CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA October 31 , 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba news service for Friday, October 31, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OF STAFF. 2.- VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CALDERA CONDEMNS EFFORTS BY MIAMI BASED CUBAN-AMERICANS TO TORPEDO UPCOMING IBEROAMERICAN SUMMIT 3.- 18% GROWTH IN TOURISM OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR 4.- CUBAN CHILDREN FREE FROM CHILDHOOD DISEASES 5.- CREDIT CARDS GAIN MOMENTUM IN CUBA 6.- GUATEMALA AND CUBA ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICES INCREASE COOPERATION 7.- CUBAN OFFICIAL CONFIRMS SPANISH BUSINESS INTEREST IN CUBA CUBAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OF STAFF. Havana, October 31(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro, has appointed Division General Alvaro Lopez Miera as Armed Forces Chief of Staff. The move comes after Brigade General, Ulises Rosales del Toro, former Chief of Staff was appointed as Minister of the Sugar Industry last week. General Lopez Viera, 54, is member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, and was deputy Chief of Staff in charge of the Operations Division. The high-ranking military officer has held leadership positions within the Cuban Army and served internationalist stints in Ethiopia and Angola. VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CALDERA CONDEMNS EFFORTS BY MIAMI BASED CUBAN-AMERICANS TO TORPEDO UPCOMING IBEROAMERICAN SUMMIT Havana, Oct. 31 (RHC) -- Venezuelan President Rafael Caldera has condemned efforts by Miami-based Cuban- Americans to torpedo the upcoming Iberoamerican Summit. Caldera termed as undesirable the anti-Cuban summit called by these groups for next Saturday and Sunday. The Venezuelan president accused these groups of trying to interrupt the Iberoamerican dialogue, which, he said, has thus far contributed to strengthening the open and constructive relations between Iberoamerican nations. Meanwhile, according to diplomatic circles in Caracas, the Iberoamerican Summit's Final Declaration will again include a condemnation of Washington's Helms-Burton Law. 18% GROWTH IN TOURISM OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR Ciego de Avila, October 31(RHC)-- Tourism in Cuba is up 18% over the same period last year. Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage made the announcement while touring resorts on the keys off the northern coast of Ciego de Avila Province. Lage, Executive Secretary of Cuba's Council of Ministers, also praised the efficiency of effort being made by construction workers in the tourism industry, especially those stationed in the north coast keys of Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Coco. Accompanied by Construction Minister, Juan Mario Junco, and local Communist Party leader, Edildo Campaneoni, Lage visited the 312-room, 4-star Gregorio Hotel, which will be completed soon after 15 months of work, and the finished Sol Club Cayo Coco Hotel. AS of September, said Lage, 3 600 rooms had either been renovated or built in Cuba, which will allow for the welcoming of more visitors for the coming season. CUBAN CHILDREN FREE FROM CHILDHOOD DISEASES Havana, October 31(RHC)-- Polio, neonatal tetanus, tuberculosis meningitis, diphtheria and measles have been eradicated in Cuba. According to a report released during the recently concluded international congress, Pediatrics 97, published in Friday's edition of the Granma newspaper. The report adds that no cases of whooping cough have been reported on the island for the last three years. These achievements of the island's health care system, are the result of massive vaccination drives that health authorities have conducted over the last 35 years. Students from pre-primary to 9th grade, as well as senior citizens are the main targets of these efforts. The report also states that currently all children under 2 years of age have been protected by 98% against 12 diseases. Meanwhile, Cuban deputy Public health Minister in charge of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Dr. Raul Perez, told the Pediatric congress in its closing session Thursday, that there are currently 5 children in Cuba carrying the HIV virus. The low rate of AIDS infection in Cuban children 11 years since the launching of the island's epidemiological fight against the disease, stressed Doctor Perez, proves the effectiveness of the epidemiological method. CREDIT CARDS GAIN MOMENTUM IN CUBA Havana, October 31st(RHC) The use of credit cards is on the rise in Cuba. According to this week's edition of Granma International newspaper, revenues of local banks currently issuing credit cards will surpass one million dollars. For the last five years, the local firm FINCIMEX has held a monopoly on the credit card business, operating only with Visa, Mastercard and Cabal cards issued by non- US banks and the Cuba's BFI debit card. The company has mainly served foreign tourists and business people. However, the Cuban weekly magazine,Negocios en Cuba, has announced that the Canadian firm Transcard, will start operating on the island next month, with the stated purpose of becoming the main conveyor of money remittances from Cubans residing abroad to their relatives on the island. In the meantime, adding to the card boom, the Etecsa telephone company has announced that it will shortly start a trial program of telephone cards for international and national calls. The trial, that will begin in early november in the eastern Havana districts of Guanabo, Alamar and Guanabacoa, will test new equipment and people's reactions to the new card. GUATEMALA AND CUBA ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICES INCREASE COOPERATION Havana, October 31(RHC)-- Cuba and Guatemala will increase cooperation between their attorney generals. Cuba's top attorney, Juan Escalona signed a letter of intent Friday in Havana with his Guatemalan counterpart, Hector Hugo Aguilera. The two attorney generals also announced the decisions to adopt concrete measures for that cooperation, including exchanges of legal experts, technical assistance in legal matters, exchanges of courses, seminars and workshops and other means of sharing knowledge and experience. Cuban Attorney General Escalona expressed his satisfaction with the visit of Aguilera, and stressed his desire that the signing of the letter of intent be only the beginning of expanding relations in the legal sphere between the two countries. CUBAN OFFICIAL CONFIRMS SPANISH BUSINESS INTEREST IN CUBA Havana, October 31(RHC)--Cuban deputy Foreign Investment Minister, Marta Lomas says her recent working visit to Spain was "positive". Shortly after returning to Havana, Lomas told the press that Spanish business executive are especially interested in investing in Cuba. The Cuban deputy Foreign Investment Minister noted that there is great respect in Spain for Cuba and much interest in its social and economic situation. During her visit Lomas briefed Spanish business executives on the island's current investment opportunities in the areas of tourism, mining, energy, real estate and others. Deputy foreign Investment Minister Lomas toured several Spanish regions including Madrid, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, the Basque country and Catalonia. [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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