CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following news items on Cuba were broadcast in English by Radio Havana Cuba on 22 September 1998: 1. CUBAN VICE PRESDIDENT MEETS WITH FRENCH PRIME MINISTER 2. STATE OF ALARM DECLARED AS HURRICANE GEORGE APPROACHES CUBA 3. TANYA THE GUERILLA"S REMAINS CONFIRMED FOUND IN BOLIVIA 4. 40th ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST CAMPESINO COMBATANTS CELEBRATED 5. VIETNAMESE MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS CUBA 6. NEW YORK THEATER COMPANY TO PERFORM IN HAVANA 7. 100th ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF HEMINGWAY TO BE REMEMBERED 8. INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CHILD CARDIOLOGY TO TAKE PLACE IN HAVANA 9. NEW CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO ST KITTS AND NEVIS IN FRANCE, VISITING CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT CARLOS LAGE MEETS WITH FRENCH PRIME MINISTER LIONEL JOSPIN Havana, September 22, RHC -- In France, visiting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage met today with French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. During the gathering Lage expressed hopes that the French business community's presence in Cuba would grow. He also gave Jospin a letter from Cuban President Fidel Castro inviting the French Prime Minister to visit the island. Thus far, the Cuban Vice President's official 5-day visit to France has had two important results. Paris increased to 200 million dollars in 1999 a compensatory line of credit to Havana, compared to 185 million this year. This line of credit, established in 1991, insures the supply to Cuba of French consumer products in exchange for shipments to France of Cuban sugar and nickel. At the same time, Lage met with the head of the International Relations Service of France's Treasury Ministry, who is also the president of the credit institution known as the Paris Club. This official promised to support Cuba's return to the Paris Club so that the island can renegotiate its important debt and thereby have access to long-term loans with relatively low interest rates. The Cuban Vice President and his high-ranking delegation will be in France until Friday. They will then travel to Italy for another extended official visit. EASTERN CUBAN PROVINCES IN PHASE OF ALARM AS HURRICANE GEORGES APPROACHES Havana, September 22, RHC -- The eastern Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma and Las Tunas today passed from the phase of alert to the phase of alarm as Hurricane Georges approaches. This is the maximum preventive phase before the hurricane's eventual arrival. In Guantanamo, some 7 thousand students and teachers helping with the coffee harvest in the mountains had already been demobilized. Cattle and other domestic animals were being evacuated to safer places, while authorities are adopting measures for the protection of other economic resources. Sewage drains, roofs and balconies are being cleaned of any trash or debris, while the branches of trees that could affect power lines are being pruned. Refugee centers are prepared for any eventual evacuation, with food supplies assured for those who have to abandon their homes or are left homeless. The provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey and Sancti Spiritus today passed from the informative phase to the alert phase. Hurricane Georges caused severe damage in Puerto Rico, Antigua, Guadalupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguila and the British and US Virgin Islands. With winds of 175 kilometers per hour, the hurricane left at least 6 people killed in Puerto Rico, the entire island without electricity and approximately 85 percent without drinking water. US President Bill Clinton declared Puerto Rico a disaster area, authorizing immediate federal aid. It's estimated that damage is to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. CUBAN GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS DISCOVERY IN BOLIVIA OF REMAINS OF CUBA'S LEGENDARY TANYA THE GUERRILLA Havana, September 22, RHC -- The government of Cuba has confirmed the discovery in Bolivia of the remains of Cuba's legendary Tanya the Guerrilla. An article in today's edition of Cuba's official news daily Granma recalled that Haydee Tamara Bunke Bider -- better known as Tanya -- was born in Argentina, on November 19, 1937, to German parents who had fled nazi persecution. Following the Second World War her family returned to the former German Democratic Republic, where at the age of 18 Tanya was admitted into the ranks of East Germany's Unified Socialist Party. In 1960, she met Che Guevara, who had travelled to that country at the head of a trade delegation. In 1961 Tanya came to Cuba, where she worked at the Education Ministry, Cuba's Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, and in the leadership of the island's Cuban Womens Federation. The daily Granma also recalled that in 1964 Tanya travelled to Bolivia to prepare conditions for the future opening of a guerrilla front. Due to the success of her work, she was informed in 1966 that she had been accepted as a member of Cuba's Communist Party. Tanya formed part of the group commanded by Vitalio Acuna, known by his war name Joaquin, whose members were all killed on August 31st, 1967, during an ambush prepared by the Bolivian army. The Cuban news daily said that Tanya's remains will soon be in Cuba, and that the Cuban people will give a merited and dignified tribute to her memory and her example. The article winds up saying that she died heroically for the liberation of other peoples, but will always live in the hearts of Cubans. Doctor Jorge Gonzalez, the Cuban forensic expert heading the team searching for the remains of the internationalist guerrillas who fought alongside Che, has stated that the search for the remains of another 19 guerrilla fighters will continue. He said that if for reasons beyond their control