Radio Havana Cuba, Wednesday, April 7, 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 Wednesday, April 7, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA ACCUSES WASHINGTON OF PROMOTING ANTI-CUBA CAMPAIGN AT UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 2.- ANTI-POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN BEGINS FRIDAY 3.- EASTERN HOLGUIN PROVINCE SUFFERING SEVERE DROUGHT 4.- VIETNAMESE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS THE ISLAND 5.- FORMER ANGOLAN PRESIDENT AGOSTINHO NETO REMEMBERED IN HAVANA 6.- CUBA AND INDIA SIGN BILATERAL AGREEMENTS CUBA ACCUSES WASHINGTON OF PROMOTING ANTI-CUBA CAMPAIGN AT UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Geneva, April 7(RHC)-- Cuba has accused the United States of trying to push through an anti-Cuba resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Speaking before the 55th Session of the UN Commission, Cuba's Ambassador Carlos Amat said that Washington -- although refusing to admit it -- is sponsoring another anti-Cuba resolution this year, even though a similar measure condemning Havana was rejected by the UN forum last year. Amat noted that this year's atmosphere within the Commission is different, because it has become clear that the so-called "human rights situation in Cuba" is actually manufactured by the U.S. in its efforts to slander the island. He stated that Washington's representatives insist on acting as international judges, passing sentences against small, poor countries -- including Cuba -- despite the fact that the United States is the main human rights violator in the world. Cuba's representative to the UN Human Rights Commission charged that Washington is now promoting another resolution against the island and doesn't even have the courage to take responsibility for the action -- preferring instead to have the Czech Republic present the document. Carlos Amat stated that this time the pretext for the anti- Cuba resolution is the island's recently passed National Sovereignty and Economic Protection Law and the trial of four Cuban citizens charged and convicted with sedition. Cuba's representative explained that the new law was passed to protect the island from the aggressive measures taken against it by the United States, contained in the anti-Cuba Torricelli and Helms-Burton Laws, the nearly four decade-old economic blockade and other measures designed to destroy the Cuban Revolution. In related news, the President of Nicaragua's Human Rights Center, Vilma Nunez, has harshly criticized her government's decision to designate a known terrorist and U.S. citizen of Cuban descent -- Luis Zuniga -- to represent Nicaragua at the UN Human Rights Commission. Nunez told reporters in Managua that the appointment of a terrorist to the Geneva meeting shows a total lack of respect on the part of the Nicaraguan government for the United Nations. She also accused Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman of "being a pawn in the service of U.S. interests." Luis Zuniga, Nicaragua's "official representative" to the UN Human Rights Commission, has a long history of terrorist activities against Cuba. Zuniga illegally left the island through the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo in December 1973 and was arrested one year later for attempting to smuggle weapons into the country to be used to assassinate leaders of the Cuban Revolution. Sentenced to 25 years in prison, he was released in 1988 after serving 14 years and went to the United States. During the recent trial of Salvadoran terrorist Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon in Havana, the name of Luis Zuniga came up again. The Cuban-born, U.S. citizen serving Nicaragua's right-wing government in Geneva is tied to the Miami-based Cuban-American National Foundation and its plans to place explosives at tourist facilities in Havana during the Summer of 1997. ANTI-POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN BEGINS FRIDAY Havana, April 7(RHC)-- Over 618,000 Cuban children will be vaccinated during the 38th massive Anti-Polio Vaccination Campaign, scheduled to begin on Friday across the island. Cuban Deputy Health Minister Miguel Angel Galindo told reporters that more than 440,000 children under three years of age will receive the second dose of the anti-polio vaccine. Polio was eradicated in Cuba in 1962 and all citizens younger than 53 years of age are protected against the disease. In Latin America, the last case of polio was reported five years ago in Peru. According to estimates by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, polio should be completely eradicated throughout the world by the year 2000. EASTERN HOLGUIN PROVINCE SUFFERING SEVERE DROUGHT Holguin, April 7(RHC)-- Over 10,000 head of cattle have been evacuated from the eastern province of Holguin to protect them from a severe drought that is affecting the region. A large amount of the area's agricultural production has been affected and some 700 tons of fish have been lost due to the drought. Agricultural production in general, however, doubled during the first three months of the year in Holguin with improved potato and tomato harvests. The provincial government reported that of 47 reservoirs in Holguin province, 37 used for irrigation are almost completely dry. VIETNAMESE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITING THE ISLAND Havana, April 7(RHC)-- A Vietnamese delegation headed by the President of the Foreign Relations Commission of the National Assembly, Do Van Tai, is currently in Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban Parliament. The Vietnamese legislators met with local authorities and visited places of economic, social and scientific interest in Havana and western Pinar del Rio. They are also scheduled to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Isabel Allende and the President of the International Relations Commission of Cuba's National Assembly, Jorge Lezcano. FORMER ANGOLAN PRESIDENT AGOSTINHO NETO REMEMBERED IN HAVANA Havana, April 7(RHC)-- This year's program of activities sponsored by the Angolan Cultural House in Cuba will be dedicated in honor of former Angolan President Agostinho Neto. The program will include conferences on culture and the daily lives of the Angolan people, art exhibits, concerts and children's activities. According to Angola's cultural attache in Havana, Francisco Lisboa Santos, Agostinho Neto -- the first president of the MPLA -- was also a doctor, intellectual and professor who worked hard to strengthen Angola's ties with the Cuban people. The Angolan diplomat added that the Wemilere Festival, which will be held in Havana's Guanabacoa neighborhood next November, will be dedicated to Angola on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of Agostinho Neto. CUBA AND INDIA SIGN BILATERAL AGREEMENTS Havana, April 7(RHC)-- Cuba and India signed a protocol during the Fourth Session of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which took place in Havana over the past two days. The protocol was signed by Rosa Elena Simeon, Cuban Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, and Vasundhara Raje, State Minister of Foreign Relations of the Republic of India. After signing the document, both ministers expressed their satisfaction with the improvement of bilateral cooperation and the close ties between the two nations. Vasundhara Raje pointed out that India looks forward to continue working with Cuba in the fields of science and technology, non-conventional energy, agricultural research and health. She also announced that the Indian Minister of Trade and the Minister of Science and Technology will soon travel to the island. During her visit, the Indian foreign minister met with her Cuban counterpart Roberto Robaina and with the Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Ibrahim Ferradaz, as well as Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade. The Fifth Session of the Cuba-India Joint Commission will take place in New Delhi in the year 2001.  [c] 1999, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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