CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Friday, April 3, 1998.Today's stories: 1.- CUBA SAYS IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE ISLAND DOES NOT REPRESENT A MILITARY THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES 2.- ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY ON THE ISLAND TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY 3.- SPANISH REGION OF CASTILLA AND LEON WILL INVEST IN HAVANA'S PUBLIC LIBRARY 4.- DOMINICA SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA GROUP CONTINUES TO GROW 5.- CUBAN HEALTH OFFICIALS ASSIST BRAZIL IN FIGHT AGAINST DENGUE EPIDEMIC 6.- BRAZILIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CUBA 7.- DELEGATION OF ARGENTINEAN DOCTORS VISIT CUBAN CAPITAL CUBA SAYS IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE ISLAND DOES NOT REPRESENT A MILITARY THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES Havana, April 3(RHC)-- The government of Cuba has stated that it is "obvious" the island does not represent a military threat to the United States. In response to a recent Pentagon report concerning the diminished capacity of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that the Cuban army "has never had an offensive character" and "anyone in the United States with common sense is aware of this fact." The Pentagon report was leaked last weekend by The Miami Herald, and was published on Tuesday by The Washington Post. On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen admitted the existence of the report, but stated that it would not be presented to Congress for the moment. According to the media, the Pentagon has recognized that the capacity of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces greatly diminished following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Revelations of the Pentagon report coincided with testimony before Congress of General Charles Wilhelm, chief of the Miami-based Southern Command. General Wilhelm told members of Congress that the Cuban army has been reduced by half and that 70 percent of the Cuban military are engaged in agricultural work to insure the supply of food for the population -- as well as working in other key sectors related to domestic consumption. General Wilhelm also said that the Cuban military is not engaged in the production of chemical or biological weapons. ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY ON THE ISLAND TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY Havana, April 3(RHC)-- Under the theme: "Life began in the sea and should not die there," a number of activities to commemorate Earth Day in June are already underway on the island. The Director of the Environmental Agency which is part of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Dr. Fabio Fajardo, pointed out that important activities related to education and protection of the environment will take place throughout the island. Among some of Cuba's achievements is the Environmental Law approved by the Cuban parliament as well as the decontamination of the Cauto River Basin, among others. The Cuban official said that marine wildlife will be prioritized this year. Some of the objectives of this year's activities will be to educate people about their environment, provide for sustainable development and promote environmental activities in the communities. The annual celebration of Earth Day began during a world conference that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. This year, Earth Day will be celebrated on June 5th. The Cuban people anxiously await that day, when they will carry out a variety of activities dedicated to our environment. SPANISH REGION OF CASTILLA AND LEON WILL INVEST IN HAVANA'S PUBLIC LIBRARY Havana, April 3(RHC)-- Authorities from the Spanish region of Castilla and Leon will invest some 300 thousand dollars this year in the restoration and supply of Havana's Public Library. According to government sources from that Spanish region, an agreement providing for the assistance will be signed with Old Havana's Historian office on April 7th. DOMINICA SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA GROUP CONTINUES TO GROW Roseau, April 3(RHC)-- Members of Dominica's solidarity with Cuba group will send a letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton demanding an end to Washington's nearly 40 year blockade against Cuba. The document demands that the U.S. government comply with United Nations General Assembly Resolutions condemning the economic blockade imposed on the island. The president of the Dominica solidarity group, Ivan Rodriguez, said that people on this Caribbean island are increasingly showing their opposition to Washington's anti- Cuba policies. CUBAN HEALTH OFFICIALS ASSIST BRAZIL IN FIGHT AGAINST DENGUE EPIDEMIC Havana, April 3(RHC)-- The Cuban Health Ministry has sent technology and experts to help in Brazil's fight against the dengue epidemic which has affected 54 municipalities. The current epidemic has affected nearly 100,000 people over the past three months. The Brazilian government announced it will also send the army into the affected areas to aid in the campaign against the dengue. Brazil recently purchased a Cuban product to destroy the larva of the mosquito that carries the epidemic. Two Cuban technicians, Isreal Garcia and Gustavo Kuri, are already in Brazil to report on Cuba's successful experience in combating the dengue epidemic which hit the island in the early 1980's. BRAZILIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CUBA Havana, April 3(RHC)-- From May 25th to the 27th, Brazilian Foreign Minister Luis Felipe Lampreia will be in Havana on an official visit. During his stay, the Brazilian official will discuss bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues. The visit is also aimed at strengthening economic and commercial ties between both nations. DELEGATION OF ARGENTINEAN DOCTORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS VISIT CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, April 3(RHC)-- A delegation of Argentinean doctors and social workers, currently on an official visit to Cuba, signed a series of accords with the Cuban government in the scientific and technical field. The delegation from this South American country is made up of 14 people, representing the Argentinean regions of Avellaneda and Quilmes. Responding to a Cuban invitation, the Argentinean delegation visited different hospitals in the Cuban capital. [c] 1998, 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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