Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit 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 Tuesday, December 22, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- INVESTMENT IN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY CONTINUES TO GROW DESPITE ADVERSE CONDITIONS 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER UNDERSCORES GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND NICARAGUA -- DESPITE DIFFERENCES 3.- CUBA TO TRAIN YOUNG DOCTORS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA 4.- TOURISM INCREASES DURING 1998 5.- CUBA WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN 1999 6.- PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS HANUKKAH CELEBRATION 7.- CUBAN JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCLUDES IN HAVANA 8.- BRITISH SOLIDARITY BRIGADE CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBAN REVOLUTION INVESTMENT IN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY CONTINUES TO GROW DESPITE ADVERSE CONDITIONS Havana, December 22(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has pointed to the island's growing investment in health, education and social security, despite adversities and Washington's blockade. Closing the second ordinary session Monday evening of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power, President Castro said that of Cuba's 13 billion 190 million dollar budget for 1999, 39 percent will be earmarked for health and education -- 3.9 percent more than in 1998. The Cuban leader challenged critics of the Cuban Revolution to explain how the island maintains a growth rate -- 1.2 percent in 1998 -- amid what he called "Washington's savage blockade." He also contrasted the manner in which other country's handle macroeconomic statistics without taking into consideration the growth of poverty and unemployment. President Castro said that since the implementation of neo-liberal free market policies in other countries, social spending has been reduced -- while in Cuba it has grown. Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage also addressed the Parliament session, insisting that without the blockade, conditions in Cuba would change radically in a short period of time. Lage said that because of the blockade -- which translates into extra shipping costs, a need to obtain short-term, high-interest loans and the inability to carry out transactions in U.S. dollars -- Cuba lost 20 percent of its export income this year. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER UNDERSCORES GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND NICARAGUA -- DESPITE DIFFERENCES Managua, December 22(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina, currently on an official visit to Nicaragua, has stated that relations between the two countries are going well -- despite their differences. During a joint news conference in the northern Department of Esteli -- where Robaina, accompanied by Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman, travelled to visit the Cuban medical brigades offering their assistance to victims of Hurricane Mitch -- Aleman took the opportunity to thank the government and people of Cuba for the urgently needed assistance. Aleman said that with Robaina's visit, Cuba has now agreed to grant another 100 scholarships to Nicaraguans wishing to study medicine in Cuba -- up from an original 200 to 300. The Nicaraguan president admitted that of his country's 147 municipalities, 100 do not have a single doctor. He said the scholarships will be awarded to young people in the most needy municipalities who make a commitment to return to their communities once they graduate as doctors. The Nicaraguan president also confirmed his country's request for another 40 Cuban medical professionals. The Cuban foreign minister stated that his visit was solely aimed at ratifying Cuba's willingness to send all the medical personnel needed by the Central American nations affected by Mitch and to officially sign the documents pardoning Nicaragua's 50 million dollar bilateral debt to Cuba. CUBA TO TRAIN YOUNG DOCTORS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA Havana, December 22(RHC)-- Young Central American students are beginning to arrive in Cuba to begin training as doctors at a new school especially created for the purpose. The Latin American School of Medicine will be located in the old Naval Academy in Havana, serving the students coming from countries most-affected by the recent hurricanes that devastated the region. The first preparatory and premedical courses will begin next month. The school is expected to be fully operational by September 1999. TOURISM INCREASES DURING 1998 Havana, December 22(RHC)-- More than 1.4 million tourists visited the island of Cuba in 1998, adding an estimated $1.8 billion to the economy. Most of the visitors -- 55 percent -- came from Europe, while 25 percent were from North America and 18 percent from Latin America. Most tourists came from Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Britain and Mexico. Cuba currently has a total of 28,000 hotel rooms. Some 30 percent of the island's hotels are operated by European, Latin American and/or Caribbean hotel chains. Tourism, which currently provides employment for 70,000 people, is recognized as the most dynamic sector of the Cuban economy. CUBA WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN 1999 Havana, December 22(RHC)-- The Cuban government will continue to promote foreign investment in efforts to increase technological advances, open markets and promote financial gains in 1999, according to Ibrahim Ferradaz, the Minister of Foreign Investment and Cooperation. Ferradaz addressed the Second Annual session of the Cuban National Assembly which convened Monday in Havana. He said that Cuba lost 85% of it's international markets with the disappearance of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist nations in 1991 and that Cuba does not have easy access to credit from international financial institutions such as the World Bank. He stated that for this reason, the government will prioritized those investments that carry with them credit advantages for the island. PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS HANUKKAH CELEBRATION Havana, December 22(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro attended a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday evening at the invitation of the Cuban Jewish Community. According to the Cuban daily Granma, Fidel Castro, accompanied by Vice President Carlos Lage, met with Jose Miller, a leader of the Jewish community. Others present were representatives of various Christian churches, including Evangelical pastors Pablo Oden Marichal and Raul Suarez, as well as the head of the Communist Party Office of Religious Affairs, Caridad Diego. LATIN PLAZA JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCLUDES IN HAVANA Havana, December 22(RHC)-- The 18th International Latin Plaza Jazz Festival ended in Havana Monday evening with an impressive all-star concert featuring veteran U.S. drummer Max Roach, to whom the festival was dedicated. Hosting the evening was internationally-acclaimed Cuban jazz pianist Jesus Chucho Valdes, who also served as head of the festival's organizing committee. During the concert his guests were Dominican pianist Michel Camilo. Puerto Rican sax player David Sanchez, U.S. trumpeter Roy Hardgrove, and Cuban flute player Orlando Valle "Maracas." The evening, already described by local and international jazz critics as memorable, was a showcase of the strength and maturity of Latin Jazz. Havana Jazz Plaza Festival got underway last Thursday, and featured other well-known performers like Jack De Johnette, Ramsey Lewis, Steve Turre, alongside Spanish pianists Chano Dominguez and David Pena, and Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez. The Festival was organized by the Cuban Music Institute and will be convened again in December of the year 2000. BRITISH SOLIDARITY BRIGADE CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBAN REVOLUTION Sancti Spiritus, December 22(RHC)-- Activists from all over Britain arrived in Cuba on Tuesday to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. The 15-member group will be based in the province of Sancti Spiritus, where they will participate in the coffee harvest. The work brigade, which is sponsored by Rock Around the Blockade, has donated equipment to a mobile discotheque in neighboring Santa Clara. Over the past year, Rock Around the Blockade has donated $5000 for sound systems in Sancti Spiritus to help the Young Communist League (UJC) in its work with young people in the province. [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. 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