A SPRINT ROUTER FAILURE IN WASHINGTON, DC DELAYED THIS EDITION. CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA October 23rd , 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Thursday, October 23, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- UNITED NATIONS VOTE ON SIXTH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE SET FOR NOVEMBER 5th 2.- SOCIALISM HAS NOT FAILED; IT IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD 3.- RUN-OFF ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY 4.- SECRETARY OF SELA ATTENDS SEMINAR IN HAVANA 5.- SUGAR EXPERTS MEET IN CUBA TO DISCUSS FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 6.- IBEROAMERICAN CULTURE FEST HELD IN THE CITY OF PARKS 7.- AND IN SPORTS... TEN CUBAN BOXERS REACH WORLD SEMI-FINALS UNITED NATIONS VOTE ON SIXTH CONSECUTIVE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE SET FOR NOVEMBER 5th New York, October 23(RHC)-- The sixth consecutive resolution against Washington's blockade of Cuba will be voted next November 5th. In response to a request by the United Nations Secretary General concerning last year's Resolution 51/17 against the blockade, 45 nations have drawn up written reports concerning their compliance with the Resolution and condemnation of extraterritorial measures. As a UN observer, the Vatican also submitted its condemnation of the blockade. Since 1992, Cuba's resolution has garnered increasing support each year. The first vote was 25 in favor, 3 against and 71 abstentions. The following year -- 1993 -- the vote was 88 in favor, four against and 57 abstentions. Those in favor rose to 101 in 1994, 117 in 1995 and 137 last year -- while abstentions continued to decrease... from 48 in 1994 to 38 the next year and 25 in 1996. The countries that have voted against the resolution condemning the blockade have invariably been the United States and Israel, last year getting the support of Uzbekistan. SOCIALISM HAS NOT FAILED; IT IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD Havana, October 23(RHC)-- Socialism has not failed, although the experience of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. This has been the common thesis among participants at the International Workshop "Socialism Into the Year 2000," which ended Thursday after three days of sessions in Havana. Optimism towards the future of socialism has prevailed among leading members of more than one hundred left-oriented organizations from the world over. Participants expressed their confidence that the correlation of forces will not remain static and that socialism will eventually prove to be the only alternative to guarantee the planet's survival. One of the most important debates during the sessions tackled current trends in building socialism -- with an emphasis on the Cuban experience and the introduction of elements of the market economy. Most participants spoke of the need to examine the characteristics of imperialism as well as learning from the mistakes that led to the collapse of so-called `socialism' in Eastern Europe. The event also produced a cooperation treaty between Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh Political Institute and Cuba's Nico Lopez Political Institute. Under the agreement, the two institutions will exchange experiences and conduct joint social and political research. RUN-OFF ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY Havana, October 23(RHC)-- The electoral process continues making news here in Cuba as more than 1000 electoral districts will hold run-off elections on Sunday. Compared to elections held in 1995, the number of electoral districts holding run- offs has tripled. Two years ago, only 332 districts held run- offs and a third run-off was necessary in two districts. Under the Electoral Law, if two candidates receive the same number of votes -- or, in the case of three candidates, if no one receives at least 50 percent of the vote -- run-offs are held until one of them wins more than half. The increased number of run-off races this time has to do with the nomination of a larger number of candidates at the island's more than 14,000 electoral districts. SECRETARY OF SELA ATTENDS SEMINAR IN HAVANA Havana, October 23(RHC)-- Upon his arrival in Havana, the Secretary of the Latin American Economic System -- SELA -- stated that the organization is trying to bring countries closer to the United Nations. Carlos Moneta arrived in Havana last night to attend the international seminar "Looking toward the United Nations From Latin America and the Caribbean." The seminar is sponsored by the Cuban United Nations Association. According to SELA's secretary, the seminar is of paramount importance "since respect and equality among peoples should be determining factors in today's world." Moneta said the future of the region will be the focus of the event that will close Friday. SUGAR EXPERTS MEET IN CUBA TO DISCUSS FUTURE PERSPECTIVES Havana, October 23(RHC)-- International officials, entrepreneurs and sugar market experts have discussed perspectives of the sugar market for next year. With two centuries of experience in producing sugar, Cuba hosted the sector's most important international meeting that wound up Thursday. Participants arrived at the consensus that real prices of sugar are going down, thus having a negative impact on producer nations. Sponsored by the Cuban Sugar Export Company CUBAZUCAR, the closing session was addressed by British entrepreneur James Frey who said that extremely low market prices in 1995 forced several nations to reduce sugar production. The President of the International Sugar Organization Peter Barrow, on the other hand, had optimistic words on the future of the international sugar market, given that prices should remain stable in the coming 12 to 18 months. The President of the International Sugar Organization said that although the anti-Cuba U.S. Helms-Burton law is making it tougher on the island, there is no reason to be pessimistic. IBEROAMERICAN CULTURE FEST HELD IN THE CITY OF PARKS Holguin, October 23(RHC)-- Representatives from Iberoamerican nations are celebrating in eastern Cuba. Every year, Cuba hosts the Iberoamerican Culture Fest and this time, the eastern city of Holguin -- known as "The City of Parks" -- is welcoming artistic delegations from four Iberoamerican nations. The Iberoamerican Culture Fest for 1997 is dedicated to the peoples of Venezuela and the Spanish autonomous region of Galicia. The main goal of the festival is to promote popular values and bring the area's different cultures closer together. Galicia has sent a very comprehensive artistic delegation headed by historian, archeologist and anthropologist Jose Carro Otero. The Galician scholar will give a conference on Galician poet Rosalia de Castro. Musicians, writers, film makers and photographers also make up the Galician delegation. AND IN SPORTS... TEN CUBAN BOXERS REACH WORLD SEMI-FINALS Havana, October 23(RHC)-- Wednesday was an excellent day for the eleven Cuban boxers taking part at the World Championship. Ten of them secured their tickets for the semi-finals and will be fighting for the Silver medal. Only one man, Roberto Guerra in the welter-light division, was unable to beat his Russian opponent, Paata Guasalia -- who won by points 5 to 10. But the Cuban boxer did finish with the Bronze medal. The big moment of the day at the Budapest World Championship was the victory of Cuba's Alexis Rubalcaba over a very powerful Russian athlete -- a man that has won all bouts and all titles from 1991 to 1997 -- the Number One in the world: Alexei Lezin. Rubalcaba knocked him out in the fourth round and it was like a tremendous come-back for those who saw the Cuban boxer fall in Atlanta against an unknown boxer from the Pacific island Tonga. Rubalca this time faced his most experienced rival ever. Some of today's results, available as we go to press (or as we go into cyberspace, actually) -- Maikro Romero will face Roel Velasco from the Philippines in their battle for the Gold in the 48-kilo division. The victory by points indicated a tight bout, in which the Cuban boxer won by a two-point margin over Bulgarian Daniel Petrov. Romero was the first Cuban to reach the finals. Waldemar Font in the 54-kilo division followed suit after beating Turkish Soner Karaoz. The Cuban fighter will be facing Russian Raimkul Malkbeckov on Saturday. The rest of the eight boxers in the semi-finals will be fighting between today and tomorrow. [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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 814243 Fax: (53) (7) 812927 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org