CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA November 5 , 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Wednesday, November 5, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON PRESENTS BEFORE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 6TH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION AGAINST WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE OF CUBA 2.- UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES 6TH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION AGAINST US BLOCKADE OF CUBA WITH ANOTHER RECORD VOTE 3.- CUBAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION TO TRAVEL TO CUBA FOR THE JANUARY VISIT OF POPE JOHN PAUL II 4.- US FEDERAL COURT IN PUERTO RICO TO DECIDE ON BAIL FOR 4 CUBAN-AMERICANS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO 5.- HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR DEVOTED WEDNESDAY TO ITALY 6.- CUBAN HEALTH AUTHORITIES WARN OF AIDS INCREASE ON THE ISLAND OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS 7.- US COAST GUARD RETURNS CUBAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 8.- FILM LOVERS IN CUBA PREPARE FOR NEW EDITION OF THE HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF NEW LATIN AMERICAN FILM 9.- NEW CUBAN PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT SOON TO HIT THE NATIONAL MARKET CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON PRESENTS BEFORE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 6TH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION AGAINST WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE OF CUBA Havana, November 5(RHC)-- Speaking today before the United Nations General Assembly -- preceeding the vote on Cuba's resolution, Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon reiterated that the Cuban people will continue resisting. Upon presenting the anti-blockade resolution, Alarcon recognized the immense challenge that this resistance implies, but insisted that much greater is the Cuban people's desire to preserve the island's independence and social justice won through so many years of struggle and sacrifice. He said Cuba will never be returned to the exploiters and executioners who were definitively defeated. The president of Cuba's National Assembly of Peoples Power recalled that next year marks the centennial anniversary of the US military invasion of Cuba that stole away the imminent victory against Spanish colonialism by Cuban indepence fighters. That US domination, said Alarcon, came to an end 61 years later, in 1959. The Cuban official warned that though the intensity of Washington's unilateral measures is felt stronger in Cuba than elsewhere, today the US's unilateral sanctions are multiplying -- asking how long will this be tolerated by the international community. Looking back over the past 6 years of condemnation of the blockade in the UN General Assembly, Alarcon said the arrogance and cynicism of US policy has no parallel in history. Alarcon recalled that when debate on the blockade opened in the General Assembly in 1991, the United States distributed a document terming as false charges that Washington was attempting to prevent others from trading with Cuba. One year later, in 1992, the anti-Cuba Toricelli Law was enacted. In 1996, said Alarcon, came the Helms-Burton Law. In relation to the Helms-Burton Law, Alarcon pointed to the embarrassing situation in which President Bill Clinton finds himself: the leader of a superpower who is forced to negotiate foreign policy with a Congress that is happy to be the prey of what he called a municipal mafia -- in reference to the ultra right wing in Miami. Cuba's top legislator and former leading diplomat laid bare the lies used to justify Helms-Burton, recalling that the first nationalizations that took place in Cuba, in May, 1959, affected the tortures, murderers, thieves and frontmen of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship -- which no country in the world protested. These persons, said Alarcon, are the major beneficiaries of Helms-Burton. And the nationalizations that took place in Cuba were even upheld by a 1964 US Supreme Court decision, he added. To pretend to protect these persons claiming the right to property, said Alarcon, is an insult to human decency, to honest business representatives and to the legitimate interests of the American people and business community. UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES 6TH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION AGAINST US BLOCKADE OF CUBA WITH ANOTHER RECORD VOTE Havana, November 5(RHC)-- The United Nations General Assembly approved today the 6th consecutive resolution against the US blockade of Cuba with another record vote. With 143 nations in favor of lifting the blockade, 3 against and 17 abstentions, the UN General Assembly has upped the anty with respect to last year's vote: 137 in favor, the same 3 against -- the United States, Israel and Uzbekistan -- and 25 abstentions. The vote has been growing in Cuba's favor each year since 1992, with 59 in favor, 3 against and 71 abstentions. 