those remains aren't found, it won't be due to a lack of effort. Thus far 17 remains have been discovered. THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CAMPESINO COMBATANTS CONGRESS CELEBRATED ON MONDAY IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA. Santiago de Cuba, September 22 (RHC)-- The 40th anniversary of the island's first Campesino Combatant's Congress was commemorated in the eastern town of Mayari Arriba on Monday. Attending the ceremony was Defense Minister Raul Castro and various of the delegates who had attended the historic event in l958. The participants recalled the first Campesino Associations and the first Regional Campesino Committee which was formed in the eastern region and called the Frank Pais Garcia Second Eastern Front. A participant also remembered campesinos who died fighting against the Batista dictatorship, and all those who supported the Rebel Army. After a ceremony commemorating the first Campesino Combatants Congress, which was held September 21, l958, the President of ANAP, the National Association of Small Farmers, Orlando Lugo Fonte, presented Defense Minister Raul Castro with the May 17th Order which is awarded by the Council of State on the proposal of ANAP's National Bureau. "This medal", said Lugo Fonte, "expresses affection, respect and eternal gratitude to those who defended and fought for our campesinos and agricultural workers during the revolutionary process". Raul Castro thanked participants for the May 17th Order and said that since the days of the Sierra Maestra struggles, he had participated in the first discussions on how to implement Agrarian Reform, a measure that unleashed the United States' aggression against Cuba that continues today. VIETNAMESE MILITARY DELEGATION VISITING THE ISLAND Havana, September 22 (RHC)-- A high level Vietnamese military delegation headed by Communist Party Political Bureau member Thanh Ngan is visiting the island. The Vietnamese official told the press in Havana that the delegation's main objective is to strengthen the historic and strong ties between the two countries. The Vietnamese military delegation, which will remain on the island until Friday, is scheduled to visit military institutions as well as sites of economic interest. In related news, a delegation of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association is also in Cuba to participate in activities commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Cuban Committee in Solidarity with South Vietnam. The Vietnamese solidarity group was welcomed by the President of Cuba's Institute of Friendship With the People's, ICAP, Sergio Corrieri. NEW YORK THEATER COMPANY TO PERFORM IN HAVANA Havana, September 22 (RHC)-- The New York based theater company, "Repertorio Espanol", made up of Latinos residing in the United States, will make its debut in Havana this weekend. The troupe will perform "Revoltillo" which tells the story of the difficulties of a Cuban family living in the United States since 1980. The President of the Performing Arts Association of the Union of Cuban Artists and Writers, Carlos Padron, told a press conference in Havana that Cuban culture and theater is Cuban no matter where it is found. That is why, noted Padron, Cuban audiences should see the work of the "Repertorio Espanol" Company and New York's hispanic community should have the chance to see Cuban theater. CUBAN ACADEMICS PREPARE FOR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY Havana, September 22 (RHC)-- In a conference that began on Monday in the Cuban capital, Cuban academics created a National Commission for the 100th anniversary of the birth of US writer Ernest Hemingway. During the Conference entitled, "Hemingway Discovers Havana", the director of the "La Vigia" Hemingway House Museum, Danilo Arrate, said that preparations for activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the US nobel prize winning author are already well underway. The commission will organize activities in l999 related to the life and works of Hemingway. The Havana conference which winds up on Wednesday, is being held in the Old Havana hotel Ambos Mundos , where Hemingway once lived and in Cojimar, a fishing village east of Havana, where the renowned writer kept his boat. Cojimar was also the setting for Hemingway's short novel, "The Old Man and the Sea. Ernest Hemingway lived in the "La Vigia" estate on the outskirts of Havana for over 20 years. INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CHILD CARDIOLOGY SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH IN HAVANA Havana, September 22 (RHC)-- An International Workshop on Child Cardiology will take place in Havana next month. The gathering is aimed at creating a Pediatric Cardiology Network in the Caribbean. The event, sponsored by AMECA, and the Medical Cardiology Association in the Caribbean will be held in Havana's William Soler Pediatric Hospital. Participants will discuss topics including maternal-child health in Cuba and national health care for children with heart problems. Entitled, "Pediatric Cardiology on the threshold of the 21st century", the event will also examine the achievements of pediatric cardiology surgery in Caribbean nations. NEW CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO ST. KITTS AND NEVIS IS RECEIVED BY PRIME MINISTER. Havana, September 22 (RHC)-- The new Cuban ambassador to the twin-island Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Lazaro Cabezas, was received by Prime Minster Denzil Douglas after presenting his credentials to Governor General Cutbert Sebastian. During Cabezas' meeting with Prime Minister Denzil Douglas,in St. Kitts, the Caribbean leader recalled his official visit to Havana last March and the results obtained in bilateral collaboration in the fields of health, culture, education and agriculture. [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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