Radio Havana Cuba, 7 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 These are the top stories taken from Radio Havana Cuba this Tuesday, December 7, 1999. 1.- CUBAN NATIONAL TV AND RADIO BEGIN LIVE TRANSMISSIONS OF PROTESTS IN FRONT OF U.S. INTERESTS SECTION IN HAVANA, DEMANDING RETURN OF 6-YEAR-OLD ELIAN GONZALEZ, KIDNAPPED BY MIAMI'S ULTRA RIGHT-WING 2.- FINAL ARGUMENTS IN PUERTO RICO TRIAL AGAINST CUBAN-AMERICANS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO 3.- CUBAN CHILD RETURNS HOME AFTER BEING EXAMINED BY U.S. PHYSICIANS 4.- MEMBERS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF CUBAN WORKERS DONATE OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO HEALTH PROGRAM LAST MONTH 5.- LEBANESE DELEGATION VISITS THE ISLAND 6.- THE PEACE BOAT ARRIVES IN HAVANA 7.- NORDIC BRIGADE CONTINGENT READY TO GO TO WORK 8.- PRESIDENT OF GERMAN PARLIAMENT'S INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMISSION VISITS HAVANA CUBAN NATIONAL TV AND RADIO BEGIN LIVE TRANSMISSIONS OF PROTESTS IN FRONT OF U.S. INTERESTS SECTION IN HAVANA, DEMANDING RETURN OF SIX-YEAR-OLD ELIAN GONZALEZ, KIDNAPPED BY MIAMI'S ULTRA RIGHT-WING Havana, December 7(RHC)-- Cuban national TV and radio began live transmissions of the protests in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, demanding the return of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez, sequestered by Miami's ultra-right wing. Cuban workers, students and young people have been staging the protests since Sunday. The child was illegally taken out of Cuba by his mother who, along with another nine people, drowned when the vessel they were travelling in capsized. Custody of the child was arbitrarily assumed by his great uncle who resides in the United States, despite the fact that his father and four grandparents in Cuba have demanded that he be returned. HAVANA DEMANDS THAT WASHINGTON RETURN A HYJACKED VESSEL AND ITS TWO CREW MEMBERS, WOUNDED AND KIDNAPPED BY AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF PEOPLE Havana, December 7(RHC)-- Cuba has demanded that the U.S. government return a hijacked vessel and its two crew members, wounded and kidnapped on Monday by an undetermined number of people. In an extensive note in the Cuban news daily Granma, Cuba's Foreign Ministry provided details of this new case of piracy by those attempting to illegally enter the United States. Upon detecting the hijacking yesterday morning, Cuban Coast Guard cutters followed the vessel for several hours while, at the same time, the Cuban government contacted the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. The hijackers turned themselves over to the U.S. Coast Guard once the vessel reached international waters. Cuba's Foreign Ministry said that this new case of piracy and violence once again lays bare Washington's contradictory migration policy with respect to Cubans. The Foreign Ministry note charges that while the U.S. government promises to stop illegal immigration in accordance with the U.S.-Cuba migration accords, it continues to promote illegal immigration through the controversial Cuban Adjustment Act. This legislation, applied only to undocumented Cubans, automatically grants residence to any Cuban who arrives in U.S. territory by any means. This new Havana-Washington dispute comes just one week before the two governments are to again review the migratory accords here in the Cuban capital. Other recent cases include that of a Cuban soldier who murdered an officer, hijacked a boat and was absolved by a court in Miami, just as occurred with two individuals who hijacked a small tourism airplane and its pilot. Thus far, Washington's only response to Cuba's demand in this new case has been that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is studying the case. FINAL ARGUMENTS IN PUERTO RICO TRIAL AGAINST CUBAN-AMERICANS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO San Juan, December 7(RHC)-- Final arguments were heard today in the trial against five Cuban-Americans accused of plotting to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro. During the first day of final arguments on Monday, U.S. District Attorney Scott Glick insisted that abundant and sufficient evidence has been presented to find the defendants guilty of attempting to murder the Cuban leader during the 7th Ibero-American Summit in 1997 on Venezuela's Margarita Island. Glick made particular reference to the two, high-powered, .50 caliber sniper rifles found aboard a cabin cruiser off the coast of Puerto Rico in which four of the accused were arrested. The prosecution also reminded the 12 jurors that one of the accused, Angel Manuel Alfonso Aleman, admitted before U.S. federal authorities after his arrest that he intended to kill the Cuban President. Defendant Juan Bautista Marquez has not participated in trial proceedings due to an illness, while Federal Judge Hector Laffitte dropped charges against Alfredo Domingo Otero due to a lack of evidence against him. According to judicial authorities, a guilty verdict must have unanimous support from the jury. If the jurors are unable to reach an agreement, a new trial will