Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit 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, November 30, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA REITERATES SOLIDARITY WITH STORM-RAVAGED HONDURAS 2.- HEALTH PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO VOLUNTEER FOR SERVICE IN CENTRAL AMERICA 3.- MEETING OF PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM GETS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA 4.- CUBA'S HEALTH MINISTRY ANNOUNCES THAT AIDS ON THE ISLAND IS UNDER CONTROL 5.- FRENCH NAVAL VESSELS VISITING THE PORT OF HAVANA 6.- SPAIN'S TRYP HOTEL CHAIN INCREASES INVESTMENTS ON THE ISLAND 7.- GOVERNOR OF ARGENTINEAN PROVINCE OF SANTA FE VISITS CUBA CUBA REITERATES SOLIDARITY WITH STORM-RAVAGED HONDURAS Tegucigalpa, November 30(RHC)-- Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres, on an official visit to Honduras, reiterated Cuba's solidarity with the Central American country. Dotres told reporters in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, that Cuban doctors and medical personnel are prepared to go to the most remote areas of the country, affected by Hurricane Mitch. There are currently six Cuban medical teams working in Honduras and, according to authorities, nearly half of the 2000 doctors being sent to the region will eventually be working in that Central American country. It is also estimated that Honduras will take advantage of approximately 40 percent of the scholarships offered by Cuba for medical students to study on the island. In related news, Nicaragua is prepared to request more doctors from Cuba to help in relief efforts. According to the Managua daily "La Prensa," Nicaraguan Health Minister Marta McCoy will soon make the announcement. The newspaper pointed out that a number of Nicaraguan doctors have refused to go to remote regions of the country -- areas where Cuban physicians and medical personnel are already offering their services. HEALTH PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO VOLUNTEER FOR SERVICE IN CENTRAL AMERICA Havana, November 30(RHC)-- More than 251,000 Cuban health workers have expressed their willingness to volunteer their services in Central American nations affected by Hurricane Mitch, according to the National Health Union. The final number of health workers who have expressed their willingness to work as internationalists will be announced on December 3rd in an activity at the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial in the city of Santa Clara, which will be the site of Latin American Medicine Day. In union meetings held across the island, health care personnel have been signing up to go to Central America to help victims of Hurricane Mitch. MEETING OF PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM GETS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA Havana, November 30(RHC)-- The meeting of the Permanent Council of the Latin American Economic System (SELA) got underway on Monday in Havana. The agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean through the year 2010 was the main issue discussed by the participants. Presided over by its General Secretary Juan Carlos Moneta, the two-day forum will also include a follow-up plan to deal with the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law and the dynamics of Latin America and Caribbean foreign policy in today's world. Former Brazilian President Jose Sarney is one of several foreign guests invited to participate in the regional forum, and according to the program, will speak on Latin America's foreign links. CUBA'S HEALTH MINISTRY ANNOUNCES THAT AIDS ON THE ISLAND IS UNDER CONTROL Havana, November 30(RHC)-- AIDS in Cuba is under control, according to Health Ministry official, Jorge Perez. In statements that came out in Sunday's "Juventud Rebelde" weekly newspaper, Dr. Perez pointed out that since the detection of the first case of AIDS on the island, 2120 HIV- positive patients have been diagnosed, of which 598 are still sick and 1508 are receiving out-patient care. According to Public Health Ministry statistics, 570 Cubans have died of AIDS. FRENCH NAVAL VESSELS VISITING THE PORT OF HAVANA Havana, November 30(RHC)-- On Sunday, thousands of Cubans visited three French Navy vessels anchored in Havana Bay. The French warships arrived in Cuba after visiting Honduras and Guatemala, where they delivered humanitarian aid to the victims of Hurricane Mitch. The Commander of the French Naval fleet, Pierrick Blairon, referred to the Cuban medical teams in Central America as "very positive." In addition to the official courtesy visit, the French Navy delivered three tons of educational materials destined for Cuban schools. SPAIN'S TRYP HOTEL CHAIN INCREASES INVESTMENTS ON THE ISLAND Havana, November 30(RHC)-- Spain's Tryp Hotel Chain has announced that it will begin the construction of new hotels in Cuba with an investment of some 17.2 million dollars. The Tryp Village Cayo Coco Hotel, located on Cayo Coco key north of the central province of Ciego de Avila, is expected to be inaugurated in April of the year 2000. The new facility will be an apart-hotel with 250 rooms. The Tryp Village Cayo Coco Hotel will be the third hotel in Cayo Coco which has a total of one thousand rooms in all. The Spanish hotel chain also expects to inaugurate a hotel in Varadero Beach Resort -- the Tryp Varadero Peninsula -- with 600 rooms, by April 2000. GOVERNOR OF ARGENTINEAN PROVINCE OF SANTA FE VISITS CUBA Havana, November 30(RHC)-- The Governor of the Argentinean province of Santa Fe, Jorge Obeid, is heading a delegation on a visit to Cuba to explore cooperation possibilities in agriculture and cattle-raising as well as increased bilateral trade. Obeid, who has visited the Cuban parliament and met with legislators and members of several legislative commissions, also met with the Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Ibrahim Ferradaz and other government officials. [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) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org