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 Thursday, April 16, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- SOCIALIST CHARACTER OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION DECLARED 37 YEARS AGO 2.- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOLIDARITY AMONG WOMEN CONCLUDES IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 3.- INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MARCH SCHEDULED FOR THE YEAR 2000 4.- EUROPEAN UNION'S COMMUNITY AID DEPARTMENT APPROVES OVER TEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR CUBA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 5.- RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY ON THE RISE IN CUBA 6.- MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE VISITED ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MEMORIAL SINCE JANUARY SOCIALIST CHARACTER OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION DECLARED 37 YEARS AGO Havana, April 16(RHC)-- Today, the Cuban people are commemorating the 37th anniversary of the proclamation of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution. The declaration took place during the funerals of those killed in air raids carried out by mercenaries of Cuban- origin on the airports of Ciudad Libertad and San Antonio de los Banos in Havana and Antonio Maceo Airport in eastern Santiago de Cuba. These attacks -- which took place on April 15, 1961 -- were the prelude to the Bay of Pigs invasion, launched on April 17th. Thirty-seven years ago today, hundreds of thousands gathered on one of Habana's famous corners, 23rd and 12th Streets -- just outside the cemetery. During his speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared -- for the first time -- that the people would defend their socialist revolution at any price. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOLIDARITY AMONG WOMEN CONCLUDES Havana, April 16 (RHC)-- The International Conference of Solidarity Among Women wound up Thursday in Havana. More than 2000 women from around the world attended a plenary meeting in the morning, during which the final reports of the conference's various commissions were presented. During the four-day meeting, delegates discussed issues such as women, the economy and sustainable development; the political participation of women and access to decision making; women, health, education, culture and social security; women and the means of communication; violence and discrimination, independence and peace among others. On Wednesday, participants heard from three high-level Cuban government leaders: Vice President Carlos Lage, the President of the National Assembly Ricardo Alarcon and the Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Rosa Elena Simeon. The event's closing session was held in Havana's Karl Marx Theater. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MARCH SCHEDULED FOR THE YEAR 2000 Havana, April 16(RHC)-- The International Women's March to Demand Social Justice and Against Poverty will take place in the year 2000. The announcement was made by Myriam Yamani, one of the participants at the recently concluded International Conference of Solidarity Among Women. The organizers of the march said that a preparatory meeting will take place next October 17th and 18th in the Canadian city of Montreal. EUROPEAN UNION'S COMMUNITY AID DEPARTMENT APPROVES OVER TEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR CUBA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Havana, April 16(RHC)-- The European Union has approved ten million 600,000 dollars for a project to aid the Cuban health care system. The Deputy Minister for Cuba's Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, Raul Taladrid, said that the assistance will help supply food, medicine, medical equipment and raw materials for pharmaceutical products, among other necessary items. Taladrid said that Cuban authorities are very pleased with the project offered by the Community Aid Department of the European Union. RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY ON THE RISE IN CUBA Guantanamo, April 16(RHC)-- Thirty percent of the energy necessary for the island's use is generated by renewable sources, according to an announcement made at the international conference CUBASOLAR '98, taking place in the eastern province of Guantanamo. Experts in the field pointed out that although solar energy use has increased on the island, the use of renewable energy sources must continue to increase over the coming years in order to reduce oil imports. MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE VISITED ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MEMORIAL SINCE JANUARY Santa Clara, April 16(RHC)-- More than 200,000 people have visited the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial in the central city of Santa Clara so far this year. According to the AIN News Agency, one thousand national and foreign tourists visit the Memorial each day. The Memorial is located in the city's Ernesto Che Guevara Plaza de la Revolucion, which includes a bronze statue of the legendary guerrilla, depicting his entrance into Santa Clara after the decisive victory against troops of dictator Fulgencio Batista in December 1958. An irrigation system and special lighting preserves tropical vegetation inside the Memorial, where the remains of Che and the comrades who died with him in Bolivia rest in peace. [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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