Radio Havana Cuba August 16, 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 English Language Service for Monday, August 16, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- YOUTH AND STUDENT ENCOUNTER ON NEOLIBERALISM BEGINS IN HAVANA 2.- CUBA'S INFANT MORTALITY RATE FOR 1999 EXPECTED TO DROP TO 7 PER ONE THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS 3.- US SENATORS WIND UP VISIT TO CUBA 4.-FRENCH FOUNDATION FRANCE LIBERTE DONATES OVER FOUR MILLION DOLLARS FOR PRODUCTION OF ORTHOPEDIC EQUIPMENT 5.- NICARAGUAN DOCTOR CONDEMNS ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT CUBA DURING THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED PANAM GAMES YOUTH AND STUDENT ENCOUNTER ON NEOLIBERALISM BEGINS IN HAVANA Havana, August 16 (RHC)-A Youth and Student Encounter on Neoliberalism has kicked off in Havana with workshops on employment, marginalization and the participation of young people in fates of their countries. The forum, officially inaugurated on Sunday, with some 800 young people from 64 countries and 144 organizations, will reflect on the impact of neoliberalism on the new generations and possible solutions to offset the effects of that policy. In the opening event, the General Secretary of Cuba's Young Communist League, UJC, Otto Rivero, said that after 300 years of capitalism, humanity faces a record high of 800 million hungry people , a billion illiterates, and a hundred million children living in the streets. The meeting was sponsored by the regional coordinators of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the Latin American and Caribbean Youth Organization, the Continental Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Students and Cuba's youth and student organizations. CUBA'S INFANT MORTALITY RATE FOR 1999 EXPECTED TO DROP TO 7 PER ONE THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS Havana, August 16 (RHC)-Cuba's infant mortality rate for 1999 is expected to drop to 7 per one thousand live births, according to Monday's Trabajadores weekly newspaper. The paper adds that so far this year there have been 112 infant deaths less than in the same period last year. If the current rate continues the infant mortality rate will be reduced dramatically. Monday's Trabajadores points out that the Cuban health care system is free to all citizens and currently has over 300 thousand health professionals making the island top the country will the most doctors per capita with one for every 175 inhabitants. Mondays' edition of Trabajadores weekly stresses that the island's social achievements including providing its citizens with adequate nutrition, clean drinking water, the eradication of unsanitary conditions, the elimination of drug consumption and prostitution contributes to the island's high standards of health care . US SENATORS WIND UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, August 16(RHC)-- US senators, Thomas Daschle and Byron Dorgan ended their three day visit to Cuba on Sunday following an 8 hour private meeting with President Fidel Castro. Daschle --who is the democratic party's minority leader in the US Senate--, and Dorgan were in Cuba to explore means by which the two nations can cooperate more on fighting regional drug trafficking and to this end had met with Roberto Diaz Sotolongo, the Cuban Minister of Justice and president of the National Anti Drug Commission. They also met with the president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon. According to Justice Minister Sotolongo, the two Senators said they were in favor of greater co-operation etween both countries in this field. Cuba recently modified its penal code which calls for stiff penalties for all those caught either trafficking or in possession of drugs. In a recent National Rebellion Day speech, last July 26, the Cuban president reiterated the island's commitment to fight drug-trafficking, and how beneficial it would be for both countries to step up co-operation in drug interdiction. >From Washington where he returned on Monday, Daschle said he had already reported back to US President Clinton and that a public statement would be forthcoming in the near future. FRENCH FOUNDATION FRANCE LIBERTE DONATES OVER FOUR MILLION DOLLARS FOR PRODUCTION OF ORTHOPEDIC EQUIPMENT Havana, August 16 (RHC)-The French Foundation, France Liberte has donated over 4 million dollars to Cuba for the construction of 16 workshops to produce prosthetic limbs and orthopedic equipment whose production will totally cover the country's needs. The workshops will all be able to produce products for export. The donation made by France Liberte, which is headed by Danielle Mitterand, will support the work of Havana's Frank Pais Orthopedic Hospital which treated over 120 thousand patients last year of whom 7500 were operated on. NICARAGUAN DOCTOR CONDEMNS ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT CUBA DURING THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED PANAM GAMES Managua, August 16 (RHC)-Nicaraguan doctor, Vicente Maltez has condemned the aggressions against Cuban athletes during the recently concluded Pan American Games in Winnipeg Canada, especially those aimed at discrediting high jump star Javier Sotomayor. In a commentary entitled "Lies Against the High Jump Star", Doctor Maltez says that the accusations against Sotomayor are unacceptable, since it is totally illogical that a champion and world record holder with 15 years of experience in the sports discipline would need drugs to compete in what he has always h and currently does best. The Nicaraguan doctor, who studied in Cuba, added the attack against Sotomayor is a plot aimed at discrediting Cuban sports, which is one of the major achievements of the Revolution, and He recalled that Cuba is among the ten best in the world when it comes to sports, even better than Canada the country that hosted the regional sports event. [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. 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