Radio Havana Cuba, December 24, 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 24, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- PROTESTS CONTINUE IN FRONT OF U.S. INTERESTS SECTION 2.- CUBA WILL TAKE THE CASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IN GENEVA, IF NECESSARY, TO WIN HIS RETURN 3.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO PRAISES ACTIONS OF CREW ON TUESDAY'S ILL-FATED FLIGHT IN GUATEMALA CITY 4.- VENEZUELAN EMBASSY IN HAVANA REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN AID FROM FOREIGN FIRMS IN CUBA 5.- MORE THAN 600 INSTITUTIONS FROM 30 COUNTRIES WILL TAKE PART IN HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 6.- STRENGTH OF CUBAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS FOUND IN ITS REVOLUTIONARY DOCTRINE 7.- CUBANACAN'S RESTAURANT AND SNACK BAR FIRM "PALMARES" BRINGS IN MORE THAN 26 MILLION DOLLARS DURING 1999 PROTESTS CONTINUE IN FRONT OF U.S. INTERESTS SECTION Havana, December 24(RHC)-- Tens of thousands gathered in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana on Friday -- demanding the immediate return of Elian Gonzalez. The demonstration was the fifth consecutive day of renewed protests outside the diplomatic mission, located on Havana's seaside drive known as the Malecon. Friday's demonstration was joined by leaders of Cuban Protestant churches, who voiced their determination work for the immediate return to the island of the 6-year-old boy. In statements to Radio Havana Cuba, The Reverend Carlos Emilio Sam, President of the Caribbean Council of Churches, expressed the objective of their participation at the demonstration: "We are here this afternoon together with the Cuban people to express our feelings and to demand that the U.S. administration release Elian. And we as Christians are not alone. We have received messages from the Caribbean Conference of Churches and from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. "In a recent letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton, dated December 17th, Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick said, and I quote: "Dear Mr. President, I'm grateful for the steps your administration has taken to pursue the possibility to return Elian Gonzalez to his father. His suffering in the tragic loss of his mother has captured the compassion of the American people. However, I deeply regret that many have used this unfortunate occasion to further their campaign against the government of Cuba. Like you, we believe that short of clear evidence that parents are unfit, children belong with their parents. Declaring that one is an unfit parent simply because he or she might live in Cuba is completely false. I urge you and your administration to reunite Elian with his father." The President of the Caribbean Council of Churches and Pastor of Cuba's Presbyterian Reformed Church, Reverend Carlos Emilio Sam, joined tens of thousands of believers and non-believers in Friday evening's demonstration in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. Just over one month ago, on November 22nd, the young boy was placed on a boat by his mother without his father's permission. She and nine others drowned when they unsuccessfully attempted to illegally immigrate to the United States. Elian, who survived when the boat capsized off the coasts of Florida, was taken to live with distant relatives who have joined a vicious right-wing campaign to keep the boy in Miami. His father, grandparents and, indeed, the entire Cuban people are demanding that he be returned to the island. CUBA WILL TAKE THE CASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IN GENEVA, IF NECESSARY, TO WIN HIS RETURN Havana, December 24(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro stated that Cuba will take the case of Elian Gonzalez all the way to the United Nations and the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, if necessary, to win his return. Speaking on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the Cuban leader stated that although he believes that his U.S. counterpart, Bill Clinton, wants to resolve the case of the six-year-old boy being held in Miami, Clinton is under an enormous amount of pressure by right-wing Cuban-Americans in southern Florida. During an activity earlier Thursday evening, the leader of the Cuban Revolution addressed some 2000 fifth and sixth graders who formed a protective line of defense around the U.S. Interests Section on Wednesday. The young Pioneers were given certificates of recognition for their symbolic gesture, which Fidel Castro emphasized is unprecedented in any other part of the world -- where heavily-armed police hold back crowds during demonstrations. Fidel Castro stated that the struggle to obtain the release of Elian Gonzalez will be long and difficult, but that justice will prevail. He stated that there are many strategies that the Cuban people can use, noting the examples of public rallies held over the past several weeks. And the Cuban leader said many more and even larger rallies would be held in the future -- all across the island -- until Elian Gonzalez is re-united with his father. CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO PRAISES ACTIONS OF CREW ON TUESDAY'S ILL-FATED FLIGHT IN GUATEMALA CITY Havana, December 24(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro on Thursday attended the funeral ceremonies of eight Cubans who were killed when a DC-10 airliner, with more than 300 passengers aboard, crashed when attempting to land at Guatemala City's International Airport. The Cuban leader expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, which included