CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA January 13, 1998 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, January 13, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS: 98.35 PERCENT OF CUBAN VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOTS ON SUNDAY 2.- AMERICANS FOR HUMANITARIAN TRADE WITH CUBA FOUNDED 3.- CUBA DOES NOT INTEND TO OBTAIN POLITICAL BENEFITS FROM THE POPE'S UPCOMING VISIT TO THE ISLAND 4.- ZIMBABWEAN PARLIAMENTARY LEADER VISITS THE ISLAND 5.- CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS MAKES PROGRESS 6.- HAVANA'S HOTEL NACIONAL HAS VERY PROFITABLE YEAR 7.- ARGENTINEAN AMBASSADOR TO CUBA AWARDED NATIONAL CULTURE ORDER OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS: 98.35 PERCENT OF CUBAN VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOTS ON SUNDAY Havana, January 13(RHC)-- According to official statistics released today, 98.35 percent of Cuban voters cast their ballots in Sunday's general elections. It was reported that only 3.36 percent of the ballots were blank and only 1.64 were spoiled -- a total of five percent. Of the valid votes, 94.39 percent were cast with the vote of unity -- that is, a vote for all of the candidates instead of just one or several candidates. The vote of unity was promoted by the Cuban government, calling on the people to vote in favor of the unity of the Revolution. The Cuban news daily Granma reported today that following publication of the official results, President Fidel Castro said the Cuban people have responded to the elections "in an admirable way" and, as always, the response has gone beyond expectations. Cuba's Cienfuegos Province has the record in terms of voter turn-out -- with 99.9 percent -- and only Villa Clara Province registered a voter turn-out of less than 98 percent. AMERICANS FOR HUMANITARIAN TRADE WITH CUBA FOUNDED Washington, January 13(RHC)-- In the U.S. capital, a coalition of business representatives, Cuban-Americans, and religious, medical and humanitarian leaders announced the foundation of a broad-based organization: "Americans For Humanitarian Trade With Cuba. According to Katy Donahue, a member of the coalition's Executive Council, the organization will support legislative initiatives in the U.S. Congress -- such as the "Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act" in the House of Representatives and the "Cuban Women and Children Humanitarian Relief Act" in the Senate. Among the members of the new coalition are renowned physician Benjamin Spock, business tycoon David Rockefeller and retired Army General John Sheehan, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. CUBA DOES NOT INTEND TO OBTAIN POLITICAL BENEFITS FROM THE POPE'S UPCOMING VISIT TO THE ISLAND Havana, January 13(RHC)-- The head of the Office for Religious Affairs of the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee, Caridad Diego, stated that Cuba does not intend to obtain political benefits from the Pope's upcoming pastoral visit to the island. She said, however, that without a doubt, "his visit will have political repercussions." In statements to the Cuban magazine Cuba Internacional, Caridad Diego said that the Pontiff's tour of the island "will help strengthen the local Catholic Church and that it should be good for believers and for the country as a whole." Diego told the Cuban magazine that the only special measure taken by the Cuban government to guarantee the Pope's and the island's security is the establishment of a "special permit or entry visa" from January 6th through the 31st for people who reside in the United States. Excluded from the special measure are Cubans who have asked for a "vigencia de viaje" -- a special permit that does not have to be renewed in five years -- and for those with residence status. The head of the Office for Religious Affairs noted that the island will do everything possible to prevent any confrontation or provocation during the Pope's pastoral visit to Cuba. ZIMBABWEAN PARLIAMENTARY LEADER VISITS THE ISLAND Havana, January 13(RHC)-- The President of the Zimbabwean Parliament Cyril Ndebele arrived in Cuba Monday to broaden relations between that African nation and the Caribbean island. Links between the two legislative bodies and cooperation in the area of health are high on the distinguished visitor's agenda. Cyril Ndebele's week-long program includes meetings with the head of the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee's International Relations Department, Jose Ramon Balaguer, Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina and Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas, among other government officials. The program also includes tours of scientific institutions and sites of socio-economic interest. CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS MAKES PROGRESS Sancti Spiritus, January 13(RHC)-- Cuban Central Bank President Francisco Soberon stated that he is optimistic about relations with international financial institutions. Soberon said that despite the country's current economic hardships, there is a tendency to increase business with Cuba, primarily from European banks. The Cuban Central Bank president hopes 1998 will be a year when those relations will be consolidated, which will allow the island to gradually solve its needs for foreign financing. The high-ranking Cuban bank official noted that the island's currency -- the peso -- shows stability and that very few emerging countries in the world can boast of such stability. The Cuban peso has been able to maintain stable exchange rates compared to the convertible currencies, noted the Cuban official, which demonstrates the Cuban economy's strength, the people's confidence in their currency and the work of the Casas de Cambio or Exchange Houses to help maintain that stability. The president of the Cuban Central Bank termed 1997 as a year in which important steps were taken to restructure the island's banks and to modernize its banking system. He said all banks in Cuba are profitable, work with proper stability and operate with loans that are collectable. HAVANA'S HOTEL NACIONAL HAS VERY PROFITABLE YEAR Havana, January 13(RHC)-- The flagship hotel of Cuba's five-star Gran Caribe Hotel Chain -- the Nacional -- generated revenues worth 17 million 500 thousand dollars in 1997 -- one and a half million more than in the previous year. According to Antonio Martinez, General Manager of the Hotel Nacional, the facility obtained profits amounting to eight million dollars, considered very acceptable for the Cuban hotel group. The Nacional is currently promoting its 67-year history by renovating some of the hotel's best suites and rooms once occupied by outstanding international figures like Mexican actors Maria Felix and Jorge Negrete, U.S. actors Ava Gardner and Johnny Westmuller, the Duke of Windsor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and others. The Nacional also recently set up its Hall of Fame, displaying the photographs of many of the most important figures that have stayed at the hotel over the years. According to General Manager Antonio Martinez, the Hotel Nacional is contacting other international facilities with tradition and history to sign sister agreements. The Cuban tour installation is also currently trying to promote congress and incentive tourism, for which it has nine rooms for banquets and meetings. The Hotel Nacional is an eclectic-style construction that was inaugurated in December 1930. For 1998, the Nacional hopes to bring in 19 million dollars worth of revenues -- with an occupancy rate between 75 and 85 percent. ARGENTINEAN AMBASSADOR TO CUBA AWARDED NATIONAL CULTURE ORDER Havana, January 13(RHC)-- Argentinean Ambassador to Cuba Sara Susana Grein was awarded the Order for National Culture at a ceremony presided over by Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto. The award is granted in Cuba to intellectuals whose work has contributed to the island's cultural heritage and built bridges of unity among peoples. The ceremony, held at the Havana-based Casa de las Americans Cultural Institution, was attended by Cuban and Argentinean intellectuals as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Havana and of several Cuban government institutions. [c] 1997. 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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 814243 Fax: (53) (7) 812927 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org