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, August 21, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CARIBBEAN LEADERS CALL FOR CUBA'S FULL INCORPORATION INTO REGIONAL ORGANIZATION CARICOM 2.- CUBAN NEWS DAILY GRANMA HIGHLIGHTS ELECTORAL FRAUD SCANDALS IN MIAMI 3.- AUTHORITIES IN MIAMI REFUSE TO ALLOW PARTY WITH CUBANS 4.- HAPPY CAMPERS IN HAVANA THIS SUMMER 5.- SUCCESS OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN VILLA CLARA 6.- CUBA SIGNS TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHILE CARIBBEAN LEADERS CALL FOR CUBA'S FULL INCORPORATION INTO REGIONAL ORGANIZATION CARICOM Santo Domingo, August 21(RHC)-- Caribbean leaders gathering at the CARIFORUM Summit in the Dominican Republic today called for Cuba's full incorporation into the regional organization CARICOM. CARIFORUM is comprised of the Caribbean nation- members of the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries -- the APC -- with Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic as observers. The President of Surinam, Jules Wijdenbosch -- also the CARIFORUM President -- stated today at the Summit's opening that Cuba should become a CARICOM member with all rights, saying the region is "in dire need of solidarity." Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson also expressed his country's support of Cuba's full-fledged membership in the regional body. Numerous speakers on the opening day of the gathering noted that the small economies of the Caribbean cannot be expected to compete on an equal footing in this globalized world. Upon taking the floor, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez said CARICOM and CARIFORUM needed to join forces with the Association of Caribbean States and Central America in order to negotiate in block with the Free Trade Zone of the Americas. Cuban President Fidel Castro warned today that the Caribbean is facing the threat of growing marginalization within the process of globalization. He said the very existence of our peoples' survival doesn't seem to generate the least bit of concern, pointing -- as an example -- to the region's banana producing sector. The Cuban leader said the selfish interests of two U.S. banana transnationals that are challenging Europe's preferential banana quotas granted to the Caribbean, come despite the fact that this region is involved in less than one percent of the world trade in this product. President Castro said the world's economic powers are attempting to impose on small and poor countries a future of immense duty-free zones for their industry and capital, without paying taxes, with access to cheap labor, destroying the environment and depleting our natural resources. He said the current Multilateral Accord on Investment currently under discussion in Paris by "an exclusive club of the rich" is aimed at moving capital around the world, while dismantling our sovereignty and national development programs. President Castro said the Organization for Cooperation and Development in Europe is also trying to establish as a juridical and obligatory international norm the extraterritorial principles of the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law. Fidel Castro told participants at the gathering that poor countries cannot resign themselves to the idea that they have no alternative. They cannot, he said, continue competing among themselves in what he called "a mad race to make increasingly greater concessions in order to obtain the capital and technology necessary for development." CUBAN NEWS DAILY GRANMA HIGHLIGHTS ELECTORAL FRAUD SCANDALS IN MIAMI Havana, August 21(RHC)-- The Cuban news daily Granma today highlighted the massive electoral fraud scandals rocking the U.S. city of Miami. Local media outlets in Florida reported earlier this week that nearly 18,000 people who are registered to vote are actually dead, while more than 50,000 convicted felons are illegally registered and some 47,000 voters are registered in more than one district. Well-known Cuban columnist Nicanor Leon Cotayo, focusing on the electoral fraud scandals in Miami that this week resulted in a one year prison sentence for ex-Miami Commissioner Humberto Hernandez, wrote that this is not an isolated event. In reference to another electoral fraud scandal that ousted from office former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez -- both with close ties to the ultra right-wing Cuban-American National Foundation -- Leon Cotayo said these events "once again expose the nature of a political machine in a city considered to be the symbol of a type of democracy that many there believe is the only model to follow." The article points not only to the dead people, convicted drug traffickers and even murderers who have voted in Miami elections, but also to how fraudulent activities and the pursuit of political power "is an established way to earn more money and assume higher offices within the establishment." The Cuban columnist winds up by recalling the words of Miami Mayor Joe Carollo when he assumed office last March 12th -- after Xavier Suarez had been kicked out. Carollo spoke of his parents' decision 36 years ago to send him out of Cuba to Miami in what is known