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 Monday, August 3, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO VISITS GRENADA, HIS THIRD AND FINAL STOP OF CARIBBEAN TOUR 2.- U.S. BUSINESS EXECUTIVES WILL RETURN TO CUBA IN SEPTEMBER FOR SECOND GATHERING 3.- CUBA'S AGRICULTURE MINISTRY SENDS EMERGENCY AID TO DROUGHT-STRICKEN EASTERN PROVINCE OF GUANTANAMO 4.- DROUGHT AFFECTS RICE PRODUCTION IN SANCTI SPIRITUS PROVINCE 5.- PLAZA AND MUSEUM BEING BUILT TO HONOR MAXIMO GOMEZ, DOMINICAN-BORN, CUBAN INDEPENDENCE FIGHTER 6.- CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN LAS TUNAS ASSISTED BY UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM 7.- CUBA'S DELEGATION TO GOODWILL GAMES FINISHES THIRD BEHIND THE U.S. AND RUSSIA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO VISITS GRENADA, HIS THIRD AND FINAL STOP OF CARIBBEAN TOUR St. George's, August 3(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro arrived Sunday in Grenada on the third leg of his Caribbean tour. The Cuban leader was received by Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell and hundreds of residents in the capital, St. George's. Shortly after his arrival, President Castro participated in the unveiling of a plaque in homage to the hundreds of Cuban workers who participated in the construction of the Point Salines International Airport. The Grenadian Prime Minister spoke of Cuba's contribution to the development of the small Caribbean nation, while the Cuban leader highlighted the rebirth of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Mitchell officially visited Cuba in April of last year to further normalize and broaden bilateral relations 14 years after the U.S. invasion of Grenada. Monday afternoon, the Cuban president paid a visit to the mother of late Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, the leader of the leftist New Jewel Movement, killed during a coup against his government. Shortly before leaving Barbados en route to Grenada, the Cuban leader said his Caribbean tour was a visit of gratitude and recognition of the region's countries that have been pioneers in the struggle against Washington's blockade of Cuba and U.S. efforts to isolate Cuba. U.S. BUSINESS EXECUTIVES WILL RETURN TO CUBA IN SEPTEMBER FOR SECOND GATHERING Havana, August 3(RHC)-- Business executives from the United States are planning to return to Cuba next month for a second U.S.-Cuba business gathering. The announcement came today in Havana from Kirby Jones, President of the Alamar consulting firm, which is organizing the event. Jones said that some 50 U.S. enterprises will be represented, adding that some of them are important -- although without specifying which firms. The first U.S.-Cuba business gathering took place last March, when executives gathered with representatives of the Cuban government in Cancun, Mexico and then in Havana -- an encounter that Jones termed as "very successful." The next meeting will also begin in Cancun, taking place on the 9th and 10th of September, and then wind up in Havana. The aim of the gatherings are to examine the evolution of Cuba's economy and the business possibilities in Cuba once Washington's blockade is lifted. Jones said that he perceived "winds of change" with respect to Washington's Cuba policy. He said there is growing debate in the U.S. over why the embargo should exist and why the United States is the only country not doing business with Cuba. CUBA'S AGRICULTURE MINISTRY SENDS EMERGENCY AID TO DROUGHT- STRICKEN EASTERN PROVINCE OF GUANTANAMO Guantanamo, August 3(RHC)-- Cuba's Agriculture Ministry has sent aid to the eastern province of Guantanamo -- including fertilizers, fuel, irrigation systems, medicine and other items -- in order to alleviate the consequences of a drought that has affected that region. According to the weekly Juventud Rebelde, this aid will not cover all the needs, but will contribute to resolving the most serious problems. April, May and June were the driest months so far this year, especially in the southern region of the province where 70 percent of the population is located. The temperatures rose to over 35 degrees Celsius, further worsening the drought situation. Provincial President Rolando Calzada said that trucks are delivering drinking water to 110 communities and local authorities are analyzing the Imias and Maisi reservoirs in an attempt to find a solution to the crisis. DROUGHT AFFECTS RICE PRODUCTION IN SANCTI SPIRITUS PROVINCE Sancti Spiritus, August 3(RHC)-- Over seven thousand hectares of rice were not planted in El Jibaro in Sancti Spiritus province due to the severe shortage of water. The area's main reserve and the largest reservoir in Cuba -- the Zaza Reservoir -- currently has a water level of only 15 percent of its capacity. The Zaza Reservoir has a capacity of 1 billion 20 million cubic meters of water. It currently has 157 million -- only enough for ten more days of irrigation for the rice plantations. Despite the situation affecting rice in this province, Sancti Spiritus is not suffering severe drought, thanks to isolated showers. And, fortunately, damage to other agricultural crops has been minor. PLAZA AND MUSEUM BEING BUILT TO HONOR MAXIMO GOMEZ, DOMINICAN-BORN CUBAN INDEPENDENCE FIGHTER Santo Domingo, August 3(RHC)-- A cultural plaza and museum are being built in Bani, the Dominican Republic -- the birthplace of Cuba's independence hero, Maximo Gomez. The museum, which will include Maximo Gomez' personal effects, will be set-up in a prefabricated building donated by Cuba, honoring one of the island's independence leaders against Spanish colonialism. The plaza and museum will be decorated with murals, painted by Dominican and Cuban artists, depicting the stages of Maximo Gomez' life before he travelled to Cuba and took part in the island's struggle for freedom. Luis Manuel Pequero, President of the Dominican Republic's Friends of Cuba Committee in Bani, thanked the Cuban government for donating the prefabricated home, which will serve as the site of such an important museum. CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN LAS TUNAS ASSISTED BY UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM Las Tunas, August 3(RHC)-- Construction of over 880 homes and 14 social installations has concluded in the eastern province of Las Tunas. The project is part of a program for the development of the milk industry, carried out with the collaboration of the United Nations World Food Program. The construction project in that eastern region began in July 1992 at a cost of over 60 million pesos, of which almost 90 percent was invested in various socio-economic installations that will benefit the workers and their families. The World Food Program aid includes powdered milk and cooking oil which is sold on the island, generating more than half of the funds invested in the project. CUBA'S DELEGATION TO GOODWILL GAMES FINISHES THIRD BEHIND THE U.S. AND RUSSIA New York, August 3(RHC)-- Cuba -- with a delegation of only 31 athletes -- finished third in the medal standings at the Goodwill Games, which concluded yesterday in New York City. The Cuban delegation won eight gold medals, six of them in boxing. In addition to boxing, the Cuban delegation also took part in swimming, track and field, gymnastics and cycling competitions. And in baseball, the Cuban team retained its world title, defeating South Korea seven to one during the World Baseball Championships, held in the Italian city of Neptuno. The Cuban pitcher did not give South Korean batters a chance and struck out 13 of them, while the Cuban offense continued until the ninth inning. Cuban star Antonio Pacheco, who was 4 for 4 at the plate, was named the most valuable player of the series. The Cuban baseball team did not lose a game during the series and this was the 22nd consecutive world title for the island's baseball team. [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