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 30, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBANS GEAR UP FOR MOST MASSIVE CELEBRATION EVER OF INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY 2.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES SPAIN'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO HAVANA, EDUARDO JUNCO BONET 3.- CUBA TAKES CENTER STAGE AT CELEBRATIONS IN COLOMBIA OF ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES' 50TH ANNIVERSARY 4.- NEW FLIGHTS FROM GERMANY TO VARADERO TO BEGIN TOMORROW 5.- FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION MEETS WITH CUBAN COUNTERPARTS AT HAVANA'S HOTEL NACIONAL 6.- CUBA TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 9TH CONFERENCE OF IBEROAMERICAN PARLIAMENTS NEXT MONTH IN URUGUAY CUBANS GEAR UP FOR MOST MASSIVE CELEBRATION EVER OF INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY Havana, April 30(RHC)-- The Cuban government, labor activists and members of the island's mass organizations are gearing up for the most massive celebration ever of International Workers Day. Numerous officials are predicting that some six million Cubans will take to the streets of the island's major cities tomorrow, to again demonstrate to the world their support of the Cuban Revolution and socialism and the unity of the Cuban people. This year's mobilization is in tribute to the late, charismatic labor leader in the sugar industry, Jesus Menendez, assassinated in 1948. But according to the Secretary General of the Cuban Workers Confederation, Pedro Ross, this May 1st will also celebrate important Cuban victories. Among them is the vote at the United Nations Human Rights Commission this month, defeating Washington's anti-Cuba resolution for the first time. The Cuban labor leader said that the mass rallies will also be a time for reflection of the country's economic advances in numerous sectors, despite the extremely adverse conditions Cuba is facing, while at the same time recognizing that there is much to done and many deficiencies to be corrected. Last year, in Havana alone, some one million 300 thousand Cubans paraded through the capital's Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES SPAIN'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO HAVANA, EDUARDO JUNCO BONET Havana, April 30(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro received late Wednesday Spain's new ambassador to Havana, Eduardo Junco Bonet. The encounter took place just hours after Junco Bonet had presented his credentials to Cuban authorities. The new Spanish ambassador gave the Cuban leader a personal letter from Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar. During the presentation of the ambassador's credentials, Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina said that this act ratifies the commitment of both governments to shape their relations in the manner that the Cuban and Spanish peoples have always favored. The Cuban foreign minister confirmed the upcoming visit to Havana of Spanish Foreign Minister Abel Matutes, reiterated Cuba's permanent invitation to the King and Queen of Spain and also expressed support of an eventual visit by President Aznar. Junco Bonet's accreditation brings to an end a 16-month period in which Spain's embassy in Havana was without an ambassador. In December 1996, Cuba withdrew its placet for ambassador-designate Jose Coderch, who had stated that his diplomatic priority in Havana would be to open his embassy's doors to Cuban dissidents. CUBA TAKES CENTER STAGE AT CELEBRATIONS IN COLOMBIA OF ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES' 50TH ANNIVERSARY Bogota, April 30(RHC)-- Cuba has taken center stage at celebrations today in Colombia of the Organization of American States' 50th anniversary. During his inauguration of the OAS session, Colombian President Ernesto Samper joined his voice with other members of the organization, saying that the reincorporation of Cuba into the regional body is a necessity. The Organization of American States was founded in Bogota on April 30th, 1948, as the Colombian capital was immersed in war following the assassination of the popular leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. The Bogota riots led to several years of civil war in which the Colombian oligarchy was able to hold on to power -- but only at the cost of 200,000 lives. According to Havana's Prensa Latina News Agency, 50 years later, the OAS has little to celebrate. The oldest regional organization on the planet -- which was created to conduct inter-American relations -- did nothing when the United States directly or indirectly intervened in Guatemala, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada and Panama. Other observers in the region recall that although Washington pressured the OAS to expel Cuba from the organization in 1962 -- following a popular revolution with massive support that ousted a bloody dictator -- the U.S. government did not pressure for the expulsion of countries like Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and many others where bloody dictatorships overthrew civilian governments and waged dirty wars against democracy activists that claimed tens of thousands of lives. Prensa Latina wrote today that the OAS will not be able to renovate itself or enhance its image without definitively correcting the mistake of 36 years ago when it bowed to Washington's pressure concerning Cuba. Mexico's Notimex News Agency commented today that the United States is not going to change its position despite the widespread support of Cuba's reincorporation, because for Washington, the Organization of American States has no importance whatsoever. NEW FLIGHTS FROM GERMANY TO VARADERO TO BEGIN TOMORROW Havana, April 30(RHC)-- Beginning May 1st, the German FTI Touristik airlines will begin flights to Varadero four times a week with a capacity of 328 passengers. The island's travel representative, Rumbos Cuba, will offer 15 days of services, excursions and tours. Hotel accommodations will be provided by the Gran Caribe and Horizontes chains. The president of Rumbos added that a weekly flight to Holguin is scheduled to begin next November along with the arrival of a cruiser with a capacity for 400 people. FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION MEETS WITH CUBAN COUNTERPARTS AT HAVANA'S HOTEL NACIONAL Havana, April 30(RHC)-- Nearly 50 French business representatives from 35 companies met with their Cuban counterparts in Havana's Hotel Nacional and discussed business opportunities in Cuba. This is the French delegation's fourth visit in recent years. Heading the delegation is the Vice President of the National Council of French Business Representatives, Jean Pierre Desgeorges, who said the group is impressed with the progress of Cuba's economic reforms. The French delegation arrived last Friday, April 24th. They first visited the island's eastern province of Holguin. While there, the business group toured the area's industrial mining sites. CUBA TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 9TH CONFERENCE OF IBEROAMERICAN PARLIAMENTS TO TAKE PLACE NEXT MONTH IN URUGUAY Havana, April 30(RHC)-- Cuba's Parliamentary President Ricardo Alarcon will travel to Uruguay to attend the 9th Conference of Iberoamerican Parliaments, scheduled to take place May 14th. These conferences resumed last year at Spain's initiative, following an absence of seven years. During the last conference, representatives from 18 nations participated in the event. Last September, a Cuban parliamentary delegation took part in an event on the modernization and reform of legislative bodies in the area. [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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org