Radio Havana Cuba, 10 december 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, December 10, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- RALLIES HELD THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND, DEMANDING THE RETURN OF YOUNG ELIAN GONZALEZ 2.- INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ELIAN GONZALEZ CONTINUES TO GROW 3.- CUBAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS ACQUITTAL OF CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO 4.- MEETING ON COOPERATION WITH CUBA WINDS UP IN HAVANA 5.- CUBA AND CHINA MAINTAIN EXCELLENT RELATIONS 6.- U.S. AND CUBAN YOUTH WRAP UP BASEBALL SERIES IN HAVANA RALLIES HELD THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND, DEMANDING THE RETURN OF YOUNG ELIAN GONZALEZ Havana, December 10(RHC)-- Rallies and demonstrations were held throughout Cuba on Friday, demanding the return of young Elian Gonzalez. More than 350,000 gathered in the Plaza de la Revolucion Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba Friday morning. Other massive rallies were held in the provincial capitals of all 14 of the island's provinces, as well as the Special Municipality of the Isle of Youth. In Havana, the capital, the second March of the Combative People was held down the Malecon in front of the U.S. Interests Section. More than 500,000 Cuban children, students and workers expressed their anger over the U.S. government's refusal to return the young boy, demanding that he be turned over to his father in Cuba. INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ELIAN GONZALEZ CONTINUES TO GROW Santiago de Chile, December 10(RHC)-- Chilean Senator Anselmo Sule from the Social Democratic Radical Party says that Washington should abide by international law and let Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez return home to his father and family. The six-year-old child is being illegally held in the U.S. against his father's and Cuba's will. Speaking to Prensa Latina News Agency, Sule said he understands the Cuban people, government and Fidel Castro's request for the child to be released and supports that call. Elian Gonzalez is being illegally held in the United States after being rescued from waters off the coast of Florida two weeks ago. His mother, who drowned along with 10 other Cubans while illegally trying to reach the U.S., placed the young child on the boat without his father's permission. Florida authorities delivered the boy to distant relatives in Miami, where anti-Cuba groups are manipulating Elian Gonzalez's case for political purposes. Other voices in support of Elian are being heard around the world. In Quito, Ecuador, engineer Ney Barrionuevo, president of the former Ecuadorian boarding school students in Cuba, criticized the illegal holding of the young boy. Barrionuevo says this incident sets a dangerous precedent for Latin American countries. He had words of condemnation for the conflict generated by Washington regarding the case. Barrionuevo, who is also a member of the National Ecuadorian Foundation of Solidarity with Cuba, said that Washington's refusal to let the child return home threatens international law. He said the U.S. attitude has been illegal from the start. The Ecuadorian engineer pointed out that the child has a more than adequate environment for a happy and normal growth in Cuba. And he said the U.S. has turned this family issue into a political case and has orchestrated a new aggression against the island, while siding with the anti-Cuba mafia in southern Florida. The Ecuadorian engineer regretted the way in which the boy is being manipulated with toys and presents to argue that he is better-off -- an argument, he adds, that is unacceptable because it's based on material conditions that will never provide the moral and spiritual security Cuba and his family could offer Elian. CUBAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS ACQUITTAL OF CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISTS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO Havana, December 10(RHC)-- The Cuban government has condemned the acquittal of five Cuban-American terrorists accused of plotting to assassinate President Fidel Castro. In an official protest, the government of Cuba asserted that the evidence presented to the jury clearly demonstrated the guilt of the accused, "who were arrested in possession of high-powered weapons and a cabin cruiser that were the property of leading members of the influential, mafia-like Cuban-American National Foundation -- created and sponsored by successive U.S. administrations." This organization, states the official protest, continues planning and executing terrorist actions against Cuba, amid the indifference and tolerance of U.S. authorities. Havana pointed to extensive articles published by the U.S. press concerning "the solid ties between this unscrupulous and cynical organization and the Democratic and Republican Parties -- both of which benefit from the organization's substantial campaign contributions." Highlighting just one example, the government of Cuba points to a May 5, 1998 article in The New York Times on what it called the "powerful group of exiles" in Miami. The article, states the official protest, "would have provided more than sufficient proof for any respectable jury to issue the only verdict possible: guilty." After denouncing the pressures that the federal court was subjected to, as well as the absurd lies of the defense, the Havana protest note states that "a farce such as this discredits the U.S. judicial system and constitutes further proof of the impossibility to confide in a justice undermined by corruption and banality." The government of Cuba asserted that the facts demonstrate that U.S. authorities -- along with the country's judicial power -- have "once again become hostages of the miserable interests of the extreme right-wing Cuban- American community." The trial results, states the protest note, also demonstrate the lack of willingness and the incapacity of U.S. authorities to condemn, with abundant evidence, a group of confessed assassins, "which seriously compromises Washington's repeatedly claimed intention to firmly and effectively confront international terrorism." The individuals set free, says the Cuban government, "are among those trained by U.S. intelligence services who, for the past 40 years, have participated in more than 600 assassination plots against Fidel Castro." Sufficient proof of those plots have been published and made public, including investigations by U.S. congressional committees, states the official protest. The government of Cuba did not condemn President Clinton for "the abominable decision of a deceived, cowardly or corrupt jury." But the official protest recalls that no U.S. president, with the exception of former President Jimmy Carter, has been exempt of a greater or lesser amount of guilt for hatred towards Cuba and for the miserable votes from people who don't really decide elections in that country, who don't respect U.S. laws, and who have no concern over the prestige and honor of the nation. The federal jury's decision, says the government of Cuba, "unquestionably encourages terrorists, gangsters and mercenaries" to continue doing their dirty work against the Cuban Revolution. MEETING ON COOPERATION WITH CUBA WINDS UP IN HAVANA Havana, December 10(RHC)-- The Second International Meeting on Cooperation with Cuba wound up in Havana today. Close to 130 delegates from 96 non-governmental organizations from Europe, Central America and the Caribbean were on hand as well as delegates from Canada and the United States. The gathering, which began on Monday, reviewed past achievements and obstacles in the field of cooperation with Cuba and analyzed South-South cooperation as well as the impact of the U.S. blockade. The president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, addressed the gathering last night. In his speech, he pointed out that 150 thousand children who are homeless in the United States and the 14 million kids who live in poverty in the richest country of the world. CUBA AND CHINA MAINTAIN EXCELLENT RELATIONS Beijing, December 10(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage said in Beijing, the Chinese capital, that bilateral relations are at an all time high and that the two countries are interested in making them even better. Lage is in Beijing for an official visit and has begun talks with Chinese officials on bilateral relations and the international situation. On Friday, the Cuban vice president met with Chinese President Jian Zemin, Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and Deputy Prime Minister Wu Gangguo. Lage's visit runs until Monday, the 13th. Cuba was the first Latin American country to established diplomatic relations with China -- in 1960. The Cuban vice president told reporters in Beijing that the two countries plan to establish joint ventures, mainly in the area of biotechnology. U.S. AND CUBAN YOUTH WRAP UP BASEBALL SERIES IN HAVANA Havana, December 10(RHC)-- A friendly baseball series came to an end in Havana on Thursday between U.S. and Cuban children. The primary aim of the five-game series was to boost friendship through sports. The 13 and 14-year-old visitors came from Florida and played against several municipal teams including Cerro, Guanabacoa and Regla. Jimmy Breslin, the manager for the visiting team, said he was satisfied with the games, while Robert Waltz, promoter of this project, said the idea came to him about a year ago. But he added that it was impossible to do it before because Washington had denied the young baseball players visas to travel to the island. [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-31840 1999-Dec-10 16:27:14