CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA September 29, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Monday, September 29, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA ARRIVES IN NEW YORK; UNITED NATIONS ADDRESS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1st 2.- MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR MOHAMAD ENDS VISIT TO CUBA 3.- CUBAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES AGENDA FOR POPE JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT TO CUBA IN JANUARY 4.- HONDURAN MILITARY AND CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ATTEMPTED TO KILL HONDURAN PRESIDENT CARLOS REINA 5.- TENS OF THOUSANDS TURN OUT IN SANTIAGO DE CHILE MONDAY FOR "CHE FOREVER" CONCERT 6.- BOOK AND CD ROM ON 14th WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS BEING PREPARED 7.- CUBAN THERAPY TO TREAT RETINOSIS PIGMENTOSA MOVES AHEAD 8.- FEWER CUBANS FROM OUTLYING PROVINCES IN THE CAPITAL 9.- AND IN SPORTS... CHANGES IN CUBAN BASEBALL'S LEADERSHIP CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA ARRIVES IN NEW YORK; UNITED NATIONS ADDRESS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1st New York, September 29(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina arrived today in New York to participate in the 52nd United Nations General Assembly. The Cuban foreign minister is expected to address the session on Wednesday, the 1st -- with a speech that will center on the inequalities of the so-called New World Order and will condemn Washington's blockade against Cuba. This is the sixth anti-blockade resolution presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations. This year, the resolution is once again expected to garner the support of a record number of member nations -- as has occurred each year during voting on the past five resolutions. The Cuban foreign minister will have a tight agenda that includes meetings with his counterparts from some 30 nations, gatherings with media, social and business sectors and with Cuban-American organizations in the U.S. MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR MOHAMAD ENDS VISIT TO CUBA Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro saw- off visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, following his delegation's three-day stay on the island. Shortly before departing, the Malaysian prime minister affirmed that "Washington's Helms-Burton Law would not be an obstacle to closer bilateral ties between the two countries." After signing important trade and investment agreements with Cuban authorities, the Malaysian delegation will also travel to Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. CUBAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES AGENDA FOR POPE JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT TO CUBA IN JANUARY Havana, September 29(RHC)-- The Archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, publicly announced the official agenda of Pope John Paul II during his January visit to Cuba. At Sunday Mass, before some one thousand believers at an open-air service in Guanabacoa -- on the outskirts of Havana -- Cardinal Ortega said the Vatican chief would preside over masses in the cities of Santa Clara, Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba, as well as in Havana. The open-air mass was the first of a series of thirteen dedicated to the Virgin of Charity, Cuba's Patron Saint -- and aimed at preparing for the Pope's visit to the island. HONDURAN MILITARY AND CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ATTEMPTED TO KILL HONDURAN PRESIDENT CARLOS REINA Miami, September 29(RHC)-- An alliance of members of the military in Honduras and Cuban-American terrorists in Miami are responsible for a recent terrorist campaign against Honduran President Carlos Reina. According to the Sunday edition of the Miami daily "El Nuevo Herald," two hand grenade attacks were launched against Reina in January 1995 and March 1996. Those responsible for the attacks remain unknown, despite a promise by the Honduran army to investigate the incidents and report the findings. "El Nuevo Herald" reveals that those responsible are actually in the military -- angered over the Honduran president's reform of the army and placing the police under civilian control -- and Cuban-American terrorists in Miami who believed that Reina favored diplomatic relations with Cuba. In response to the accusation, a Honduran army spokesman today denied the charges, but admitted that the Honduran military has had contacts with Cuban-American Mario Delamico, serving as an intermediary in weapons sales. Delamico is considered one of the major weapons traffickers who collaborated with Washington's anti-Sandinista contra forces in Honduras. TENS OF THOUSANDS TURN OUT IN SANTIAGO DE CHILE MONDAY FOR "CHE FOREVER" CONCERT Santiago de Chile, September 29(RHC)-- More than 60,000 Chileans crowded into the National Stadium Monday evening to enjoy a concert dedicated to Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara. Renowned Cuban singer and composer Silvio Rodriguez was the main attraction of the concert. The program, entitled "Che Forever," also included Cuban singers Vicente Feliu and Gerardo Alfonso; Chileans Isabel Parra and Patricio