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 Thursday, June 4, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO URGES MEASURES AGAINST HIGH PRICES AND CORRUPTION IN LOCAL, PRIVATE AGRO-MARKETS 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REITERATES THAT CUBA IS NOT SEEKING READMISSION INTO THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES 3.- UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS VISIT CUBAN FORESTS 4.- FAO SUCCESSFULLY ENDS TRAINING PROGRAM IN CUBAN AGRICULTURE 5.- CONTEMPORARY CUBAN ART EXHIBIT IN RIO DE JANEIRO 6.- 35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CUBAN-MEXICAN SOCIETY OF CULTURAL RELATIONS 7.- PREPARATIONS FOR CUBA'S PEDAGOGY CONGRESS CONTINUE CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO URGES MEASURES AGAINST HIGH PRICES AND CORRUPTION IN LOCAL, PRIVATE AGRO-MARKETS Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has called for the adoption of measures against the high prices and corruption in local, private argo-markets. Presiding late Wednesday over a meeting of cooperative farm leaders, the Cuban President called on them to increase production in order to lower food prices. He charged that the culprits are the intermediaries, who the Cuban leader said are the sources of a plague of corruption. Noting that an estimated 75 percent of the profits generated annually from sales in the agro-markets go into the pockets of intermediaries, the Cuban leader called on "honest and revolutionary campesino producers to make it difficult for intermediaries to operate." With the opening of farmers markets in 1994, the Cuban government had hoped that the gradual increase in supply and demand would spark a reduction in prices. But in almost four years, those prices have remained high. The markets were opened to alleviate food shortages brought on by the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba and the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had favorable trade relations with the island. President Castro reiterated his belief in the integrity of Cuban campesinos and praised their loyalty to the Cuban Revolution which, he added, gave the island's rural population the human dignity they had never enjoyed. He called on them not only to increase production, but to also not forget solidarity. In Cuban agro-markets, private farmers, cooperatives, State firms and the farms run by the Cuban armed forces can sell their products -- that is, all individual and collective producers. But all must first comply with obligations to the State for the earmarking of produce to hospitals, schools, social and work centers, and for the subsidized produce guaranteed on the ration book -- in an effort to provide the entire population with a minimum amount of food. In another part of his intervention, the President Castro said Cuba was "the freest country in the world" because the island can openly denounce the crimes of imperialism and its principle exponent -- the United States. In an implicit reference to Cuba's exclusion from the Organization of American States, the Cuban leader said that in those exclusive groups that reject Cuba's presence, "the courageous United States fears Cuba's participation." He said the U.S. is aware that, morally, it can't be in the same room with Cuba -- or at least, it feels very uncomfortable having to do so. Fidel said that to admit Cuba's presence, Washington would have to accept the existence of a country that says to its face exactly what it deserves to hear, without beating about the bush. The Cuban leader also rejected what he called "the euphemistic theory of a biological solution in Cuba's case," which is promoted by Washington -- that the next generation of Cubans will renounce the country's current political and ideological positions. He called this trend of thought "an insult to the Cuban people." At the same time, he termed the U.S. government's efforts to impose its ideas on the world as "megalomaniacal." CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REITERATES THAT CUBA IS NOT SEEKING READMISSION INTO THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry reiterated today that Cuba "has not sought and is not seeking readmission into the Organization of American States." Foreign Ministry spokesman Alejandro Gonzalez, in his weekly press conference before local and foreign journalists, said Cuba does not accept conditions of any kind for a possible readmission into the OAS, from which, he added, Cuba was "maliciously and unjustly removed as a result of pressure from Washington." Asked about Cuba's interpretation concerning proposals during this week's OAS General Assembly in Venezuela, Gonzalez said that the island's authorities saw the event as another manifestation of the contradictions between some Latin American governments and the United States concerning Cuba policy. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that a number of Latin American governments have an obvious interest in or awareness of the need to amend the injustice committed against Cuba. But, he said, "correcting this injustice does not correspond to Cuba." UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS VISIT CUBAN FORESTS Havana, June 4(RHC)-- United Nations officials based in Cuba have visited forest areas in western Pinar del Rio province -- particularly in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range -- on the occasion of World Environment Day, celebrated Friday. The group is headed by Ariel Francais, representative of the UN Development Program in Cuba, who received a detailed explanation on the government's plans to protect the island's forests. The UN Development Program (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Food Program and UN Environment Program help finance various projects in the protection of Cuba's environment. FAO SUCCESSFULLY ENDS TRAINING PROGRAM IN CUBAN AGRICULTURE Havana, June 4(RHC)-- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has successfully concluded a training program designed for Cuban personnel as part of an agreement with Cuban agricultural authorities. UN specialist Fernando Figueroa said that after two years of theory and practice in four centers that were created on the island, new products have been developed without additives used for preservation. The project utilizes new technology for fruit and vegetable processing in rural areas, adding quality to the raw materials and reducing losses after it is harvested. The FAO project also provides jobs, especially for women and young people. CONTEMPORARY CUBAN ART EXHIBIT IN RIO DE JANEIRO Rio de Janeiro, June 4(RHC)-- An exhibition of contemporary Cuban art will be displayed next week at the National Museum of Fine Arts in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The exhibit, which is organized by the Cuban art gallery "La Acacia" and the Jose Marti Cultural Association, will include renowned artists like Roberto Fabelo, Manuel Mendive, Flora Fong and Zaida del Rio. The director of the gallery, Mercedes Penaranda, said that this display will offer an opportunity to exchange art between the Cuban Art Institute and Brazil's National Museum of Fine Arts. 35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CUBAN-MEXICAN SOCIETY OF CULTURAL RELATIONS Havana, June 4(RHC)-- The 35th anniversary of the creation of the Cuban-Mexican Society of Cultural Relations was celebrated at Havana's St. Francis of Asis Basilica. During the ceremony, Havana historian Eusebio Leal said that the cultural institution has helped to broaden relations between Cuba and Mexico, which have enjoyed cultural ties for centuries.. PREPARATIONS FOR CUBA'S PEDAGOGY CONGRESS CONTINUE Havana, June 4(RHC)-- Cuban Education Minister Luis Ignacio Gomez said that more than 6000 teachers from Latin America are expected to attend next year's Pedagogy Congress here in the Cuban capital. The main issues to be discussed during the teachers congress will be educational quality and values. During the event, which is scheduled for February 1999, courses will be organized to discuss 21 issues, with 18 roundtables and six conferences. [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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