as "Operation Peter Pan" -- the Cubans who following the triumph of the 1959 Revolution sent their children alone to the United States, hoping to rejoin them at a later date. Carollo said he was thinking about how his parents, believing in democracy, sent him to Miami -- a city, he said, that is showing the world what democracy is all about. AUTHORITIES IN MIAMI REFUSE TO ALLOW PARTY WITH CUBANS Miami, August 21(RHC)-- Authorities from Florida's Miami-Dade County have rejected an application by the MIDEM Latin American and Caribbean Music Market to hold the opening party of this year's event in Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. The refusal is based on the fact that Cuban musicians and companies are participating in the profitable event, that runs from August 25th through the 28th in Miami Beach. The decision, backed by the County Attorney General's office, is based on a l966 resolution prohibiting the county from doing business with Cuba. Although there is currently a boom around the world in sales of Cuban music, last year musicians and companies from Cuba were banned from the event. This year, organizers of the Paris-based MIDEM organization replaced county funds with private money so that the popular Cuban artists and companies could participate. Though negotiations had been going on for several months, Friday's decision came as a surprise to MIDEM. David Bercuson, who heads the host committee, complained that Vizcaya waited until the last minute to reveal that it had a problem with holding the opening gala there. Bercuson said he felt that someone was trying to sabotage the event in spite of the huge economic impact the local entertainment and recording industry has experienced as a result of MIDEM. He added that the opening night party has been moved to another location in Miami Beach. HAPPY CAMPERS IN HAVANA THIS SUMMER Havana, August 21(RHC)-- Cubans have flocked in record numbers to camping grounds on Havana's northern coast during the last three weeks. Friday's Granma newspaper reports that more than 14,000 vacationers a week enjoyed what Cuban's call "camp grounds," but are in fact small cabins, many offering indoor plumbing, along with restaurants, swimming pools and live music. The last record was set in the summer of l991. The newspaper notes that Havana's northern shore represents a third of the country's camping capacity. Plans are currently underway to expand the Las Caletas and Los Cocos camping areas to compensate for the loss of capacity in the La India campsite, where the country's oil company is currently drilling. The article also indicates that because of preventive measures adopted, crime in the area is down by 66% compared to last year, as are the number of accidents. The deputy director of the enterprise that runs the camping areas, Rufino Garcia Delgado, announced that the campsites will be open Wednesday through Sunday during September and October. SUCCESS OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN VILLA CLARA Santa Clara, August 21(RHC)-- Cuba's Central Province of Villa Clara has been lauded for its excellent results in the area of traditional medicine. More than 600 major and minor operations and tooth extractions were performed with the use of acupuncture as a natural pain killer. In addition, the province's medical records show that 32,682 patients received acupuncture treatments and some 60,000 underwent mud and mineral water cures in the medicinal waters of the Elguea Health Spa. Villa Clara province has created a therapeutic homeopathic system of medicine, used to treat nearly 4000 patients. These treatments are complemented by the dispensing in a Santa Clara pharmacy of more than 381 types of natural medicines made from herbs and plants. Dr. Maria de los Angeles Lorenzo Vera, head of the province's Natural Medicine Department, announced that all the area's health centers use natural medicines and methods in combination with modern techniques and medicines. Meanwhile, in the southern province of Cienfuegos, health officials announced that 16,000 more patients than last year have been treated with natural medicines and methods. Experts note a growing preference for national treatments like acupuncture, mud baths, and other therapies to treat respiratory and gastric disorders and skin disorders, among other medical problems. In addition, Cuban health authorities state that research and study in natural medicines and cures has increased and improved with pharmacies and hospitals providing medicines and treatments as part of their services. CUBA SIGNS TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHILE Havana, August 21(RHC)-- Cuba and Chile have signed a trade agreement that will affect tariffs on some 700 products. Chile has agreements with other Caribbean states, but is looking at this agreement to improve relations between the two countries. The Chilean Foreign Ministry's Director of International Economic Relations, Juan Gabriel Valdes, was in Havana this week to sign the agreement. Chile's investments in Cuba are primarily in the field of tourism. [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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