CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA October 14, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Tuesday, October 14, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- TENS OF THOUSANDS LINE THE STREETS TO SEE THE FUNERAL CORTEGE CARRYING THE REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA 2.- WASHINGTON AND EUROPEAN UNION BEGIN INTENSE TALKS ON HELMS-BURTON AND D'AMATO LAWS BEFORE OCTOBER 15th DEADLINE 3.- FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AIDED BY FRENCH DONATION 4.- THE ISLAND CLIMBS TO THE TOP OF THE LIST IN TOURISM 5.- CUBA HOPES TO INCORPORATE ITSELF INTO THE OIL WORLD 6.- CUBA MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONALIST SCHOOLS TENS OF THOUSANDS LINE THE STREETS TO SEE THE FUNERAL CORTEGE CARRYING THE REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA Havana, October 14(RHC)-- Tens of thousands of emotion-filled Havana residents lined the streets of the capital today to see the caissons carrying the coffins of Ernesto Che Guevara and his six comrades-in-arms. Following a brief military ceremony at the Jose Marti Memorial in the Plaza de la Revolucion, where the remains of the internationalist guerrillas were lying in state for three days, the convoy of seven jeeps carrying the coffins slowly made its way down Havana's Paseo Avenue to the city's seaside drive -- the Malecon -- passing in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. After passing through many neighborhoods of the capital, the convoy headed for the Central Highway, which took it through Matanzas Province and on to Santa Clara, 287 kilometers east of Havana. The funeral cortege is taking the same route, but in a reverse direction, taken by Che's rebel column after conquering Santa Clara in a decisive battle and marching on Havana during the final days of the Cuban revolutionary war. Santa Clara residents will receive the remains at 7 o'clock this evening and will pay their final respects over the next few days. On Friday, the remains will be deposited in a special mausoleum built in recent months and another military ceremony will be held. While lying in state at the Plaza de la Revolucion, more than 200,000 Havana residents filed passed the coffins. At the head of the convoy taking the remains to Santa Clara is Division General Ramon Pardo Guerra, who was under Che's command during the Cuban revolutionary war. Other military officers who had been Che's comrades-in-arms also form part of the solemn funeral cortege. WASHINGTON AND EUROPEAN UNION BEGIN INTENSE ROUND OF TALKS ON HELMS-BURTON AND D'AMATO LAWS BEFORE OCTOBER 15th DEADLINE Brussels, October 14(RHC)-- Washington and the European Union began today in Brussels the last round of talks on the U.S. Helms-Burton and Kennedy-D'Amato Laws before the October 15th deadline established for an agreement on these issues. But according to sources from the European Commission, the two parties still maintain ample differences and the talks are expected to continue until the final hours of Wednesday, the 15th. Nevertheless, the EU has eased the ultimatum originally given to Washington, arguing that -- for the moment -- what is important is the U.S. government's decision to not slap sanctions on European firms. The EU's foreign ministers recently expressed a great deal of satisfaction over Washington's decision to refrain from imposing sanctions against a French oil firm investing in Iran. Meanwhile, the Washington-based U.S.-Europe Business Council has released a study asserting that U.S. economic sanctions harm mostly U.S. firms. According to the business association, Washington's economic sanctions cause U.S. companies to lose more jobs and investment opportunities than European firms. Those sanctions, according to the study, cost U.S. firms between 15 and 19 billion dollars in exports in 1996 and affected the jobs of between 200 and 250,000 Americans. The U.S.-Europe Business Council said that the blockade against Cuba has negatively affected 63 percent of U.S. businesses compared to 58 percent of European companies, while sanctions against Iran hurt 74 percent of U.S. firms compared to 45 percent in Europe. The study reveals that since 1993, Washington has given a green light to 81 laws sanctioning 36 countries. The President of the U.S.-Europe Business Council, William Berry, pointed to the contradiction in which U.S. leaders find themselves as they give priority to the creation of jobs and the promotion of exports and investment while at the same time imposing sanctions aimed at achieving foreign policy objectives. FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AIDED BY FRENCH DONATION Havana, October 14(RHC)-- A contribution to the Cuban Customs Office by its French counterpart promises to help in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean. The French Customs Service has donated two powerful, high-speed motorboats to Cuban authorities during a special ceremony at the Hemingway Marina, located just west of Havana. The head of Cuba's Customs Office, General Pupo Perez, said that given the island's geographical location, Cuba has found itself fighting against the trafficking of illicit drugs. General Perez stressed that the use of drugs in Cuba does not present a significant problem, but that due to the island's proximity to the largest drug consumer in the world -- the United States -- Cuban authorities are taking all steps necessary to stop trafficking around Cuba in the Caribbean. THE ISLAND CLIMBS TO THE TOP OF THE LIST IN TOURISM Mexico City, October 14(RHC)-- Cuba has been steadily advancing to the top of the list of tourist destinations in Latin America. A report issued by the Association of Caribbean States notes that Cuba has jumped from 24th place to 9th in just the last two years. Released during the Second Meeting of the Tourism Commission of the Association of Caribbean States, currently meeting in Mexico City, the report points to the fact that Cuba is one of the few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that has earned more than one billion tourist dollars over the past year. The Association of Caribbean States report says that Cuba has experienced a 34.6 percent increase in tourism -- higher than that of Jamaica, which is number two on the list. Jamaica, concludes the report, only had a 14 percent increase since last year. Participants at the meeting underway in Mexico City are discussing strategies to develop tourism in the region, while at the same time preserving cultural values, fostering popular participation in decision making, development and the implementation of environmental preservation in tourism. CUBA HOPES TO INCORPORATE ITSELF INTO THE OIL WORLD Beijing, October 14(RHC)-- Cuba's Basic Industry Minister Marcos Portal told journalists in Beijing that the island hopes to quickly and completely incorporate itself into the international oil community with the use of high-tech and business promotion. While addressing the 15th World Oil Congress in Beijing, Cuba's representative said that the active participation of Cuba at the event is proof that the island's authorities are serious in this endeavor. Cuba's Basic Industry Minister said that the island has signed more than 40 joint ventures with foreign oil companies since 1991, when the island opened its doors to foreign investments. The Cuban representative to the 15th World Oil Congress said that the production of crude is presently meeting 15 percent of the country's needs. Portal said that with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the eastern European socialist countries, Cuba lost the bulk of its oil supplies -- 13 million tons. Cuba's Basic Industry Minister, who was elected as a member of Cuba's Communist Party Political Bureau at the recently held 5th Party Congress, will meet with Chinese authorities as well as executives of oil companies. On Friday, the Cuban representative to the 15 World Oil Congress will visit the steel complex in Bao Shang and the special economic zone of Fudong in Shanghai. CUBA MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONALIST SCHOOLS Havana, October 14(RHC)-- Cuban schools for Third World youth are marking the 20th anniversary of their foundation. Since 1977, when President Fidel Castro inaugurated the first such school on the Isle of Youth, some 37,000 young people from more than forty nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America have studied and earned their degrees on the island. At a time when economic shortages have forced Cuban authorities to cut back on the number of scholarships for Third World students, more than 4000 foreign students are currently enrolled at Cuban universities. [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. We welcome your comments and suggestions. 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