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 October 2, 1998. Today's stories: - MAXINE WATERS WRITES LETTER TO FIDEL CASTRO - CUBAN PRESIDENT INAUGURATES MELIA HABANA HOTEL - FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO'S PRI - CARIBBEAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION EVENT IN HAVANA - BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS CUBA - ART EXHIBITION IN OLD HAVANA NEXT MONTH - BALLERINA ALICIA ALONSO RETURNS FROM A EUROPEAN TOUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS WRITES LETTER TO CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO ANTI-CUBA MANEUVERS IN US CONGRESS Havana, October 1, RHC -- African-American Congresswoman Maxine Waters has written a letter to Cuban President Fidel Castro expressing opposition to anti-Cuba maneuvers in the US Congress. Congresswoman Waters told the Cuban leader that she was writing to clarify why she and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus mistakenly voted for House Concurrent Resolution 254, which called on the government of to Cuba to extradite to the United States African- American activist Assata Shakur and other individuals who have fled the United States from political persecution and received asylum in Cuba. Congresswoman Waters said that for the record, she opposed the resolution, which, she added, was quietly slipped onto an accelerated calendar in late September as one of thirteen bills that had been announced that same day. Unfortunately, she said, none of their offices were alerted to the fact that this legislation was coming up for a vote by any of the numerous advocacy groups that monitor related issues. In her letter, Congresswoman Waters told Cuban President Fidel Castro that she supports the right of all nations to grant political asylum to individuals fleeing political persecution. She termed as a sad and shameful chapter in US history the persecution of many civil rights and black power groups in the 1960s and 70s due to their political beliefs. Those groups and individuals, said the US Congresswoman, included Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, officials of the American Friends Service Committee and the National Council of Churches. Representative Maxine Waters said that the most vicious and reprehensible acts, however, were taken against the leaders and organizations associated with the Black Power or Black Liberation Movement. Assata Shakur was a member of the Black Panther Party, one of the leading groups associated with the Black Liberation Movement. The Black Panther Party, wrote the African-American Congresswoman, was the primary target of US domestic government political harrassment and persecution during this era. She said the illegal clandestine political persecution was wrong in 1973, and remains wrong today. In her letter to Cuban President Fidel Castro, dated September 29, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters also came out against Washington's blockade of Cuba, and said that she hoped to see a new era of US-Cuba relations in the future. CUBAN PRESIDENT INAUGURATES MELIA HABANA HOTEL Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro inaugurated the five star Melia-Confort-Habana Hotel on Thursday in Havana's Miramar neighborhood. During the inaugural ceremony, the Cuban leader toured the hotel installation with executives of the Cuban Sol Melia Group, Tourism Ministry, Cubanacan S.A., and Sherrit International and received a detailed explanation of the construction and work of the installation. The Melia-Habana- Hotel has 405 rooms; most of them facing the Havana coastline, the luxurious facility also boasts a lush tropical garden and an artificial lake. The new hotel is part of the Cuban Cubanacan S.A group and the Spanish Sol Melia Hotel Chain. The construction of the complex was completed in 23 months. CUBAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO'S INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY, PRI Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro received the President of Mexico_s governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI, Mariano Palacios who is visiting the island. Palacios told the press in Havana that he has been able to witness the social advances of the Cuban Revolution, its people and the leadership of Fidel Castro. The Mexican official underscored the efforts of the Cuban people in their fight to overcome the island's economic crisis and said that thanks to those efforts, solutions to those problems are succeeding. The President of Mexico_s governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, Mariano Palacios, also met with Communist Party official, Jose Ramon Balaguer, deputy Foreign Minister, Jorge Bolanos and the Ministers of Culture, Abel Prieto and Economy and Planning, Jose Luis Rodriguez. THE CARIBBEAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION WILL INAUGURATE EVENT NEXT WEEK IN HAVANA Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- The Caribbean Medical Association, will sponsor an event October 7 and 8 in Havana dedicated to cardiology in children . The conference will be held in Havana's William Soler Pediatric Hospital. In "Pediatric Cardiology in the Caribbean on the Threshold of the 21st Century", Cuba will offer its experience in the field of Cardiology in children. The island has dramatically reduced the infant mortality rate among infants with heart problems. Issues to be discussed are the situation of rheumatic fever in Jamaica, a program for the prevention and control of that disease and the development of Cuba's Health Ministry. BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION CONTINUES VISIT TO CUBA Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- The head of the British Parliamentary delegation visiting Cuba, Austin Michael, say he hopes that the Cuban people can continue building their own future, despite Washington's almost 40 year blockade against the island. The British official told Cuba_s Granma newspaper that the objective of his visit is to get a first hand look at the island, its people and its social achievements as well as see for himself the negative impact of the US blockade against Cuba. Michael, who is also a member of Britain_s Labor Party, added that relations between Cuba_s and Britain's parliaments will continue to improve. The British delegation winds up its to Cuba on Saturday. AN IMPORTANT ART EXHIBITION TO TAKE PLACE IN OLD HAVANA NEXT MONTH Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- An important collection of engravings by Spanish painter Francisco de Goya will be on exhibit in Havana from October 16th. The announcement was made by Havana's Historian Eusebio Leal. The collection belongs to the Spanish Juan March Foundation and includes 218 engravings. According to Leal, the exhibit will be an exceptional opportunity for Cuban artists, art lovers and historians interested in art history. The exhibition will run through November 29th in Saint Francis of Asis Convent in Old Havana. This will be the first time the Spanish Juan March Foundation has mounted an activity with Cuban authorities. BALLERINA ALICIA ALONSO RETURNS FROM A EUROPEAN TOUR Havana, October 2 (RHC)-- Cuba's prima ballerina Alicia Alonso has returned home from a successful European tour. Alonso, who is also the director of Cuba_s National Ballet Company, spoke to the press about the troupe's success in europe adding that the National Ballet company has signed important contracts for work for the next century. In Spain, Alicia Alonso received the Gold Medal from Madrid's Fine Arts Center and in France she was awarded the Arts and Literature Order which is the highest cultural distinction in that country. [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