18 delegations participated in the debate leading up to the vote, in which countries like China, Argentina, Indonesia and Luxemburg -- in representation of the European Union -- condemned the US's unilateral and extraterritorial measures. Observers are calling the UN vote the strongest response yet to efforts to intensify the blockade with the Helms-Burton Law. And, according to analysts, the vote will further strengthen Cuba's position at the upcoming Iberoamerican Summit in Venezuela. CUBAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION TO TRAVEL TO CUBA FOR THE JANUARY VISIT OF POPE JOHN PAUL II Havana, November 5(RHC)-- The government of Cuba has confirmed its special authorization for those abroad wishing to travel to Cuba for the January visit of Pope John Paul II. A press communique by Cuba's immigration authorities, published today in the Granma news daily, states that the government will authorize access to Havana's port of a cruise tourism ship from the United States, as well as direct charter flights. Due to the lack of greater capacity, Cuban authorities will not authorize access for other cruise ships, but is willing to consider any new request for charter flights. These facilities will be granted to persons of Cuban origin living in the United States or other countries, as well as American citizens and other foreigners residing in the US. For reasons of security, all of these persons will have to acquire in Cuban consular offices abroad special entry permits or visas to travel to Cuba between January 6th and the 31st. Cuban citizens temporarily residing abroad will not need special permission. Persons of Cuban origin residing abroad who traditionally travel to Cuba to visit their families for new year's celebrations will only be able to remain in Cuba until January 5th without special permission. Direct charter flights will land at Havana's International Jose Marti Airport. Tourism visits to Cuba will proceed normally. US FEDERAL COURT IN PUERTO RICO TO DECIDE ON BAIL FOR 4 CUBAN-AMERICANS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO Havana, November 5(RHC)-- A US federal court in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will decided next Friday on the possibility of bail for 4 Cuban-Americans arrested in connection with a possible assassination attempt against Cuban President Fidel Castro. Following their arrest last week off the coasts of Puerto Rico, in a vessel containing high-powered rifles and abundant ammunition, 2 of the 4 were released on bail. But federal district attornies in San Juan immediately appealed, and the 2 were again taken into custody. Judge Jesus Castellanos, who first examined the case, discarded the theory that the Miami-based Cubans were involved in an assassination plot -- despite testimony to the effect that one of the 4 admitted the plot to authorities. But federal district attornies Miguel Pereira and Jorge Vega Pacheco have demanded that they all remain in custody. Friday's hearing will be presided over by federal judge Juan Perez Gimenez. In the case involving Cuban-Americans Angel Manuel Alfonso, Angel Hernandez Rojo, Juan Bautista Marques and Francisco Secundino Cordova, Miami's ultra right wing Cuban American National Foundation, led by Jorge Mas Canosa, has also been implicated. The vessel used by the possible would-be assassins was registered in the name of business executive Juan Antonio Llama, member of the Foundation's board of directors. HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR DEVOTED WEDNESDAY TO ITALY Havana, November 5(RHC)--The 15th edition of Havana's International Trade Fair continues at Exhibition grounds, south of the city. The fair was dedicated Wednesday to Italy. The Havana International Trade Fair continues in full swing at EXPOCUBA Exhibit Halls, where more than 19 hundred companies from 61 countries are repressented. Among the international delegations that visited the Fair Wednesday was a group of Canadian companies from the Thunder Bay Ontario-based Confederation College of Technollogy. The delegation is headed by College President Bill Muray. The Fair dedicated Wednesday to Italy, a country that has over 150 companies present at the event. The Italian participation this year was officially sponsored by Italy's National Foreign Trade Institute. Institute repressentative Osvaldo Tutino that there's a growing interest in Cuba among Italian companies: "More than 100 enterprises are present in our pavillion. Some of them