CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA October 15, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Wednesday, October 15, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA AND HIS COMRADES-IN-ARMS WELCOMED IN SANTA CLARA 2.- U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PRESSURED TO RESPOND TO MASSIVE OUTPOURING OF RESPECT FOR COMANDANTE CHE GUEVARA 3.- THE VATICAN SENDS REPRESENTATIVE TO CUBA TO ARRANGE DETAILS FOR POPE'S VISIT 4.- SPANISH BUSINESSMAN FOUND `NOT GUILTY' OF VIOLATING U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA 5.- PREPARATIONS FOR SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS GO RIGHT ON SCHEDULE 6.- CEMENT PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS REACH RECORD LEVELS 7.- NATIONAL CULTURE DAY CELEBRATED NEXT MONDAY IN CUBA REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA AND HIS COMRADES-IN-ARMS WELCOMED IN SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, October 15(RHC)-- The remains of Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades-in-arms were massively received Tuesday evening in Cuba's central Villa Clara Province. Residents from the neighboring Provinces of Camaguey and Sancti Spiritu joined the Villaclarenos to receive the remains while singing the song "Hasta Siempre Comandante" -- a song with direct references to Che and the provincial capital Santa Clara. Tens of thousands of Cubans silently lined the streets and highway where the funeral cortege carrying the remains travelled yesterday from Havana to Santa Clara -- practically during the entire 280 kilometer journey. In 1958, the battle of Santa Clara -- led by Che Guevara -- went down in history as one of the Cuban revolutionary war's most brilliant military campaigns. Only 400 rebels armed with rifles, machine guns and bazookas defeated 3000 soldiers of the Batista dictatorship armed with tanks and mortars. Between now and Friday, the residents of Villa Clara and neighboring provinces will pay their final respects to the Argentinean born internationalist, four Cuban internationalists, one Bolivian and one Peruvian. Their remains will be deposited in a special mausoleum in Santa Clara on Friday, amid final military honors. U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PRESSURED TO RESPOND TO MASSIVE OUTPOURING OF RESPECT FOR COMANDANTE CHE GUEVARA Havana, October 15(RHC)-- This morning's edition of Granma newspaper published an article today commenting on the manifest disgust in Washington over the massive and emotion-filled tributes to Ernesto Che Guevara, in Cuba and around the world. Granma columnist Nicanor Leon Cotayo made reference to statements made last Friday by U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin, who said that despite a new international reality, time seems to have stopped in Cuba. Leon Cotayo said that if time had stopped in Cuba, "the island would still be a U.S. neo-colony, governed by the Batista tyranny that Washington supported." The U.S. State Department spokesman said the funeral ceremonies and military honors for Che and his comrades was a "return to the past." The Cuban articlel said that "Rubin doesn't seem to understand that Che's on-going popularity, and the esteem felt by millions for this international figure, is due precisely to the fact that the world has changed -- for the worse." Leon Cotayo cited United Nations statistics, which assert that there are 800 million hungry people on our planet, that 35,000 starve to death every day and that 46 percent of Latin America's population -- 240 million people -- live in poverty. "In the five minutes that the U.S. State Department spokesman used to launch another attack against Cuba, 22 children died of hunger." And this occurs, said the Granma article, in a world that Rubin says is better than during the epoch in which Che lived. "This is exactly what Che struggled against all of his life." In another part of his diatribe, Rubin asserted that democracy has been extended around the world and that the Cuban people also want democracy. Leon Cotayo asked which democracy the U.S. spokesman was referring to: that which existed in Cuba until 1959? Or the U.S. democracy of electoral corruption scandals, child pornography, massive drug consumption, increasing criminal violence? The Cuban columnist took note of the sharp decrease in Cuba's infant mortality rate and the sharp rise in life expectancy since 1959. The U.S. State Department spokesman also said that the tributes rendered to Che were reminiscent of the Cold War epoch. The Granma article responded that it was difficult to understand the concerns of the spokesman of a government that, among other things, continues waging an economic war against Cuba, recently expanded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and continues to be one of the world's largest weapons exporters. The Cuban commentator noted that in a country that claims to have a free press, the tributes to Che have been virtually silenced. "What really worries Washington," wrote Leon Cotayo, "is that Che's legacy -- which