CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA February 3, 1998 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, February 3, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- IN SPECIAL TV APPEARANCE, CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO EXPRESSES ADMIRATION OF CUBAN PEOPLE FOR WARM RECEPTION GIVEN TO POPE JOHN PAUL II 2.- ECUADORAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSE AYALA LASSO ARRIVES IN HAVANA 3.- VATICAN DAILY DEMANDS LIFTING OF BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA 4.- PUERTO RICAN CARDINAL ORGANIZES HUMANITARIAN DRIVE FOR CUBAN PEOPLE 5.- FRANCE DONATES MORE THAN 7 THOUSAND TONS OF WHEAT FLOUR TO CUBAN PEOPLE 6.- CARIBBEAN UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 7.- SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENTS ARRIVE IN CUBA TO STUDY MEDICINE 8.- NURSES STUDY STRATEGIES IN WORKSHOP IN HAVANA 9.- CUBA HOPES TO PRODUCE 160 MILLION CIGARS DURING 1998 IN SPECIAL TV APPEARANCE, CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO EXPRESSES ADMIRATION OF CUBAN PEOPLE FOR WARM RECEPTION GIVEN TO POPE JOHN PAUL II Havana, February 3(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has expressed deep admiration of the Cuban people for the warm reception given to Pope John Paul II during his recent five- day visit. In a special television appearance late Monday evening, the Cuban leader praised the Cuban peoples' conduct during the visit, which he called "an historic event and another achievement for the island, demonstrating the Cuban peoples's lofty revolutionary qualities." President Castro said it was this absolute confidence that allowed him to say to the Pope, upon the Pontiff's arrival in Havana, that His Holiness would find an educated, cultured and talented people with whom he could speak with total freedom and with the certainty that he would be listened to with respect. The leader of the Cuban Revolution recalled the many predictions and forecasts concerning the problems and difficulties the Pope's visit would cause for the government. He pointed to a statement by a member of the U.S. Congress who made the ridiculous claim that the Cuban government would fire those who took part in the Pope's religious activities. President Castro stated that the more than 3000 foreign journalists covering the Pontiff's visit -- among them 1659 journalists from the United States -- were able to freely speak with millions of Cubans. "Those same millions -- believers and non-believers -- would, without a doubt, take up their positions to defend the island from an enemy aggression." In reference to the slander campaigns against the island, the Cuban leader spoke of the U.S. government's self-appointed role as judge of the world -- certifying which country is good or bad, terrorist, drug-trafficker or human rights violator. Nevertheless, he said, it would take an immense volume of history to include all of the armed interventions, violations, abuse and horrors committed by successive U.S. governments. President Fidel Castro also reiterated his support of the Pope's call for "a globalization of solidarity," which, he said, coincides with the social banner unfurled by the Cuban Revolution. He said a world of globalized solidarity "would be one in which the rich are not increasingly richer, while the poor become increasingly poorer." In another part of his television appearance, the Cuban leader said that his references to Spanish colonialism -- during his welcome speech for Pope John Paul II -- were not intended to offend the people of Spain. President Castro said he feels a great deal of admiration for Spain and for the courage of the Spanish people demonstrated throughout their history. He lamented what he called the distorted interpretations of his words, insisting, nevertheless, that he could not refrain from condemning Spanish colonialism for the 70 million indigenous and 12 million Africans who were enslaved by those bringing the gospel on the point of a sword. And, said the Cuban leader, Spain isn't the only western nation responsible for that crime. In that respect, President Castro spoke of the monument the Cuban government was going to erect in memory of the 300,000 Cubans who died last century in the concentration camps created by Spanish General Valeriano Weyler. He said this crime preceded the holocaust and the U.S. strategic hamlets in Vietnam. And the monument, said the Cuban leader, will also be in homage to the Cuban people of today, "who for 40 years have stood up to a merciless blockade aimed at exterminating the nation through hunger and sickness." Finally, the Cuban president spoke of what he called the repugnant and immoral manoeuver by ultra right-wing U.S. Senator Jesse Helms and the Cuban-American National Foundation, aimed at attempting to stem the growing clamor to end the blockade by proposing a humanitarian aid project for Cuba with humiliating conditions. President Fidel Castro said Cuba is not asking for humanitarian aid, but rather, is demanding the lifting of the blockade and the right to develop and trade in peace. ECUADORAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSE AYALA LASSO ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, February 3(RHC)-- Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Jose Ayala Lasso arrived in Havana today on an official visit aimed at enhancing trade relations between the two countries. Ayala Lasso is accompanied by dozens of Ecuadoran business executives, as well as high-ranking government officials. Ecuador and Cuba are reportedly studying new or greater cooperation in the areas of energy, food, textiles, tourism, agriculture, cattle raising and health. This is the Ecuadoran Foreign Minister's second visit