are already present in the Cuban market. We think this is the most important commercial event on the island and we want to say that next spring, an Italian private enterprise, sponsored by Italian Premier, will organize a multi-product exhibit in Havana. I'd also to say that Italy intends to be present in this exhibition with its participation." Tomorrow the Havana International Trade Fair will dedicate its day to Canada, a country that also has a very strong participation here. The Organizing Committee is already calling this 15th edition of the Havana Trade Fair a success, a sign of growing confidence that both, private companies and foreign governments have in the Cuban economic recovery process. CUBAN HEALTH AUTHORITIES WARN OF AIDS INCREASE ON THE ISLAND OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS Havana, November 5(RHC)-- Cuban health authorities have warned about the increase of the AIDS virus on the island over the last 2 years. Doctor Rigoberto Torres, of the Public Health Ministry's Epidemiology Department, told a press conference in Havana Tuesday that since AIDS screening began in Cuba in 1986, 1,770 seropositives have been detected, 302 of them in 1997 alone. This, said the specialist, puts the infection rate at one per day during the current year. Of those infected, added the specialist, 635 developed full blown aids, of whom 470 have died. According to the epidemiologist, the age group most affected by the disease is 20 through 29. Doctor Torres said that the virus is more reported in this age group because Cuban youth have little perception of the risk of contracting AIDS, due to male chauvinist behavior, and the failure to use condoms, among other factors. Cuba, said the specialist, is the only nation in the world where an epidemiolgy-oriented fully comprehensive AIDS screening search is conducted. The screening program covers all blood donations, women in their first three months of pregnancy, persons hospitalized in any medical facility with clinical signs of the illness, and prison inmate population. Regarding Children infected with AIDS, Torres indicated that 6 have been diagnosed with the disease over the last 11 years, 4 of them have died. 24 Cuban scientists are currently involved in research for a vaccine against the deadly virus. Some of them have inoculated themselves with the vaccine prototype.Full clinical results are expected by the year 2005. US COAST GUARD RETURNS CUBAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Havana, November 5(RHC)-- US Coast guard authorities, repatriated 12 illegal Cuban immigrants Tuesday, in compliance with US-Cuba migratory accords. According to a National Information Agency report,. 5 of the returnees are from Cienfuegos province in central Cuba, and 7 from neighboring Villa Clara province. Also on Tuesday, US authorities returned to the entrance of the Guantanamo Naval Base ,in eastern Cuba, two immigrants who had illegally tried to reach Florida's shores. Over the last 2 years, some 800 Cubans who have resorted to illegal procedures to enter US territory have been repatriated. FILM LOVERS IN CUBA PREPARE FOR NEW EDITION OF THE HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF NEW LATIN AMERICAN FILM Havana, November 5(RHC)-- Argentina with 10 and Brazil with 9 feature films, will be the countries with most participation in the upcoming 19th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema slated for December 2 through the 12 in the Cuban capital. Cuba's entries will be "Kelines Tropicana" by Daniel Torres, Amor Vertical, by Arturo Sotto, and Los Safiros, Locura Azul, by Manuel Herrera. According to Festival organizers, 159 entries have been submitted for the coral prize in the category of fiction feature film, 134 in documentaries, and 20 in animation. The Jury's President will be renown Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti. Spanish Jesus Garcia, Cuban Fernando Perez and Argentinean Lita Stantic, also make up the Festival's jury. NEW CUBAN PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT SOON TO HIT THE NATIONAL MARKET Havana, November 5(RHC)--A new pharmaceutical product developed by Cuban laboratories will hit the domestic market in January. Under the name of Cikron, the new natural base product is credited with healing properties. Luz Maria Sanchez, researcher with the National Center for Animal Health, which oversaw the development of the product, told the press that it has already been registered with the Cuban Office for Industrial Property, and that Mexico, Canada and Chile have expressed their interest in marketing Cikron. The medication, whose production is based on red mangrove, has been highly successful in the healing of ulcers and endometritis. [c] 1997. 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