the U.S. government had hoped to kill by ordering Che's execution -- is growing instead of diminishing." THE VATICAN SENDS REPRESENTATIVE TO CUBA TO ARRANGE DETAILS FOR POPE'S VISIT The Vatican, October 15(RHC)-- The Vatican's spokesperson, Joaquin Navarro Vals, is expected in Havana on Monday, October 20th. Navarro's seven-day visit will focus on arrangements with State and Church authorities on Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba, slated to begin next January 25th. Pope John Paul II will visit several of the island's thirteen archdioceses, and will celebrate Mass in public squares in Havana, Santa Clara, Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba. During his pastoral visit, the Pope will meet with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Both leaders met at The Vatican last November when President Fidel Castro attended the Food and Agriculture Organization-sponsored World Food Summit. At the meeting last year, the Pope expressed his opposition to Washington's economic blockade against Cuba. SPANISH BUSINESSMAN FOUND `NOT GUILTY' OF VIOLATING U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA Miami, October 15(RHC)-- A jury has returned a verdict of not guilty in the case against Spanish businessman Juan Torres Manzano -- accused of violating Washington's blockade against Cuba. The U.S. government brought charges against Torres Manzano, alleging that he had sent merchandise from the United States to Cuba through third countries and was aware of the fact that he was violating U.S. laws. The principle witness against the accused was another Spanish businessman -- Javier Ferreiro -- who was arrested in April of this year on similar charges. Ferreiro turned state's evidence and agreed to plead guilty and testify against Torres Manzano, who was his former business partner. Observers say that it is ironic that Torres Manzano will now walk free, cleared of having violated the U.S. blockade of Cuba -- while Javier Ferreiro is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5th and is facing up to two years in prison. PREPARATIONS FOR SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS GO RIGHT ON SCHEDULE Havana, October 15(RHC)-- In today's edition of the daily Granma newspaper, Cubans are reading about the preparations underway for municipal elections, which will take place throughout the island this Sunday. More than 32,000 polling stations -- nearly 7000 more than during the last elections in 1995 -- have been set up around the country. Observers believe that with more polling stations, Cuban voters will be more comfortably able to choose among the more than 31,000 candidates. Polls will be open from seven o'clock in the morning until six in the evening -- with a few exceptions, where local authorities will open the polling stations earlier to accommodate workers who must be in the fields or at their jobs before 7 a.m. More than 161,000 volunteers will staff the polling stations and are asked to be there one hour earlier to make sure everything is ready for the elections. This morning's newspaper said that voters will be welcome to witness ballot counting after the polls close Sunday evening and that the final results of the voting will be announced as soon as all votes are counted and verified. CEMENT PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS REACH RECORD LEVELS Havana, October 15(RHC)-- Cement production and exports have reached record levels so far this year in Cuba. With more than 685,000 tons of cement produced to date, Cuba's cement industry appears to be turning the corner. Since 1993, the local cement industry has been steadily growing and expectations point to an export total of one million tons by the end of 1997. The President of the Cuban Cement Corporation, Juan Miguel Fernandez, told reporters that the industry will register a 30 percent increase this year -- meaning a surplus production of half a million tons compared to 1996. Fernandez said that although all the island's cement plants are operating, output levels are far from reaching their record production of 3.8 million tons in 1989. Perspectives for 1998 point to a five percent increase in production, which will obviously have a favorable impact on exports. NATIONAL CULTURE DAY CELEBRATED NEXT MONDAY IN CUBA Havana, October 15(RHC)-- The eastern city of Bayamo has been chosen to host national culture celebrations. Beginning today and until next Monday, the 20th, Bayamo will be the site of local cultural activities. Cuba's National Culture Day is annually observed every October 20th. On that date in 1868, residents of the eastern city of Bayamo sang the national anthem for the first time. This year, National Culture Day is dedicated to the memory of Comandante Che Guevara. As part of the celebrations, a book fair will be held where General Harry Villegas -- known as "Pombo" in Che Guevara's guerrilla movement -- will launch his book: "Pombo, A Man of Che's Guerrilla Forces." [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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