get so `turned-on' by this experience
that they don't even want to go to sleep!  They just want to
use every hour, every minute, every second to absorb this
whole Cuban experience!  So we're pleased and quite proud that
we have so many new people who have not ever been to Cuba
before and that they are having that kind of wonderful
experience here!"

OFFICE FOR THE JOSE MARTI PROGRAM OFFICIALLY PRESENTED IN
HAVANA

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- High ranking Cuban officials on Monday
evening attended the official presentation of the new Office
for the Jose Marti Program. A project of Cuba's State Council,
the new department will disseminate the work and life of Cuban
National Hero, poet, journalist, statesman and revolutionary,
Jose Marti. Former Culture Minister, Armando Hart, has been
appointed to head the office which will coordinate national
efforts aimed at preserving Jose Marti's historical legacy.

Defense Minister, Raul Castro, attended the official
presentation ceremony which was held at the Jose Marti
Memorial in Havana's huge Revolution Square. An agreement was
signed during the ceremony which lays the foundations for the
creation of a multidisciplinary team of experts who will have
the job of drafting a program for the study of the work and
life of Jose Marti, also known as the Apostle.

Under the agreement, the existing Center of Studies on  Jose
Marti and the Jose Marti Cultural Association which formerly
worked under the Ministry of Culture, will now function under
the same guidelines as the Office for the Jose Marti Program. 
The Education Ministry, The Higher Education Ministry, the
Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, the
Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Institute of Radio and
Television, will join efforts to support the new Office for
the Jose Marti Program.

In related news,on the 102nd anniversary of the death in
combat of Jose Marti this past Monday, Cuban president Fidel
Castro, and the Council of State and Ministers, sent floral
wreaths to Santiago de Cuba cemetery where Marti is buried. 
Born in 1853, Marti was one of the three principal leaders of
the last century independence wars against Spain along with
Lieutenant General Antonio Maceo and Dominican-born Cuban
General Maximo Gomez.

PANAMERICAN OPHTHALMOLOGY ASSOCIATION RESTORES CUBA AS FULL
MEMBER

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- The Cuban flag is waving again at the
Panamerican Ophthalmology Association after 35 years of
absence provoked by US pressures. Today's edition of Granma
newspaper reports that with the active support of
ophthalmologists from Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina,
Chile and Colombia and other countries, Cuba has been 
reinstated as a member of the prestigious association.  

Granma reports that the announcement was made at the 21st
Panamerican Ophthalmological Congress held in the Mexican city
of Cancun. According to the article, the 3 thousand delegates
who were present for the announcement expressed overwhelming
support. 

At the congress, the Chief of the Cuban National
Ophthalmological Group, Dr Jaime Alemany and the President of
the Cuban Ophthalmological Association, Dr Marcelino Rio,
together with ten other Cuban ophthalmologists, gave
presentations on blindness prevention programs in Cuba
and family studies on retinosis pigmentosa.

CHILEAN SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS AGREE TO INCREASE ACTIVITIES IN
SUPPORT OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- The 5th National Chilean Encounter of
Solidarity with Cuba Groups has ended with pledges to
strengthen support for the Cuban Revolution. According to a
report by Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency, over five hundred
representatives from different Chilean political, social and
labor organizations placed solidarity with Cuba at the center
of discussions in the city of Concepcion. Participants agreed
to appoint a delegation to urge the Chilean Congress to reject
Spain's decision to invite Cuba as an observer rather than in
its usual status of participant, to the meeting of Presidents
of Iberoammerican Parliaments which opens soon in Madrid.
The 5th National Chilean Encounter of Solidarity with Cuba
Groups has also called for the promotion of activities of the
local Preparatory Committee for the 14th World Festival of
Youth and Students slated for next summer on the island.

CAPE VERDE AND CUBA OPEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- Cuba and Cape Verde have begun to
analyze bilateral economic cooperation as part of sessions of
the mixed intergovernmental commission in Havana. The session
will also explore ways to increase economic and  scientific
cooperation. Cuba and Cape Verde have maintained cooperation
in various areas since 1976. Last year bilateral links saw an
increase especially in the areas of fishing, health,
education, civil aeronautics and trade. To date more than 5 00
Cubans have provided professional services in Cape Verde while
over 6 00 young people from that African nation have graduated
from Cuban schools.

CUBAN BALLET TROUPE DANCES IN PARAGUAY

Havana, May 20(RHC)-- Cuba's renowned Camaguey Ballet Troupe
is heading to Paraguay to perform at the Latin American Ballet
Encounter slated for this week. This is the first time the
Cuban ballet company takes to Paraguayan stages. Cuba will
present dancers Maite Ramirez and Miguel Angel Guerra. Dancers
from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico and Peru will
also attend the five-day event.



           [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba
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