Radio Havana Cuba, 8 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 Wednesday, December 8, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- HAVANA RESIDENTS VOW TO CONTINUE PROTESTS AT THE U.S. INTERESTS SECTION, DEMANDING THE RETURN OF YOUNG ELIAN GONZALEZ, HELD IN MIAMI AGAINST THE WILL OF HIS FATHER 2.- WASHINGTON ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO RETURN HIJACKERS OF CUBAN VESSEL AND TWO WOUNDED HOSTAGES 3.- PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT SAYS THAT THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT THREATENS THE MIGRATORY ACCORDS 4.- HOLDING ELIAN GONZALEZ IN MIAMI IS A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 5.- ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF CUBA WILL DONATE 70 KILOGRAMS OF MEDICINES TO HAVANA'S CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITAL 6.- REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS CENTRAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES SEND A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO CUBA HAVANA RESIDENTS VOW TO CONTINUE PROTESTS AT THE U.S. INTERESTS SECTION, DEMANDING THE RETURN OF YOUNG ELIAN GONZALEZ, HELD IN MIAMI AGAINST THE WILL OF HIS FATHER Havana, December 8(RHC)-- Havana residents vow to continue protests in front of the U.S. Interests Section, demanding the return of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez, currently being held in Miami. Nearly 100,000 people took to the streets Tuesday evening to demand that the child be returned to the custody of his father and grandparents in Cuba. Elian Gonzalez is being held by distant relatives in Miami after he was rescued on the high seas when his mother -- who drowned --attempted to illegally migrate to the United States. Hassan Perez, president of Cuba's University Students Federation, stated that Wednesday evening the number of protesters will double, while tomorrow the number will quadruple. Meanwhile, Washington has recognized the right of the child's father to demand custody. Tuesday evening, U.S. State Department spokesman James Foley stated that U.S. norms recognize that right, and that authorities in Washington have established contact with Gonzalez's father and grandparents in Cuba. And as the dispute continues, U.S. immigration and family law experts -- and some media outlets -- are arguing that this should be an open and shut case: Elian should be returned to his father in Cuba. According to Bernard Oxman, a University of Miami professor who specializes in international law, normal procedure in custody cases of unaccompanied refugees is that U.S. officials would find a living parent or guardian and return him, regardless of his country of origin. University of Miami law professor David Abraham, an immigration policy expert, stated that Florida custody law is very clear. In the event of the death of one parent, said Abraham, custody almost inevitably is awarded to the other parent as long as there are no allegations that the parent is guilty of abuse or neglect. A Wednesday editorial in The Christian Science Monitor asserted that the United States government has "behaved heartlessly" by not immediately sending a six-year-old boy back to his sole parent in Cuba. According to the news daily, "it doesn't take the wisdom of Solomon" to see that the boy will not suffer any physical harm in returning to Cuba to be with his closest relative. Yet, states the editorial, U.S. officials are dragging this case into a U.S. court while right-wing Cuban-Americans are using this boy's case to further prevent any warming in U.S.-Cuban ties. The Christian Science Monitor asked what right does a foreign court have to decide custody for a parent in Cuba, asserting that the father and boy's maternal grandparents clearly have more rights than the child's great-uncle in Florida. The influential news daily USA TODAY and others have also come out in favor of sending the child back to his family in Cuba. WASHINGTON ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO RETURN HIJACKERS OF CUBAN VESSEL AND TWO WOUNDED HOSTAGES Havana, December 8(RHC)-- The United States government has announced its intention to return six hijackers of a Cuban vessel and two wounded hostages. Cuba's Foreign Ministry has issued an official note stating that Charles Shapiro -- head of the U.S. State Department's Cuba Desk -- informed the chief of Cuba's Interests Section in Washington D.C. -- Fernando Ramirez -- that the hijackers and hostages will be turned over to Cuban authorities on Thursday. The Foreign Ministry note asserts that in this way, and in this particular case, Washington will have complied with the U.S.-Cuba migratory accords signed in 1994 and 1995. The note goes on to say that although the decision is correct, unfortunately it can only be considered a positive step if it is accompanied by a willingness to seriously comply with the accords. The hijacking, states the Cuban Foreign Ministry, is just one among thousands of thefts, assaults and kidnappings encouraged over the years by Washington's Cuba Adjustment Act, which grants automatic residence to any undocumented Cuba who arrives in U.S. territory. The official note points out that the incessant encouragement of illegal immigration from Cuba has resulted in assassinations and an undetermined number of victims whose vessels or rafts capsized and whose remains were never found. The Foreign Ministry note insists that if the Cuban Adjustment Act is not repealed, the United States will never be capable of truly complying with the migratory accords signed by the two countries. The text of the Cuban Adjustment Act, states the note, runs contrary to the commitments