Radio Havana Cuba, Monday, April 19, 1999 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, April 19, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RETURNS HOME FROM SECOND SUMMIT OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES IN SANTO DOMINGO 2.- NINTH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FAIR "HEALTH FOR ALL" UNDERWAY 3.- CUBA PROPOSES ALEJANDRO DE HUMBOLDT NATIONAL PARK AS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE 4.- MILLIONS OF CUBANS WILL MARCH ON MAY 1st IN SUPPORT OF SOCIALISM 5.- VIETNAM CELEBRATES BAY OF PIGS VICTORY CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RETURNS HOME FROM SECOND SUMMIT OF ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES IN SANTO DOMINGO Havana, April 19(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has returned home from Santo Domingo, site of the Second Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, as local media outlets continue highlighting the results of the gathering. Among the most relevant results was the explicit condemnation of Washington's anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law and the general condemnation of coercive, unilateral and extraterritorial measures. Another important, concrete result of the Summit was the launching of an initiative to develop an environmentally- sustainable zone of tourism here in the Caribbean Basin. Member nations of the Association of Caribbean States signed a document containing an immediate plan of action with specific tasks, including the use of new and cleaner technologies and the creation of a regional Information Center on Sustainable Tourism Development. Regional leaders also drew up a document called "Uniting the Caribbean by Air and Sea," which includes an analysis of the possibilities to step up cooperation in transportation in an effort to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The Association of Caribbean States Summit also adopted an accord to step up regional cooperation in the area of natural disasters and their prevention. In one reaction to the Caribbean summit over the weekend in the Dominican Republic, observers are noting that Venezuela's offer to include Cuba in the San Jose Pact could give a tremendous boost to the island's economy. The San Jose Pact is a mechanism -- renewed annually -- by which Venezuela and Mexico offer oil to Central American and Caribbean countries at favorable conditions. Venezuela and Mexico supply 160,000 barrels a day to Central America and the Caribbean, which in turn must earmark 20 percent of the consignment to development programs. During the Santo Domingo Summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made the offer to include Cuba in the Pact. Cuban President Fidel Castro publicly thanked Chavez, stating that Cuba had not requested this benefit. Mexico is Cuba's main economic partner in Latin America, while Venezuela is steadily increasing trade and cooperation with the island. NINTH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FAIR "HEALTH FOR ALL" UNDERWAY Havana, April 19(RHC)-- The Ninth International Exhibition Fair "Health for All" got underway on Monday in Havana. Companies from 34 countries are attending the event, which runs through Friday at Havana's Pabexpo Exhibition Hall. Firms from the United States, Saint Martin and the European Union are participating for the first time in the international health fair, working in conjunction with Cuba's Chamber of Commerce. Eighty-two Cuban companies are exhibiting vaccines, medicine and new medical equipment. The Health for All International Fair is one of the most important exhibits held in Latin America. This year's event is entitled: "Development of the Medical-Pharmaceutical Industry and Biotechnology." CUBA PROPOSES ALEJANDRO DE HUMBOLDT NATIONAL PARK AS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE Havana, April 19(RHC)- The Alejandro De Humboldt National Park, located in the northeastern region of the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin, has been proposed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The request, which was made by the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, is based on the fact that this mountainous region has the largest bio-diversity and endemic flora and fauna of the Caribbean as well as one of the most significant of our planet. Scientists who have visited the region over the past several years say they have detected several dozen new animal and plant species as well as Cuban fauna that were thought to have disappeared decades ago or were believed to have been in danger of extinction. The Alejandro De Humboldt National Park, together with the Desembarco de Granma Park and the marine terraces system in Punta de Maisi in the eastern part of the island, have all been proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites. MILLIONS OF CUBANS WILL MARCH ON MAY 1st IN SUPPORT OF SOCIALISM Havana, April 19(RHC)- Today's edition of the weekly newspaper Trabajadores emphasizes that the traditional march on May 1st -- International Worker's Day -- will send a message to the international community that the Cuban people do not want the restoration of capitalism. The editorial predicts that millions of workers will gather across the island on International Worker's Day to demonstrate their willingness to defend socialism. Trajabadores -- which is the official weekly newspaper of the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC) - pointed out that the island is the target of a ferocious campaign in the international press and in political forums supported by the United States. VIETNAM CELEBRATES BAY OF PIGS VICTORY Hanoi, April 19(RHC)- The 38th anniversary of the victory of the Bay of Pigs was celebrated in Vietnam with the participation of Cuban authorities and local Vietnamese leaders. The President of the Popular Council of the Vietnamese Province of Pam Puoc stressed the importance of the first defeat of U.S. imperialism in the Western Hemisphere and strongly condemned Washington's economic blockade against Cuba.  [c] 1999, 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 rhc-eng-16535 1999-Apr-19 20:14:35