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 Monday, March 9, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY COMMEMORATED IN CUBA 2.- CUBA CONGRATULATED FOR DEFENSE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS 3.- PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE ACTIVISTS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATEHOOD 4.- PORTUGUESE CULTURE WEEK IN CUBA 5.- FIRST CUBAN WINE FACTORY OPENED IN PINAR DEL RIO 6.- COMPUTER SOFTWARE DESIGNERS MEET IN CUBAN CAPITAL 7.- PABLO MILANES BEGINS CONCERT TOUR OF SPAIN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY COMMEMORATED IN CUBA Santiago de Cuba, March 9(RHC)-- The main task for Cuban women in 1998 will be educational work for the new generations to come. The President of the Federation of Cuban Women Vilma Espin spoke over the weekend at an activity commemorating International Women's Day in eastern Santiago de Cuba. Espin reiterated the importance of educating the new generations with love and mutual respect between parents and children as well as cultivating the ethical-moral value for their homeland. The president of the Federation of Cuban Women stated that it is everyone's responsibility to develop human beings with high spiritual values. In related news, Yolanda Ferrer, head of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Legal and Social State of Women, says nothing causes greater violence against women than the consequences of economic neoliberalism. Ferrer told the gathering that the economic policies of privatization and readjustment have had a particularly negative impact on millions of women around the world. She pointed out that women are feeling the effects of neoliberal economics politically, socially and culturally. Referring to Cuba and the U.S. economic blockade against her country, Yolanda Ferrer underscored that women feel the brunt of the shortages caused by the blockade. She stressed, however, that the difficulties and hardships brought on by Washington's economic war have only fueled the resistance of the Cuban people, who will fight to defend their independence and sovereignty at any cost. The head of the Cuban delegation to the U.N. Commission on the Legal and Social State of Women also took the opportunity to salute all women on the occasion of International Women's Day, celebrated Sunday, March 8th. CUBA CONGRATULATED FOR DEFENSE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS Havana, March 9(RHC)-- In a world where a woman dies each minute due to maternal health problems, Cuba is a good example of the defense of women's rights. The Director of the United Nations Population Fund for Mexico and Cuba, Rainer Rosembaum, praised the Cuban government's work in favor of women. The U.N. official added that Cuba is well ahead of other nations in that field and congratulated the Cuban Health Ministry and government. PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE ACTIVISTS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATEHOOD Havana, March 9(RHC)-- Puerto Rican independence activists announced that they will begin a Latin American and Caribbean campaign in favor of decolonizing their country and against U.S. plans to turn Puerto Rico into another state of the union. The President of the Hostos National Congress, Noel Colon Martinez, told the Cuban daily Granma that the nationalist campaign will begin in Cuba and then expand to other Latin American and Caribbean nations. Puerto Rican independence leader Juan Mari Bras also told journalists that the recent approval of legislation allowing a plebiscite is yet another attempt to convert Puerto Rico into the 51st U.S. state. Both Puerto Rican independence leaders agreed that another stage of hard work is on its way for all those who are fighting for the independence of their homeland. PORTUGUESE CULTURE WEEK IN CUBA Havana, March 9(RHC)-- This week marks Portuguese Culture Week in Cuba. The activities -- which will run through Sunday, March 15th -- will include exhibits by Portuguese artists, film showings and a conference on the history of Portugal. The week's cultural celebrations are sponsored by Portugal's Association of Professors and Cuba's Union of Artists and Writers. FIRST CUBAN WINE FACTORY OPENED IN PINAR DEL RIO Havana, March 9(RHC)-- Cuba has opened its first wine factory in western Pinar del Rio province. In a joint effort between Cuba and Italy, the modern factory is capable of producing two million liters of red and white wine a year. The president of the Fantinel S.A., Jean Franco Fantinel, said that this factory is the beginning of the first phase of a project that will include the prestigious Vir-Mauri international wine technology. For now, production will depend on imported grapes from Italy, however 30 hectares of grapes are being planted near the town of San Cristobal in Pinar del Rio, west of the Cuban capital. The wine will be used domestically as well as exported. On hand at the inaugural ceremony were Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, the Italian Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs Rino Serri, the Italian Ambassador to Cuba Geovanni Ferrero and the First Secretary of Pinar del Rio's Communist Party Maria del Carmen Concepcion Gonzalez. COMPUTER SOFTWARE DESIGNERS MEET IN CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, March 9(RHC)-- Cuban software designers have met for their Second National Encounter. Participants discussed the need to strengthen professional training of the sector's specialists and urged the creation of an Informatics Engineering major in Cuban universities. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Steel Industry Ministry, was chaired by the Vice President of the Cuban State Council, Carlos Lage. Lage stressed the economic potential of international software marketing and expressed the need of finding areas where Cuban-designed software programs could compete without the interference of giant transnationals that currently control the market. In the meantime, he called on participants to focus on the possibilities of the domestic market that often import software programs that could be developed by Cuban specialists. Cuban software designers stated that the island has great possibilities of developing competitive informatics products, based on the scientific expertise achieved in the areas of medicine, education and sports, particularly for the Spanish- language market. This year, the Internet will reportedly experience an increase in the number of Cuban companies, products and available services and electronic business will get a boost in Cuba. During the event it was also reported that the island's Penal Code is currently being revised to make it a crime to design computer viruses. PABLO MILANES BEGINS CONCERT TOUR OF SPAIN Madrid, March 9(RHC)-- Cuban singer and songwriter Pablo Milanes is in Spain where he will offer a series of concerts throughout the country. On Tuesday, Pablo will begin his concert tour of Spain with a performance in Barcelona. Over the next week, the renowned Cuban singer will appear in nearly a dozen cities, including performances in the Spanish provinces of Santander, Sevilla, Murcia, Cadiz, Zaragoza, Santiago de Compostela and Salamanca, in addition to Madrid and Barcelona. Upon his arrival in the Spanish capital on Friday, Pablo Milanes told reporters that Cuban music has gained a special place in recent years in Spain and other European countries. He added that the interest in music from Cuba is not just a fad, but is a recognition of its excellent quality. Responding to questions by journalists in Madrid, Pablo Milanes spoke with pride about the independence and dignity achieved by Cuba since the triumph of the Revolution nearly 40 years ago. [c] 1998, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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