contained in the migratory accords to adopt all measures necessary to discourage illegal immigration. Cuba's Foreign Ministry announced that hopefully this decision is an indication that more responsible political leaders in Washington are beginning to become aware of the human damage that the Cuban Adjustment Act has inflicted on the Cuban people, and the enormous chaos that this legislation could create in the U.S. government's migratory policies. In reference to the trafficking of undocumented Cubans in speed boats from Florida -- also encouraged by the Cuban Adjustment Act -- the Foreign Ministry note states that this practice could become a problem as serious as drug- trafficking. Finally, Cuba's Foreign Ministry reiterates -- once again -- that in order to guarantee secure, legal and orderly immigration between the two countries -- as established in the Havana-Washington migratory accords -- it is imperative that the U.S. government repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act and put an end to the encouragement of illegal departures by broadcasts from counterrevolutionary radio stations in Florida. PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT SAYS THAT THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT THREATENS THE MIGRATORY ACCORDS Havana, December 8(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, stated that the Cuban Adjustment Act interferes with the Cuba-U.S. migratory accords. As head of the Cuban delegation to the migratory talks with the United States, Alarcon said that Cuba is ready for the upcoming round of talks scheduled to take place next Monday, the 13th, in Havana -- a meeting to review compliance with the migratory accords, held every six months. The Cuban diplomat said that he hopes that the U.S. delegation will come to the talks with a clear position and responsibility, willing to discuss the problems of the Cuban Adjustment Act, because the legislation is used as an instrument to destabilize Cuba. The Cuban Parliament president recalled that the Cuban Adjustment Act goes directly against the migratory accords because it encourages people to try to reach the United States illegally. Alarcon also strongly condemned the broadcasts of Radio Marti, which also encourage illegal immigration HOLDING ELIAN GONZALEZ IN MIAMI IS A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS Havana, December 8(RHC)-- Representatives of over 100 non- governmental organizations have characterized the holding of young Elian Gonzalez as a flagrant violation of human rights. According to Prensa Latina News Agency, a document condemning Washington for not returning little Elian to his father was issued on Wednesday during the 2nd International Meeting on Cooperation with Cuba, currently being held in Cojimar, on the outskirts of Havana. The document, which received unanimous support from the delegates, was presented by two Uruguayan cooperation institutions participating in the event. There was another proposal by two Latin Americans and a Swedish delegate requesting all participants to join the Cuban people's protests in front of the U.S. Interests Section to demand that the boy be sent back to his father in Cuba. ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF CUBA WILL DONATE 70 KILOGRAMS OF MEDICINES TO HAVANA'S CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITAL Havana, December 8(RHC)-- The President and founder of the Association of Friends of Cuba, Mario Ramseier, will donate 70 kilograms of medicines to Havana's Cardiovascular Hospital. Ramseier heads the Austrian institution which, thanks to the support of Swiss, Italian, Canadians and other citizens in solidarity with Cuba have helped with the refurbishing of the ontological wards of the Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital in the Cuban capital. The Cuban Health Ministry is currently refurbishing the William Soler Pediatric Hospital Ward, which also receives financial support from the Austrian embassy in Havana. Last November 30th, the Association of Friends of Cuba -- in coordination with the island's Health Ministry -- held an activity at the Juan Manuel Marquez Hospital with the participation of some of the island's outstanding athletes including Javier Sotomayor, Ivan Pedroso and Luis Mariano Delis. The President of the Association of Friends of Cuba says that his institution strongly condemns Washington's blockade against the island. REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS CENTRAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES SEND A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO CUBA Havana, December 8(RHC)-- Representatives from various Central American Universities as well as from the Dominican Republic sent a message of solidarity to Cuba on the island's fight to get six-year-old Elian Gonzlaez back to his father. During the closing of the first regional course specializing in international humanitarian law for university students, held in Havana, Arnel Medina, President of the Cuban Lawyers Association, outlined the relationship between legal professionals and the contents of the course. The challenges of humanitarian action for the 21st century, the armed conflicts in Central America and the application of international humanitarian law, children and armed conflicts, were some of the issues discussed during the event which also included, conferences, seminars and videos. The course was sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross, with the collaboration of Central American universities and the Cuban Red Cross. [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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