to Cuba. Ayala Lasso was in Havana in November 1994 as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. At that time, he thanked Cuban authorities for "the climate of frankness and mutual respect during his stay." VATICAN DAILY DEMANDS LIFTING OF BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA Vatican City, February 3(RHC)-- The Vatican daily -- L'Osservatore Romano -- says that Washington's blockade against Cuba is "an obstacle that prevents the opening between the Caribbean island and the world." In a commentary dedicated to Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba, the daily's historian urged the United States to lift the almost 40-year blockade against the island and to show a gesture of generosity toward the island. According to the Vatican publication, "lending a hand to a smaller and different reality should not be considered a weak gesture." PUERTO RICAN CARDINAL ORGANIZES HUMANITARIAN DRIVE FOR CUBAN PEOPLE San Juan, February 3(RHC)-- Puerto Rican Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez has called on Puerto Ricans to collect food and medicines for Cuba, "in order to help end the U.S. blockade against the island." The Cardinal, who is also Archbishop of San Juan, returned from Cuba and immediately began a campaign to collect items to send to the island. The prelate was in Cuba during the pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II and praised the security measures taken during the Pontiff's visit. FRANCE DONATES MORE THAN 7 THOUSAND TONS OF WHEAT FLOUR TO CUBAN PEOPLE Havana, February 3(RHC)-- A French donation of 7300 tons of flour was unloaded Monday in the Port of Havana and handed over to Cuban authorities. The wheat flour, worth the equivalent of 3 million dollars, will be donated to schools in the regions affected by Hurricane Lili in October 1996. The shipment was symbolically turned over to Cuba's Deputy Foreign Investment and Cooperation Minister Raul Taladrid. CARIBBEAN UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, February 3(RHC)-- "Universities must become more aware of the fact that their current challenges are not only academic and scientific but moral and ethical as well." The statement was made by Cuban Higher Education Minister Fernando Vecino Alegret at the First Meeting of University Authorities of the Association of Caribbean States underway in the Cuban capital until Thursday. The university gathering is being attended by 100 participants from 20 countries of the region. Addressing the Caribbean university authorities, Vecino Alegret said that universities must form conscious and active people who reject all vestiges of social injustice, feel proud to be trained in the countries where they were born and of being Latin American and Caribbean citizens. University of Havana Rector Juan Vela urged Caribbean participants to raise their voices in this globalized world where, in his words, the Caribbean must become stronger and increase its knowledge to benefit its peoples. SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENTS ARRIVE IN CUBA TO STUDY MEDICINE Havana, February 3(RHC)-- A group of 42 South Africans arrived in the Cuban capital to begin medical studies in the central cities of Santa Clara and Sancti Spiritus. The newly arrived medical students will join another group of 12 South African students who began introductory Spanish classes this week. South African Health Ministry spokesman Vincent Hlongwane said the students were selected from rural areas. Meanwhile, a contingent of 69 Cuban doctors arrived in Pretoria, the South African capital, to work in hospitals in East Cape provinces, Orange Free State and Gauteng. Several hundred Cuban doctors have worked in that country over the past few years as part of a bilateral cooperation agreement. The doctors usually work in the country's rural areas. NURSES STUDY STRATEGIES IN WORKSHOP IN HAVANA Havana, February 3(RHC)-- Nurses from several Latin American countries began an international workshop this week in Havana to examine strategies to improve the quality of their services to patients. The gathering is attended by more than 40 nurses from Bolivia, Panama, Guatemala, Colombia, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Cuba who will also study the improvement of nursing in accordance with the financial situation of each country. Addressing participants, Mirei Kingna, representative of the International Nursing Council said that in the current conditions of today's world, nurses must also have basic knowledge of economic sciences and administration. CUBA HOPES TO PRODUCE 160 MILLION CIGARS DURING 1998 Havana, February 3(RHC)-- Cuba hopes to obtain 240 million dollars from a record production of 160 million cigars during 1998, according to the Cuban weekly "Negocios en Cuba" or Cuba Business. In 1997, the island produced 100 million cigars that generated revenues worth 178 million dollars. In the early 1990's, Cuban cigar and tobacco production suffered a severe crisis due to shortages of fertilizers and pesticides resulting from the collapse of the former socialist block and the lack of financing for the sector. A series of agreements with the Spanish tobacco company Tabacalera S.A. and the French company Seita, however, changed that situation for the better. Cuba Business stated that the challenge during 1998 will not only be agricultural and industrial but commercial as well. The weekly adds that for the first time, supply will be higher than demand -- estimated at around 130 million cigars without considering the U.S. market, to which Cuba doesn't have access. The goal for the year 2000 is 200 million cigars. [c] 1998, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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