CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA November 10, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Monday, November 10, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RETURNS HOME AFTER PARTICIPATING IN VENEZUELA'S 7TH IBEROAMERICAN SUMMIT 2.- CUBAN-AMERICANS ARRESTED IN PUERTO RICO IN POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO FREE ON BAIL 3.- HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR SUCCESSFULLY ENDS 4.- TRADITIONAL AND NATURAL MEDICINE ADVANCE IN CUBA 5.- PINAR DEL RIO REPORTS THE LOWEST INFANT MORTALITY RATE ON THE ISLAND THIS YEAR 6.- LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT PERMANENT COMMISSIONS TO MEET IN HAVANA THURSDAY CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RETURNS HOME AFTER PARTICIPATING IN VENEZUELA'S 7TH IBEROAMERICAN SUMMIT Havana, November 10(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro returned home today from Venezuela after participating in the 7th Iberoamerican Summit. On Sunday, the Cuban leader met with Cuba solidarity activists on Venezuela's Margarita Island, and with the Venezuelan-Cuban Chamber of Commerce, grouping close to 200 firms. President Castro thanked the Venezuelan business community for creating this entity, which he called the only of its kind in South America. He also recalled that bilateral Cuba-Venezuela trade last year was to the tune of 300 million dollars, and is growing. The Cuban leader warned, however, of the dangers that the region's economies are facing due to what he called run away, unrestrained and irrational financial markets, environmental degradation and other ills of the 20th century. Speaking before solidarity activists, the leader of the Cuban revolution revealed that 2 Venezuelan military aircraft escorted his own plane when heading for Venezuela, fearing an attack by land-to-air missiles. President Castro said that Cuba did not request the escort, that it was a spontaneous gesture on the part of Venezuelan authorities. He recalled the recent arrest off the coasts of Puerto Rico of 4 Cuban-Americans armed with sophisticated weapons and who were apparently planning an assassination attempt against his life. The Cuban leader said those detained could well have gotten rid of stinger, land-to-air missiles by throwing them overboard before their vessel was boarded by the US coast guard. Those types of weapons, he added, have been disseminated throughout the region by the US government during its campaign in the 1980's to destroy the Sandinista revolution and other leftist insurgencies, and that they can know be easily obtained on the black market. Cuban President Fidel Castro said he didn't believe that the US government was still drawing up plans to physically eliminate him, but that those who learned the art of killing from their CIA teachers were still trying. The Cuban leader also recalled that it was in Venezuela where Cuban-American terrorists placed a bomb on a Cuban civilian airliner that exploded off the shores of Barbados, killing all 73 people aboard, including Cuba's entire national fencing team. Meanwhile, news dailies throughout the region have commented that during the 7th Iberoamerican Summit, Cuba achieved the strongest support ever with respect to Washington's blockade of the island, while the United States received the strongest criticism ever. The Iberoamerican Summit's final declaration rejected in strong terms the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law and the numerous efforts in the US Congress to further strengthen extraterritorial legislation. CUBAN-AMERICANS ARRESTED IN PUERTO RICO IN POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO FREE ON BAIL Havana, November 10(RHC)-- Four Cuban-Americans arrested in Puerto Rico in connection to a possible assassination attempt against Cuban President Fidel Castro have been released on bail. US federal judge in San Juan, Juan Perez Jimenez released Angel Miguel Alfonso and Angel Hernandez Rojo on 30 thousand dollar bails, while Juan Bautista Marques and Francisco Secundino Cordoba were given 50 thousand dollar bails. Al 4 will be able to return to their respective residencies in Miami and New Jersey, but will have to report weekly to the nearest federal court. According to the US district attorney's office in San Juan, Angel Miguel Alfonso admitted to the assassination plot, though the other 3 have denied it. Thus far, the 4 accused have only been charged with the illegal possession of weapons, but not of an assassination conspiracy. And in other related news. over the weekend Venezuela's Attorney General's office has demanded the opening of an investigation into a group of Cuban-Americans expelled last week from Margarita Island. Venezuelan Interior Minister Jose Guillermo Andueza stated that the government will turn over to judicial authorities all evidence in its possession linking the Cuban-Americans to the falsification of documents. Some members of the group reportedly were in possession of false press credentials. HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR SUCCESSFULLY ENDS Havana, November 10(RHC)-- The 15th Havana International Trade Fair closed its doors Sunday, after setting a new record of participants and deals made during a single event. More than 1 900 commercial firms from 64 countries crammed the exhibit grounds of EXPOCUBA, located south of Havana. During the event, foreign participants expressed their interest in the Cuban market, not only for its attractiveness and reliability, but also because it offers the possibility of expanding business in other countries of the region. In the fair's awards ceremony over the week-end, the excellent quality of 18 Cuban products was recognized with gold medals. Cuba --the most awarded nation-- was followed by Spain with 8 gold medals, Italy with 4 and Canada and Germany with 3 gold medals each. The sweeping recognition of Cuban products, in a fair in which more than 1900 companies participated, say observers, illustrates the quest for quality that is accompanying Cuba's economic recovery process. The 16 edition of Havana's International Trade Fair will take place in November 1998. On Sunday several foreign firms were already contracting exhibit space for the next meet. TRADITIONAL AND NATURAL MEDICINE ADVANCE IN CUBA Guantanamo, November 10(RHC)--Traditional and Natural medicine Programs continue gaining momentum in Cuba according to the assessment of a national meeting on the subject held in the eastern Cuban province of Guantanamo over the week-end. Homeopathy, acupuncture, mud-therapy and herbal medicine, elements of the program, are receiving greater attention and use island-wide, said Public health officials on hand at the event. As of August, more than a million 267 patients had received acupuncture treatment in Cuban health facilities, and if the trend continues by year's end herbal medications sold over the counter in Cuban pharmacies will exceed 50 million units. The boost in what is called in Cuban " green medicine, is a result of a joint effort by the island's ministries of Public Health and Agriculture, and the island's health authorities efforts to encourage natural medical practices whose scientific effectiveness have been confirmed. The island's economic crunch, known as the special period, brought about a drastic reduction in medications availability on the island. Cuban scientists have encouraged the use of herbal and traditional methods to treat certain aliments. PINAR DEL RIO REPORTS THE LOWEST INFANT MORTALITY RATE ON THE ISLAND THIS YEAR Pinar del Rio, November 10(RHC)-- The westernmost province of Pinar del Rio is reporting the lowest infant mortality rate on the island of a 5.5 per 1000 live births. Provincial Health authorities say that the achievement is mainly the result of the prevention and attention promoted by the Mother and Child Program, undertaken by health facilities, the family doctor program and other specialists. Despite its current economic crisis, Cuba continues decreasing its infant mortality rate, which currently stands nationally at 7.9 deaths per one thousand live births, one of the lowest rates in the Third World. LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT PERMANENT COMMISSIONS TO MEET IN HAVANA THURSDAY Havana, November 10(RHC)-- Seven permanent commissions of the Latin American Parliament -Parlatino- will be sessioning in the Cuban capital this week. More than one hundred lawmakers are expected to be on hand for meetings of the Political Affairs, Emerging Economies, Labor Affairs, Energy and Mines, Youth and Health and Tourism commissions. In the meeting's final session, lawmakers will assess their countries' contributions to the drafting of a Latin American Law on tourism. [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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