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, August 27, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- SOUTH AFRICA GEARS UP FOR 12th NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO 2.- CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO KILL FIDEL CASTRO APPEAR BEFORE FEDERAL COURT IN PUERTO RICO 3.- CUBA ASKS UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE IN DROUGHT-STRICKEN AREAS 4.- HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETS; STUDENT LEADERS BRIEFED ON ISLAND'S SITUATION 5.- PREPARATIONS FOR NEW SCHOOL YEAR CONTINUE 6.- CUBAN ARTISTS PERFORM IN MIAMI BEACH 7.- 100th ANNIVERSARY OF JAPANESE ARRIVAL ON THE ISLAND SOUTH AFRICA GEARS UP FOR 12th NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO Johannesburg, August 27(RHC)-- The government of South Africa has announced that everything is ready for the 12th Non-Aligned Summit, which will see the participation of Cuban President Fidel Castro. Some 60 heads of state and government will participate in the gathering -- slated for September 2nd and 3rd -- while more than 700 journalists are accredited to cover the event. Next Saturday and Sunday, experts from the 113 Non-Aligned member nations will gather in the South African city of Durban to prepare the agenda, which will receive its final touches on Monday, August 31st during a gathering of Non- Aligned foreign ministers. Top on the agenda, according to observers, will be the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Following the Summit, President Castro will begin an official visit to South Africa on September 4th and will meet with President Nelson Mandela and Vice President Thabo Mbeki. The Cuban leader is also expected to speak before South Africa's Parliament and visit the museum at Robben Island Prison, where Mandela spent 18 of the 27 years during which he was incarcerated by the apartheid regime. CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO KILL FIDEL CASTRO APPEAR BEFORE FEDERAL COURT IN PUERTO RICO San Juan, August 27(RHC)-- Four of seven Cuban-Americans accused of conspiring to kill Fidel Castro appeared today before a federal judge in Puerto Rico to be arraigned on new charges. Angel Manuel Alfonso, Angel Hernandez Rojo, Francisco Secundino Cordoba and Juan Bautists Marques were accused last October of trafficking in weapons and perjury after their arrest aboard the vessel "La Esperanza." On Tuesday, a federal grand jury issued new indictments against the four and added three more names to charges that the seven had illegally conspired, among themselves and other persons known and unknown, to kill Fidel Castro. Included were Jose Antonio Llama -- member of the Executive Board of the ultra right-wing Cuban-American National Foundation -- Jose Rodriguez Sosa, and Alfred Domingo Otero, owner of the Nautical Sports firm, which is the co-owner of La Esperanza. The President of the Cuban-American National Foundation, Francisco Hernandez, has not been charged -- despite owning one of the high-powered .50 caliber rifles found on board the impounded vessel. But both district attorney in San Juan, Puerto Rico -- Miguel Pereira -- and the local spokesperson for the FBI -- Sara Lema -- stated today that there could be more charges and more arrests because the investigation remains open. The grand jury found that the impounded vessel had been modified with the addition of two internal fuel tanks to permit navigation in the Caribbean without having to re- fuel. Abroad "La Esperanza," the U.S. Coast Guard also found night-vision equipment and a satellite navigation system known by the initials GPU -- Global Positioning Unit. In addition, the grand jury concluded that on October 17th last year, the group of Cuban-Americans visited Venezuela's Margarita Island -- where Fidel Castro was to attend an Iberoamerican Summit -- to fix the location of a hill in front of the airport and use those coordinates as a point of reference for the GPU. The charges are the result of a ten-month investigation. Llama, Rodriguez Sosa and Domingo Otero will appear in court on September 2nd. CUBA ASKS UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE IN DROUGHT-STRICKEN AREAS Geneva, August 27(RHC)-- Cuban officials have requested that the United Nations begin an international campaign to assist the island in dealing with damage provoked by a severe drought, brought on by the El Nino weather pattern. Sources from Cuba's UN mission in Geneva say that the most urgent need is food, although fertilizers, fuel, animal feed, water pumps and other equipment are also necessary. Hardest hit have been food crops and cattle raising. UN World Food Program spokesperson, Cristian Bertiaume, said that the agency will launch a campaign on Tuesday to raise more than 20 million