CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA January 20, 1998 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, January 20, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHES INITIAL ITINERARY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT 2.- BRITISH DAILY "THE GUARDIAN" CALLS ON EUROPEAN UNION TO STOP DICTATING CONDITIONS AND PREACHING TO CUBA 3.- YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE LAUNCHES CALL ON THE OCCASION OF THE POPE'S VISIT 4.- UJC CONVENES SEVENTH CONGRESS LATER THIS MONTH 5.- SPANISH RADIO AND TELEVISION OPEN OFFICES IN HAVANA 6.- FRANCO ROSSO SAYS HAVANA IS IDEAL INVESTMENT SITE 7.- VACCINE AGAINST BREAST CANCER BEING TESTED IN CUBA 8.- HAVANA'S GRAND THEATER ANNOUNCES NEW OPERA SEASON CUBAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHES INITIAL ITINERARY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II'S VISIT Havana, January 20(RHC)-- Cuba's news daily Granma called on the Cuban people to give the Pope "a respectful, warm and massive welcome." According to this morning's newspaper, the arrival ceremony at Jose Marti International Airport and the Pope's journey through the streets of the Cuban capital will be transmitted live by the two television stations in Cuba and broadcast by the national radio network and the international frequencies of Radio Havana Cuba in Spanish. Granma also published information on Resolution #3 - 1998 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security concerning arrangements allowing workers to take part in the open air masses to be offered by the Vatican chief in Havana, Santa Clara, Camaguey and Santiago. According to the resolution, workers who wish to see the Pope will receive full pay on those days. Meanwhile, Catholic Bishops from around the world began arriving in Havana today -- with the United States bringing the largest delegation: 30 bishops. New York Cardinal Joseph O'Conner will be leading a delegation of 300 Americans to participate in the crowning of the Virgin of the Caridad del Cobre in Santiago de Cuba on Saturday and the Pope's mass at Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion on Sunday. This is the largest U.S. delegation that Washington has authorized to visit Cuba. The Mexican and Chilean Episcopal Conferences collected thousands of dollars in donations as a contribution to the success of the Pope's stay in Cuba, as have other church's throughout Europe. Nobel Literature laureate Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also here in Havana for the Pope's visit. Garcia Marquez said the Pope's visit will be "of fundamental importance since it is taking place in Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores." BRITISH DAILY "THE GUARDIAN" CALLS ON EUROPEAN UNION TO STOP DICTATING CONDITIONS AND PREACHING TO CUBA Havana, January 20(RHC)-- The British daily "The Guardian" has called on the European Union to "stop dictating conditions and preaching to Cuba." The British daily asserted today that the EU is "acting much like the United States with respect to Cuba," playing the good cop and the bad cop. "While Washington uses the big stick against Cuba, reinforces a brutal blockade and provides sanctuary to those carrying out terrorist attacks against Cuba," wrote the daily, "the EU offers a carrot in an effort to force Cuba to adopt Western political values." The Guardian said no one denies that Cuba's is a one-party system, but argued that multi-party elections are not the only way of determining the respect for legality. The British daily pointed out that of the principle 22 Latin American countries, ten register levels of human rights abuse that are incompatible with democracy. On other continents, according to "The Guardian," there are regimes like Turkey, Algeria and Indonesia that do hold multi-party elections, but where torture and police brutality are everyday occurrences -- "something that does not happen in Cuba." In terms of social and economic rights, the British newspaper stressed that Cuba regularly surpasses the majority of Third World countries -- with the best health care system, less poverty, practically no child prostitution and no organized crime or drug consumption as occurs in many parts of the world, including Washington and Miami. Finally, The Guardian demanded that the European Union stop preaching to Cuba and develop relations with the island "based on mutual respect and without conditions." YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE LAUNCHES CALL ON THE OCCASION OF THE POPE'S VISIT Havana, January 20(RHC)-- The Cuban Young Communist League -- the UJC --has urged the island's youth to participate respectfully and consciously in activities included in the program of Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba. Taking its cue from remarks by Cuban President Fidel Castro, the call was published in the weekly newspaper "Juventud Rebelde." The UJC calls on Cuban youth to welcome the Pontiff "with the consideration, hospitality and respect that a head of state deserves for having the courage to visit the island at a very difficult time in the history of the country and the world." The document adds that the island's young people will fill the squares where the Pope will deliver mass and listen to the message of a man "with great talent, culture and concern about humanity's serious problems." The call says that the Pope has always had a word of confidence and encouragement for youth all over the world. The appeal concludes that Cuban youth will once again demonstrate their educational level, responsibility and ethical values during the Pontiff's visit to Cuba. UJC CONVENES SEVENTH CONGRESS LATER THIS MONTH Havana, January 20(RHC)-- The Young Communist League -- the UJC -- says it will convene its 7th Congress next January 28th on the occasion of the 145th anniversary of Cuban National Hero Jose Marti's birth. UJC First Secretary Otto Rivero told journalists that the Cuban youth organization is planning to begin a process of analysis of its problems and future projects. The youth leader said that on January 28th, the island's young people and others will hold torchlight parades to various sites closely linked with Jose Marti. There will be a march to the Santa Efigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba where Marti is buried and the traditional giant torchlight parade in Havana. SPANISH RADIO AND TELEVISION OPEN OFFICES IN HAVANA Havana, January 20(RHC)-- The Spanish Radio and Television inaugurated a permanent office in Cuba coinciding with Pope John Paul II's visit to the Caribbean island. The Spanish radio and television network's General Director Fernando Lopez Amor described the Cuban government's cooperation with the office's 53 staff members who will cover the historic visit as "excellent." FRANCO ROSSO SAYS HAVANA IS IDEAL INVESTMENT SITE Havana, January 20(RHC)-- The President of the Italian company Franco Rosso International says that Havana is an ideal site for investment because, in his words, "Havana is the capital of a country with social and political stability." Franco Rosso recently inaugurated the Horizontes Club Arenal Hotel located in a beach area east of Havana. Franco Rosso began operations in Cuba with the renovation of the Itabo Hotel at Santa Maria del Mar Beach, which now bears the name Horizontes Club Arenal. VACCINE AGAINST BREAST CANCER BEING TESTED IN CUBA Havana, January 20(RHC)-- Cuban scientists are carrying out clinical tests on a vaccine against breast cancer -- a disease on the rise in the world. The head of the Cuba Breast Cancer Program, Dr. Rolando Camacho, stated that the vaccine obtained by the Cuban experts is used as an immunological treatment method to control the ailment. The scientific team taking part in the clinical studies hopes that the product will activate the affected women's immunological system to fight the development of cancerous tumors. HAVANA'S GRAND THEATER ANNOUNCES NEW OPERA SEASON Havana, January 20(RHC)-- Havana's Lyric Arts Promotion Center headed by maestro Manuel Duchesne Cuzan has announced a new opera season beginning this Friday to mark the 160th anniversary of Havana's Grand Theater. Famous operas will be performed, such as The Barber of Seville by Rossini, Rigoletto by Verdi, Lucia de Lammermoor by Donizetti and others. The theater also announced the unique performance of Canadian baritone Terence Shwan on Friday, January 29th. [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. 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