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, February 20, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA AWAITS REMAINS OF INTERNATIONALIST GUERRILLAS IDENTIFIED IN BOLIVIA 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA TO TRAVEL TO GUATEMALA FOR CONSTITUTION OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES' EXECUTIVE BOARD 3.- RADIO REBELDE RECEIVES AWARD FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CUBAN REVOLUTION 4.- NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INAUGURATED IN SANTA CLARA 5.- ERNEST HEMINGWAY CENTER OPENS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 6.- ANGOLAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WILL VISIT THE ISLAND 7.- CUBA EXPORTS MARBLE TO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 8.- TROPICANA DANCERS PREPARE FOR SHOW IN LONDON 9.- FRENCH HOTEL CHAIN WILL MANAGE HAVANA HOTELS CUBA AWAITS REMAINS OF INTERNATIONALIST GUERRILLAS IDENTIFIED IN BOLIVIA Havana, February 20(RHC)-- Cuba's news daily Granma published a front page article Friday informing the nation that the remains of the internationalist guerrillas identified in Bolivia will be repatriated -- those of the Cubans identified as well as those of the Bolivians and Peruvians if their family members so request. Seven of the eight remains found were identified this week -- those of two Cubans, four Bolivians and one Peruvian. The complex task of identifying the skeletal remains of an eighth body is still underway. The internationalist guerrillas, who in the 1960s were under the command of Cuba's Heroic Guerrilla, Ernesto Che Guevara, will join Che and another seven internationalists discovered last year and buried at the mausoleum specially built in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara. Che, five Cubans and two Peruvians were buried at the mausoleum with full military honors and amid nationwide funeral ceremonies during which millions of Cubans emotionally paid their last respects. The exhumations will continue in Bolivia under the direction of Jorge Gonzalez, the Director of Cuba's Institute of Legal Medicine. Complex DNA examinations have led to the identifications made thus far. The team of forensic experts has received the full cooperation of the Bolivian government. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA TO TRAVEL TO GUATEMALA FOR CONSTITUTION OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES' EXECUTIVE BOARD Havana, February 20(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina is scheduled to travel Sunday to Guatemala for the constitution of the Association of Caribbean States' executive board. Guatemala is currently serving as president of the ACS, while Cuba occupies the vice presidency. According to Guatemala's Vice Foreign Minister Gabriel Aguilera, Robaina's visit to that country will also be an opportunity to discuss bilateral issues following the re- establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Guatemala last January 27th. This will be the first high-level meeting of government representatives of the two nations since Guatemala decided to -- in its own words -- exercise its sovereign right to decide policies and its destiny. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Guatemala met with the strong disapproval of the United States government. The Association of Caribbean States was established in 1994 at a regional gathering in Cartegena de Indias, Colombia. The ACS is made up of 25 nations from the Caribbean basin, as well as Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. RADIO REBELDE RECEIVES AWARD FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CUBAN REVOLUTION Havana, February 20(RHC)-- Cuba's national radio station, Radio Rebelde, received a replica of the Granma yacht in recognition of its valuable contribution to the revolutionary process. On behalf of the Minister of the Armed Forces, Raul Castro, General Nestor Lopez gave the award to the director of Radio Rebelde, Mario Robaina. General Lopez stressed the importance of Radio Rebelde during the early days of the Sierra Maestra when the rebels were fighting the Batista dictatorship. He stressed the systematic and professional work of informing the Cuban people and the world about the reality of Cuba over these last four decades. Political Bureau member Ramon Balaguer, also present at the ceremony, said that the workers of Radio Rebelde should be proud not only for their work in the past, but for strengthening the ideas and principles of the Cuban Revolution. NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT INAUGURATED IN SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, February 20(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Civil Aeronautics Institute, General Rogelio Acevedo, inaugurated Thursday the Abel Santamaria Airport in the central city of Santa Clara. The national and international airport was constructed in record time at a cost of over 50 thousand dollars and 160 thousand pesos. The Cuban official pointed out the importance of this airport in the city of Santa Clara, which is receiving increasing numbers of tourists due to its beauty and the mausoleum which holds the remains of legendary revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara and his companions. ERNEST HEMINGWAY CENTER OPENS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, February 20(RHC)-- Havana's International Jose Marti Journalist Institute has created the Ernest Hemingway Center -- dedicated to the analysis of Hemingway's literary works. The center is in honor of Ernest Hemingway, who first visited Cuba in 1928 and then returned four years later to live. During those years, the renowned U.S. writer published numerous articles and novels. ANGOLAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WILL VISIT THE ISLAND Havana, February 20(RHC)-- An Angolan parliamentary delegation, led by its president Roberto de Almeida, is expected to visit the island next week. According to Cuba's Foreign Ministry, the Angolan parliamentary delegation is aimed at strengthening the already good ties between both nations. The visit of the Angolan parliamentary delegation is in response to an invitation from Cuba's Parliament president Ricardo Alarcon. CUBA EXPORTS MARBLE TO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Havana, February 20(RHC)-- Cuba will export marble to Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and France. According to Frans Abraham, representative of the Belgium firm Gauthier, the export of marble is the result of an accord between Belgium and Cuba. Earlier this month, a group of Belgium professionals outlined the good quality of Cuban marble. TROPICANA DANCERS PREPARE FOR SHOW IN LONDON Havana, February 20(RHC)-- The Cuban musical and dance show Tropicana is scheduled to preform next month in London's Albert Hall. The director of Tropicana told journalists that the show, which will preform for the first time in London, includes some 90 artists. The percussionist group Los Papines will also appear during the show. FRENCH HOTEL CHAIN WILL MANAGE HAVANA HOTELS Havana, February 20(RHC)-- The French hotel chain ACCOR has signed an agreement with the Cuban Gaviota tourism firm for the administration and commercialization of three hotels in Havana. ACCOR, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, will manage the hotels -- currently being built in the neighborhood of Miramar -- as well as the Hotels Fifth Avenue and Monteverde. [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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