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 Friday, March 13, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS BURIAL OF COMANDANTE MANUEL PINEIRO 2.- FORMER U.S. SENATOR AND RETIRED ARMY GENERAL HEAD DELEGATION TO CUBA STUDYING EFFECTS OF HELMS-BURTON LAW 3.- CUBANS COMMEMORATE 41th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE 4.- RENOWNED MUSICIAN CARLOS EMBALE DIES AT THE AGE OF 74 5.- SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATIONS WITH CUBA CONTINUE TO GROW WORLDWIDE 6.- 12 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE INVESTED IN THE RECOVERY OF THE CAUTO RIVER BASIN IN EASTERN CUBA 7.- RENOWNED FRENCH MUSICIAN JEAN-MICHEL JARRE VISITS HAVANA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS BURIAL OF COMANDANTE MANUEL PINEIRO Havana, March 13(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro attended the burial of Comandante Manuel Pineiro, killed in a car accident on Wednesday night. Pineiro, whose remains were laid to rest Thursday afternoon, was one of the most important rebel leaders during the war against the Batista dictatorship in the eastern Sierra Maestra mountains. Known to his close friends as "Redbeard," Pineiro was named head of the Interior Ministry's Intelligence after the triumph of the Revolution. In 1975, he was appointed the head of the Americas Department of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee. Pineiro was buried in the Revolutionary Armed Forces Mausoleum in Havana's Colon Cemetery, where he received military honors. On hand were many of his close relatives and co-workers. Armed Forces Division General Samuel Rodiles said that Manuel Pineiro was an important factor in the internationalist front of the Revolution. During the time he served as head of the Americas Department, he maintained relations with revolutionary organizations and progressive movements throughout the continent. Among some of the other government officials present were Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, the First Secretary of Havana's Communist Party Esteban Lazo, Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon and Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina. FORMER U.S. SENATOR AND RETIRED ARMY GENERAL HEAD DELEGATION TO CUBA STUDYING EFFECTS OF HELMS-BURTON LAW Havana, March 13(RHC)-- A former United States Senator and retired army general are heading a delegation visiting Cuba to study the effects of Washington's Helms-Burton Law. Claiborne Pell, who some years ago presided over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Retired General John Sheehan, former commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), are heading a delegation comprised of other current and former U.S. officials and ambassadors. Both Pell and Sheehan belong to the recently formed coalition "Americans For Humanitarian Trade With Cuba," which supports two bills currently on the floors of both houses of Congress that would allow for the free flow of U.S. food and medicines to Cuba. Other members of the delegation include the Mayor of Baltimore, Kurt Schmoke, former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Robert White -- currently presiding over the non- governmental organization Center For International Policy -- and the former chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Wayne Smith. The delegation plans to visit hospitals in Havana and meet with representatives of religious groups on the island. In a press release in Washington as the delegation left for Havana, the Center For International Policy stated that Pope John Paul II recently called on the world to open up to Cuba, and for Cuba to open up to the world -- affirming that it was in this spirit that the delegation would visit the island. Also in the delegation are film-makers Oliver Stone and Francis Ford Coppola, and former Representative Sam Gibbons from Florida. Last week, Gibbons participated in the U.S.- Cuba Business Summit held in Cancun, Mexico and Havana, where some 50 top U.S. business executives expressed interest in learning more about Cuba's economy and investment opportunities in light of an eventual lifting of Washington's blockade. CUBANS COMMEMORATE 41th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE Havana, March 13(RHC)-- Cubans are commemorating the 41th anniversary of the attack on the Presidential Palace, the takeover of Radio Reloj radio station and the assassination of student leader Jose Antonio Echeverria. On March 13th 1957, a commando of the Revolutionary Student Directorate attacked the Presidential Palace in an effort to assassinate dictator Fulgencio Batista. At the same moment, another group took over the studios of Radio Reloj and read a statement calling on the people of Cuba to rise up against the forces of the dictatorship. Following the unsuccessful attempt on Batista, Jose Antonio Echeverria, President of the Federation of Cuban Students, was murdered just outside of the University of Havana. The main activity to commemorate the event will take place at Havana's Jose Antonio Echeverria University. This important date will be celebrated in all of the island's universities, as well as in the student leader's birthplace of Cardenas. RENOWNED CUBAN MUSICIAN CARLOS EMBALE DIES AT THE AGE OF 74 Havana, March 13(RHC)-- Legendary Cuban musician Carlos Embale has died at the age of 74. The Cuban musician began his career at the age of 30 and was the singer of famous Cuban bands, Fantasia and Neno Gonzalez. Between 1946 and 1954, he was a member of the internationally- known Trio Matamoros. He was also the director of a band named after him. In 1976, he went on to join the Ignacio Pineiro National Sextet. With the Cuban rhythm of the son, Embale recorded various records that were internationally recognized. SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATIONS WITH CUBA CONTINUE TO GROW WORLDWIDE Havana, March 13(RHC)--The President of Cuba's Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Sergio Corrieri, said that there are currently 1633 solidarity with Cuba organizations in the world based in 124 countries. During an activity in Havana honoring the Cuban press, Corrieri pointed out that last year alone, more than three thousand activities took place worldwide against Washington's blockade against the island. ICAP's president also mentioned the international response on the 30th anniversary of the death in combat of legendary guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara, the celebration of the 14th World Youth Festival and solidarity events in 34 nations. The Cuban official announced the European Solidarity with Cuba event that will take place at the end of this month in Denmark and similar meetings organized by Latin American and Caribbean nations as well as the United States and Canada. 12 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE INVESTED IN THE RECOVERY OF THE CAUTO RIVER BASIN IN EASTERN CUBA Havana, March 13(RHC)-- Cuba's eastern province of Santiago de Cuba will invest nearly 12 million dollars this year for the recovery of the Cauto River basin. According to experts, the amount is much higher then last year's figure as efforts are being made to eradicate the contamination problems, degradation of the basin's floor, damaged ecosystems and deforestation endangering the most extensive hydrographic basin on the island. This is one of the many tasks the Cuban Revolution is carrying out to protect the environment, in compliance with the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. RENOWNED FRENCH MUSICIAN JEAN-MICHEL JARRE VISITS HAVANA Havana, March 13(RHC)-- French musician Jean-Michel Jarre is currently in the Cuban capital. Upon his arrival, Jarre said he is interested in including Cuban music in his multi-media show with the cooperation of different foreign entities. Internationally-known for his songs and performances, successful recording productions and huge concerts in important world capitals, Jean-Michel Jarre is among the most important electro-acoustic musicians in the world. [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. 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