Manns; Spanish singer Ismael Serrano and Uruguayan Daniel Viglietti. Among the audience was Che's fourth son, Camilo Guevara, as well as an Argentinean doctor, Alberto Granados -- who was a personal friend of Che and travelled with him during the early 1950's when he toured several Latin American nations. In related news, Bolivian sources are reporting an increasingly number of tourists in that South American nation who have expressed interest in participating in the World Encounter on Ernesto Che Guevara, slated for October 5th in the locality of Vallegrande. Meanwhile, Berlin was the site yesterday of the International Congress on the Spirit of Che's Ideas, which gathered together over 1000 young people. BOOK AND CD ROM ON 14th WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS BEING PREPARED Havana, September 29(RHC)-- A book and CD ROM with personal accounts from the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students -- held this summer on the island -- will soon be available in Cuban bookstores. Testimonies, anecdotes, statistics and the history of the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students are being prepared and will be ready by January -- to mark the 39th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. According to information released at the first meeting of the National Board of the Young Communist League -- the UJC -- participants at the 14th World Festival covered their own expenses and created a fund, which will be earmarked for computer clubs and recreational facilities for children. UJC National Board member and President of the Cuban National Preparatory Committee, Rogelio Polanco, said that although seven nations from Asia, Africa and Europe have expressed interest in hosting the next festival, an official announcement has not yet been made. Palanco explained that just having the desire to host such an event is not enough, adding that "government support is of paramount importance." The youth leader pointed to the case of Cuba, where the Minister of Government, Wilfredo Lopez, was permanently assigned to coordinate the smooth functioning of the festival's organizing committee. During the meeting, UJC leader Victoria Velazquez revealed plans to host the Second Cuban-American Youth Encounter in 1998. The event will mark the centennial of the first imperialist war and U.S intervention on the island. CUBAN THERAPY TO TREAT RETINOSIS PIGMENTOSA MOVES AHEAD Havana, September 29(RHC)-- The Havana-based International Retinosis Pigmentosa Center is successfully treating patients with the only known effective therapy in the world against the so-called "night blindness." In statements to journalists in Havana, the institution's director and the creator of the revolutionary technique, Dr. Orfilio Pelaez, said that more than 2000 patients from some 70 countries have been treated at 15 clinics around the island. In essence, the therapy involves studies on patients and their families, surgical operations, ozone-therapy and electrical stimulation. The therapy against retinosis pigmentosa -- a disease leading to total blindness -- has proved successful in halting the disease, achieving a considerable improvement of one's sight with no side-effects. FEWER CUBANS FROM OUTLYING PROVINCES IN THE CAPITAL Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Five months after their passage, local immigration regulations have reversed the uncontrolled flow of residents from other provinces to the capital. Official statistics published in the Cuban weekly newspaper "Juventud Rebelde" put the figure at some seven thousand illegal residents less than during the same period last year. At a Havana provincial parliamentary meeting, the Vice President of the Administrative Board, Jose Rodriguez Barroso, said that some 54,000 people from other provinces have legalized their residency in Havana. In April of this year, the Cuban Council of Ministers' Executive Council issued a decree regulating the increasing number of provincial residents moving into Havana over the past few years. The government pointed to the city's housing situation and difficulties in terms of job opportunities, transportation and water supplies, electricity and domestic fuel -- taking its toll on the quality of life in the capital. AND IN SPORTS... CHANGES IN CUBAN BASEBALL'S LEADERSHIP Havana, September 29(RHC)-- The three most important figures of Cuban baseball have been replaced -- following a five-hour debate Friday between members of the island's Baseball Federation and officials from the National Sports Institute, as well as representatives of the media. The head of the Technical Commission, Miguel Valdes; the island's Baseball Commission, Domingo Zabala; and the head of the Cuban B-Team, Jorge Fuentes have all been removed. The first two positions have already been filled -- Carlos Rodriguez and Jose Fernandez Brito will head the Technical Commission and the Baseball Commission, respectively. Other topics analyzed during the meeting included the manner in which the B-Team is formed. The debate followed a series of setbacks suffered by the island, including the defeat at the Intercontinental Cup in August. [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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