be held next year. Several of the accused are high-ranking members of the Miami-based, ultra-right wing Cuban-American National Foundation, which the Cuban government has repeatedly accused of organizing and financing terrorist activities against the island. CUBAN CHILD RETURNS HOME AFTER BEING EXAMINED BY U.S. PHYSICIANS Havana, December 7(RHC)-- The Cuban child that was taken to the United States with the returning delegation of Illinois Governor George Ryan in October, arrived back in Havana last night after being examined by U.S. doctors. Raudel Medina was examined at the Chapel Hill Hospital at the University of North Carolina. Medical specialists agreed with the diagnosis by Cuban physicians, stating that the seven-year-old boy does not need an operation. The results of the examination by U.S. specialists once again confirms the manipulations of the ultra right-wing Cuban-American mafia in Miami, as well as reactionary U.S. politicians like Senator Jesse Helms -- who insisted that the child needed surgery. MEMBERS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF CUBAN WORKERS DONATE OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO HEALTH PROGRAM LAST MONTH Havana, December 7(RHC)-- Members of the Confederation of Cuban Workers in Havana donated over one million dollars of their tips to the National Health Program during the month of November. During an activity on Monday at Havana's Hotel Nacional, 21 workers and 23 work centers were recognized for their efforts to help finance cancer research. Since this solidarity effort began, workers from the city of Havana have collected over four million dollars, earmarked for the fight against cancer, as well as the mother-child program and the fight against cancer. LEBANESE DELEGATION VISITS THE ISLAND Havana, December 7(RHC)-- A delegation from the Lebanese Communist Party is currently visiting the island. Cuban Communist Party Political Bureau member Jose Ramon Balaguer met on Monday with the General Secretary of Lebanon's Communist Party, Faruk Dajruj. The high-ranking Lebanese delegation includes the secretary of the Lebanon-Cuba Friendship Association and members of the Lebanese Communist Party's Political Bureau. The delegation has also met with Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon and other government officials. Members of the Lebanese delegation expressed their admiration for the Cuban people's position before Washington's blockade against Cuba and their example of resistance. The Lebanese delegation also thanked Cuba for its solidarity with the Arab peoples in their struggle for self-determination. THE PEACE BOAT ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, December 7(RHC)-- The Peace Boat, with 400 passengers on board, has docked in the port of Havana. The boat is sponsored by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, ICAP. ICAP's Vice President Eva Seoane welcomed the passengers to Cuba Monday afternoon. Speaking with reporters upon his arrival, the captain of the Peace Boat, Yoshioka Tatsuya, condemned Washington's blockade against Cuba and said he believes that such policies are not a solution to international problems. The President of ICAP, Sergio Corrieri, also welcomed the passengers of the Peace Boat at the Friendship House, where a special activity will be held with the performance of the musical group Dan Den. Representatives of AMISTUR tour-operators told journalists that the Peace Boat donated two ambulances -- one for central Villa Clara Province and the other for western Pinar del Rio, as well as a modest donation of medicines and school supplies. NORDIC BRIGADE CONTINGENT READY TO GO TO WORK Havana, December 7(RHC)-- Nearly 100 Europeans members of the 33rd Contingent of the Nordic Brigade were welcomed at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp, located on the outskirts of Havana. The brigadistas will do voluntary work in Cuban agriculture for a period of three weeks. On Tuesday, members of the Nordic Brigade placed a floral wreath at the monument of Cuban independence leader Antonio Maceo and took part in a march dedicated to the country's martyrs in the town of Caimito. The Nordic Brigade has been doing voluntary work on the island since 1970, as part of the international movement in solidarity with Cuba. PRESIDENT OF GERMAN PARLIAMENT'S INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMISSION VISITS HAVANA Havana, December 7(RHC)-- The President of the German Parliament's International Relations Commission, Gregor Gysi, condemned the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law which is designed to tighten Washington's economic blockade against the island. Gysi met on Monday with his Cuban counterpart, Jorge Lezcano, with whom he discussed issues of bilateral interest and the possibility of an official aid plan promoted by the German government. A delegation of German parliamentarians will be in Cuba until tomorrow, Wednesday. During their stay, they have met with other government officials and visited places of cultural and scientific interest. [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-12412 1999-Dec-07 16:36:11