the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer of the ill-fated flight. While noting that the exact causes of Tuesday's tragic accident are still being investigated, Fidel Castro said that one fact is indisputable: the heroic actions of the pilot and crew avoided an even greater tragedy, which could have turned the plane into a giant ball of fire. The Cuban leader noted that by quickly shutting down the engines, cutting electricity and disconnecting fuel lines -- just seconds before the crash -- the crew saved the lives of most of the passengers. President Fidel Castro said that the actions of the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer prevented the deaths of all 314 passengers and crew aboard, including perhaps dozens on the ground. A total of 18 were killed in Tuesday's accident -- 15 on aboard the flight and 3 Guatemalans on the ground. While not discounting that the accident could have been caused by human error, the Cuban leader praised the courageous and heroic actions by the crew who, moments before their deaths, took the appropriate measures to save the lives of hundreds. VENEZUELAN EMBASSY IN HAVANA REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN AID FROM FOREIGN FIRMS IN CUBA Havana, December 24(RHC) -- The Venezuelan diplomatic mission in Cuba has requested humanitarian aid from foreign companies operating on the Caribbean island. The assistance would be used to help victims of the recent natural disaster that claimed between 25 and 30,000 lives and left another 250,000 homeless. Speaking with journalists in the Cuban capital, the business attache of the Venezuelan embassy in Havana, Eloy Torres, said that the foreign firms currently operating in Cuba could contribute by sending clothing as well as money, either through a bank account or the Internet. Torres also took the opportunity to thank the Cuban people and government for the emergency medical brigades sent to Venezuela to offer their services, free-of-charge, in affected areas for as long as necessary. The Venezuelan official pointed out that more than 490 Cuban health specialists are already working in his country to prevent the outbreak of diseases, and also pointed to a donation of five tons of raticide sent by Cuba to eliminate rats and other disease carriers. The diplomatic mission in Cuba has also called on private Venezuelan companies doing business on the island to contribute in the recovery of the country, devastated by weeks of torrential rains. MORE THAN 600 INSTITUTIONS FROM 30 COUNTRIES WILL TAKE PART IN HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR Havana, December 24(RHC)-- More than 600 institutions from 30 countries will take part in this year's edition of Havana's International Book Fair, scheduled for next February 9th through the 15th at the San Carlos de la Cabana Fortress. The book event includes an exhibition hall in which Cuba will be represented by 25 publishing houses. The encounter's agenda also includes the presentation of some 100 new titles and a ceremony to grant the National Award for Literature, Social Sciences, Book Editing and Designing and Literary Criticism. The Cuban National Publishing House is preparing to release some 900 new titles and will also put some 300,000 books on the shelves for sale in Cuban currency. Some 15,000 books will be also available for purchase in U.S. dollars, representing an increase over last year's Havana International Book Fair. STRENGTH OF CUBAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS FOUND IN ITS REVOLUTIONARY DOCTRINE Las Tunas, December 24(RHC)-- Cuba's Minister of Education, Luis Ignacio Gomez, stated that the strength of the island's educational system is found in its revolutionary doctrine as well as the constant improvement of professional qualifications of professors. On the occasion of activities to commemorate National Teacher's Day in Cuba, Gomez said that besides teaching lessons to their students, Cuban professors impart values, despite challenges posed by globalization in today's unipolar world. CUBANACAN'S RESTAURANT AND SNACK BAR FIRM "PALMARES" BRINGS IN MORE THAN 26 MILLION DOLLARS DURING 1999 Havana, December 24(RHC)-- One of Cubanacan Tourism Corporation's companies with the largest operations -- the restaurant and snack bar firm "Palmares" -- has brought in more than 26 million dollars in 1999. At a news conference in the Cuban capital, the director of "Palmares," Mario Escalona, said that this year's revenues represent a 12.3 percent increase over last year, though it didn't reach the predicted goals due to a number of factors that affected all of the tourism industry on the island and throughout the Caribbean. Escalona stated that the firm will face new challenges for the new millenium. "Palmares" currently operates more than 40 extravagant restaurants, eight "Pain de Paris" bakeries, three pizza parlors, snack bars, Alondra ice-cream parlors and a chain of inexpensive restaurants island-wide. For the year 2000, the company's revenues are expected to increase by 27 percent while profits will grow by 33.7 percent, with two cents on the dollar reduction in costs. Also for the year 2000, Escalona added, the company will diversify its restaurants, expand and invest in more snack bars and coffee shops and will open the first historic restaurant in eastern Holguin province's Bariai Key -- where Christopher Columbus first touched Cuban soil. During the year 2000, "Palmares" will also open its first vegetarian restaurant and will increase the number of dietary dishes in all its restaurant chains. [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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