Radio Havana Cuba, August 6, 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 Friday August 6, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- HAVANA'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REQUESTS LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRAFFICKING 2.- AGRO ASSOCIATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES APPLAUD US SENATE INITIATIVE THAT WILL ALLOW FOR FREE SALE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE TO CUBA 3.- SOLIDARITY WITH SOTOMAYOR IN VENEZUELA 4.- GREECE/CUBA/SOLIDARITY 5.- CANADA AIDS CUBA IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES IN OLD HAVANA 6.- CUBANS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY OF BOLIVIAN INDEPENDENCE 7.- 70th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBANA DE AVIACION AIRLINE HAVANA'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REQUESTS LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRAFFICKING Havana, August 8, RHC -- Havana's district attorney's office has requested life imprisonment for two Cuban-Americans accused of illegal immigrant trafficking. Florida residents David Garcia Capote and Joel Dorta Garcia will be tried under Cuba's new penal code for the July 3rd incident in which one person drowned and the lives of 5 children were placed in danger. The speed boat of the accused capsized while trying to smuggle 14 persons out of Cuba into the United States. Immigrant traffickers in Florida are charging Cuban-Americans with family members in Cuba 8 thousand dollars per person to smuggle them into the United States. Cuban citizen Pedro Cordova Gonzalez faces a petition of 15 years in prison for collaborating with the immigrant traffickers. Reforms in Cuba's penal code adopted last February by the island's National Assembly stipulate 10 to 20 year sentences for those penetrating national territory to illegally take persons out of Cuba. The sentence is 20 to 30 years -- and up to life imprisonment -- for those carrying weapons or using violence or intimidation, and in cases where there is a loss of human life or the lives of children are placed in danger. AGRO ASSOCIATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES APPLAUD US SENATE INITIATIVE THAT WILL ALLOW FOR FREE SALE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE TO CUBA Havana, August 6, RHC -- Agro associations in the United States have applauded a Senate initiative that would allow for the free sale of food and medicine to Cuba. The draft bill was presented by the Department of Agriculture and approved in the Senate Wednesday evening. The measure will reportedly allow the government to issue licenses of up to one year to sale the products to Cuban institutions, and will prohibit the inclusion of food and medicine in future embargoes without congressional approval. For more information, RHC spoke with Joy Oslo, from the Washington-based Latin American Working Group. "I think there's a deal of interest in the United States now, especially in the sale of food, because of the farm crisis in the United States, so there is a significant amount - of sympathy for finding new markets for the sale of US commodities. And this is a topic of serious interest to everyone who will be participating in the conference committee. I know that there has been various interpretations about this amendment of what it means or does not mean, and I think that's what so important here is that this vote shows clearly that the Senate is interested in changing sanctions policy and the sale of food and medicine in general, and would include changing sanction policies to countries like Cuba, as well as other countries." That was Joy Olson, from the Washington-based Latin American Working Group speaking with RHC on the US Senate initiative, approved this week, that will allow for the sale of US food and medicine to Cuba despite the blockade. SOLIDARITY WITH SOTOMAYOR IN VENEZUELA Havana, August 6 (RHC)--The Venezuelan Society of Friends of Cuban Sport have energically rejected any maneuver against Cuban World and Olympic champion Javier Sotomayor at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. Sotomayor was disqualified for alleged doping detected after winning his competition in the Canadian city. The Venezuelan Society charged that the manipulation is an aggression, not only against Cuba, but also against Latin America. The document also condemns the many provocations and aggressions of which the Cuban delegation has been the victim during the ongoing Pan Ams. The declaration finally rejects the attempt to link Venezuelan athlete Victor Solorzano with drug-trafficking. Venezuelan radio and TV have echoed the protests made by Cuban authorities, not only in Havana but also in Winnipeg over the aggressive campaign carried out against the Cuban delegation during the Games. GREECE/CUBA/SOLIDARITY Havana, August 6 (RHC)--Konstantinos Sanidas, member of the Cuban-Hellenic Friendship Association, said in Havana that the Greek people fully support the right to independence and self-determination of the Cuban people. Sanidas is the head of a group of 27 Greeks who have joined the Latin American and Caribbean Brigade for Voluntary Work in Cuba. The Hellenic visitor pointed out that his people admire the Cuban Revolution and its staunch position after 40 years of hostility by US governments against the island. CANADA AIDS CUBA IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES IN OLD HAVANA Havana, August 6 (RHC)--The Canadian government has given some 34 thousand 8 hundred dollars to the Cuban municipality of Old Havana for the construction of homes and a Canadian villa in that area. The amount, donated by Canadian businesspeople, is added to some 33 thousand dollars already invested to contribute to housing development in Old Havana, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. CUBANS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY OF BOLIVIAN INDEPENDENCE Havana, August 6 (RHC)-- The Cuban Institute of Friendship With the Peoples, ICAP and the Bolivian embassy, the diplomatic corp accredited on the island and Cuban authorities paid tribute on Friday in Havana to independence fighters Simon Bolivar and Jose Marti. On the 174th anniversary of the independence of Bolivia, Cuban ambassador to that nation, Maria Eugenia Salinas de Cabeza, Havana Historian Eusebio Leal, and ICAP vicepresident Rolando Gonzalez, laid a floral wreath at the base of the statues of both Latin American independence leaders. After the ceremony, the Bolivian ambassador to Cuba, hosted a cocktail party at the Simon Bolivar House in Old Havana . Attending the event were Cuban Foreign Ministry officials. 70th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBANA DE AVIACION AIRLINE Havana, August 6 (RHC)-- Cuban airline `CUBANA DE AVIACION' officials have announced that 27% of the tourists visiting Cuba use that airline to travel to the island. That means that more than 4 hundred thousand visitors will be transported from many parts of the world this year by Cubana de Aviacion, which on October 8th celebrates its 70th birthday. The Cuban airline is known for its safety record and for its experienced crews. According to official sources, the fleet is being steadily updated with the latest French aircraft in accordance with the strictest tourist industry standards. This year, 1 million, 7 hundred thousand tourists are expected to visit Cuba. [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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