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, March 5, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT UNDERWAY IN CANCUN 2.- WASHINGTON'S DRUG CERTIFICATION IS INTERVENTIONIST 3.- CUBANS COMMEMORATE ANNIVERSARY OF MARIO MUNOZ FRONT 4.- CUBAN HEALTH MINISTER SAYS THE ISLAND MUST DEFEND ITS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 5.- NEW CHILEAN AMBASSADOR WILL SOON ARRIVE IN HAVANA 6.- CUBAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE DISCUSSES FUTURE WORK 7.- LONG LINES AT THE ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MAUSOLEUM U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT UNDERWAY IN CANCUN Cancun, March 5(RHC)-- The U.S.-Cuba Business Summit got underway today in the Mexican tourist resort of Cancun. Organized by the U.S. consulting firm Alamar Associates, some 50 prominent U.S. business executives are taking part -- representing sectors ranging from food and agriculture to oil and transportation. Heading the Cuban delegation are Finance Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez and the Director of Cuba's National Bank Francisco Soberon. The U.S. business executives participating in the summit disagree with Washington's Helms-Burton Law, which prevents them from investing in Cuba while firms from other countries are taking advantage of Cuba's economic opening. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spearheading a drive to partially lift the blockade by allowing the free flow of food and medicine to the island, contained in legislation currently on the floors of both houses of the U.S. Congress. The measure also has the backing of nearly 100 Democrats and Republicans. The U.S. business firms are interested in learning more about Cuba's economy and investment opportunities on the island in order to take advantage of these opportunities if the blockade were to be lifted. According to some experts, during the first year of normal trade relations between Cuba and the United States, the volume of trade could well surpass one billion dollars. With authorization from the U.S. State Department, the business executives will travel to Havana on Friday. They will meet with Cuban authorities at Havana's International Convention Center and return to Cancun late Friday evening. WASHINGTON'S DRUG CERTIFICATION IS INTERVENTIONIST Havana, March 5(RHC)-- Cuba joined the chorus of Latin American countries that have rejected Washington's so-called drug certification policy. The island's Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the procedure "interventionist and unilateral." Commenting on the recently released U.S. State Department report on the fight against drugs, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alejandro Gonzalez said that Washington "has once again taken it upon itself to decide who does well in the war on drugs and who does not." He said that Cuba favors a broader approach to the drug issue that takes into consideration both drug production and consumption. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson recalled that Cuba had signed anti-drug agreements with 17 countries of the world and that Havana has always been willing to cooperate with other nations in the anti-drug effort. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also discussed Washington's blockade of Cuba, insisting that it has become increasingly evident that the blockade is only supported by ultra- conservative U.S. Senator Jesse Helms and the Miami-based, right-wing Cuban American National Foundation. Gonzalez called the blockade "a total failure and a pointless policy that must change." He stressed that Cuba was for a full-lifting of the measure, but that it positively viewed initiatives to ease the blockade like those being promoted by U.S. Congressional representatives Charles Rangel from New York and Esteban Torres from California. CUBANS COMMEMORATE ANNIVERSARY OF MARIO MUNOZ EASTERN FRONT Havana, March 5(RHC)-- The 40th anniversary of the creation of the Mario Munoz Monroy Third Eastern Front was commemorated Thursday in eastern Santiago de Cuba. This front operated in the island's eastern mountainous region during the revolutionary war against the Batista dictatorship. The population in the municipality of Cruce de los Banos attended the celebrations as well as the founding members of the military front, among them Comandante of the Revolution and Cuban Vice President Juan Almeida Bosque. On March 1, 1958, Fidel Castro ordered Juan Almeida to organize the Third Front to expand the rebel struggle. The Third Front was named after a Cuban doctor -- Mario Munoz -- who was killed by the dictatorship's forces during the attack against the Moncada Garrison on July 26, 1953. CUBAN HEALTH MINISTER SAYS THE ISLAND MUST DEFEND ITS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Havana, March 5(RHC)-- Cuba's Health Minister Carlos Dotres stressed that the island must eliminate problems in the distribution of medicines. Dotres spoke at a meeting in the Cuban capital with the island's principal health officials. Dotres stated that the health sector must work hard to better distribute the medicines, taking into account Washington's almost 40-year-old blockade. The health minister pointed out that due to U.S. policy, the island has half the resources to purchase medicines than it did eight years ago. The Cuban health minister said that the people will always defend one of the island's most important social achievements: the health care system. Dotres said "we cannot permit the enemies of the Revolution to destroy the health care system, of which the Cuban people are so proud and which has always had the recognition of the international community." NEW CHILEAN AMBASSADOR WILL SOON ARRIVE IN HAVANA Santiago de Chile, March 5(RHC)-- The new Chilean Ambassador to Cuba, Eduardo Araya, said that his country will strengthen commercial ties between both nations. The Chilean official added that his country has a great interest in Cuba. Araya, formerly the Chilean ambassador to Guatemala, is scheduled to arrive in Havana soon to replace outgoing Ambassador Patricio Pozo. Chile and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations in April 1995. Both countries cut-off relations after the CIA-backed military coup that overthrew constitutionally-elected President Salvador Allende in September 1973. CUBAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE DISCUSSES FUTURE WORK Havana, March 5(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage said that culture is a major attraction for tourists visiting the island as well as one of the country's main sources of income. Lage spoke during an annual work meeting that took place at the Ministry of Culture. Participants discussed Cuban social life, not only in the capital but also in the provinces and municipalities throughout the island. Among some of the objectives for the Ministry of Culture in the coming years will be the preservation of cultural heritage and strengthening of relations between cultural institutions and creators. LONG LINES AT THE ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MAUSOLEUM Santa Clara, March 5(RHC)--An average of one thousand people a day are visiting the mausoleum that contains the remains of Ernesto Che Guevara and his companions in the central city of Santa Clara. Since October last year, nearly 150,000 people have visited the memorial, located at the Ernesto Che Guevara Plaza de la Revolucion. People from all walks of life -- both Cubans and foreigners -- leave messages in the visitor's book. Renowned Spanish dancer Antonio Gades, who recently visited the memorial, wrote: "Comandante, without your example the world would be a different place." 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