dollars. According to UN officials, the donation will be used to assist more than 600,000 people in Cuba's five eastern provinces which have been hit by a severe lack of rain for more than nine months. World Food Program experts say that this is the worst drought Cuba has experienced in 40 years. The Cuban government has already earmarked 50 million dollars of precious hard currency -- straining the country's limited cash reserves -- in order to counteract the drought's effects. HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETS; STUDENT LEADERS BRIEFED ON ISLAND'S SITUATION Havana, August 27(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage stressed that the greatest challenges of these times are of an ideological and political nature. The Cuban leader addressed the opening session of the Second National Council of Cuban High School Students. Lage argued that in order to improve the country's economy, socialism and social justice must be defended. He emphasized that the policy of war imposed against Cuba by the United States through its economic blockade, is primarily responsible for holding back Cuba's economic development. Nonetheless, Carlos Lage noted, the Cuban government has found ways to access financial sources and currently enjoys the participation of foreign investment in more than 350 associations. The Cuban official said that foreign investors are confident that Cuba complies with its commitments and offers social order, highly qualified workers and a fiscal plan which promotes recuperation of the economy. Another Cuban leader to address the National Council of High School Students was the President of Cuba's Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon. He charged that the United States has invested millions of dollars in media campaigns aimed at slandering Cuba by distorting its reality and confusing the public. Alarcon told the high school student leaders that because big business has a monopoly on the means of communication, corporations are able to manipulate people's ideas about such vital issues as immigration and neo-liberal globalization. PREPARATIONS FOR NEW SCHOOL YEAR CONTINUE Havana, August 27(RHC)-- Summer vacation is almost over in Cuba -- to the chagrin of some youngsters and to the relief of many parents. Two million 300,000 children and young people will pick up their school books once again on September lst. All are guaranteed teachers, classrooms and at least the minimal supplies necessary to carry on the educational process. Deputy Education Minister Angel Abascal notes that the government has made great efforts to ensure the production of educational materials for the upcoming school year, despite Cuba's difficult economic situation. Abascal said that 12,000 schools will open their doors next week. He told journalists that Cuba currently has 200,000 teachers -- or one for every 42 inhabitants -- averaging 14.5 students per teacher per classroom, an index considered internationally to be extremely positive. CUBAN ARTISTS PERFORM IN MIAMI BEACH Miami Beach, August 27(RHC)-- A Cuban artistic delegation to the MIDEM Latin American and Caribbean Music Market Conference performed flawlessly Wednesday at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Charanga Rubalcava Band, singer Omara Portuondo, Chucho Valdes and Irakere performed Wednesday afternoon at a previously unscheduled concert. Their scheduled appearance the day before had to be canceled due to the delegation's late arrival to the city -- a result of State Department delays in granting them visas. On Tuesday, Grammy award winner and legendary 91-year-old Compay Segundo's performance was abruptly interrupted. Police reported they had received a phone call warning that a bomb had been planted in the building. The concert, attended by delegates to the MIDEM event, was described as a tremendous success. The musicians returned to Cuba on Thursday. 100th ANNIVERSARY OF JAPANESE ARRIVAL ON THE ISLAND Havana, August 27(RHC)-- A photo exhibit on Japanese immigration to Cuba will open on September 1st to mark the 100th anniversary of Japanese migration to the island -- celebrated on September 9th, 1898. In a news conference announcing the exhibit, Pedro Gonzalez, Director of International Relations for the Ministry of Culture, announced that a Japanese delegation will be travelling to the island for the occasion. Celebrations include the launching of a new orchid named Jose Marti -- developed by Japanese orchid specialist, Kenji Takeuchi -- and a display of Japanese literature and film showings. Renowned Japanese violinist Yuriko Kuromuna will also perform at Havana's National Theater. Japan is celebrating the centennial at home with cultural and artistic events. 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