Radio Havana Cuba, Friday, February 19, 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, February 19, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA MEETS IN HAVANA WITH VISITING MEMBERS OF U.S. CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS 2.- PANAMANIAN FIRST LADY WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA 3.- ANTI-POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN BEGINS ACROSS THE ISLAND 4.- STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ARRIVE IN HAVANA 5.- INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION TO BE HELD IN HAVANA 6.- PRESIDENT OF CUBA'S SUPREME COURT SAYS CUBA-U.S. MIGRATION ACCORDS ARE PROBLEMATIC 7.- COLOMBIAN BOOK COLLECTION DONATED TO THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN BOGOTA CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA MEETS IN HAVANA WITH VISITING MEMBERS OF U.S. CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS Havana, February 19(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina met in Havana with visiting members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus. Members of the Black Caucus arrived in Havana Wednesday evening to observe first-hand the effects of Washington's economic war against Cuba. During the meeting, Robaina commented on the immense disinformation published by the U.S. press about Cuba. He said, however, that despite four decades of Washington's hostility towards the island, Cubans respect and admire the American people. The members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus -- accompanied by Pastors for Peace leader Reverend Lucius Walker, legislative aides, community leaders and journalists -- recognized Cuba's achievements in the areas of health and education. This first Black Caucus delegation to visit Cuba is made up of congressional Representatives Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee of California, Sheila Jackson of Texas, Julie Carson from Indiana, Gregory Meeks of New York and Earl Hilliard of Alabama. PANAMANIAN FIRST LADY WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, February 19(RHC)-- Panama's First Lady Dora Boyd de Perez has wound up a brief visit to Cuba. On Thursday, Dora Boyd de Perez was on hand during a ceremony in which Panama's Minister of Youth, Women, Children and Family Leonor Calderon, signed an cooperation agreement with Cuba's Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz. The President of the Federation of Cuban Women, Vilma Espin, awarded the Panamanian First Lady with the "23rd of August Medal," for her contribution to the struggle of women. And the wife of Panamanian President Ernesto Perez Balladares decorated Vilma Espin with the "Vasco Nunez de Balboa Medal." During her visit to the country, Dora Boyd de Perez toured the Solidarity with Panama Special Education Center and met with the National Secretariat of the Federation of Cuban Women and its commissions. ANTI-POLIO VACCINATION CAMPAIGN BEGINS ACROSS THE ISLAND Havana, February 19(RHC)-- An anti-polio vaccination campaign has begun across the island with the first phase covering children under three years of age. Polio was eradicated in Cuba when massive vaccination campaigns began in 1962. Today, all Cuban citizens under 53 years of age are protected against the disease. Before the Cuban Revolution, polio paralysed and killed hundreds of people -- primarily children -- on the island. The World Health Organization's objective is to eradicate polio by the year 2000. In Latin America, the last reported case of polio was in Peru in 1994 and most of the cases are now registered in Africa. Cuba has eliminated four other diseases -- diphtheria in 1979, measles in 1993, and chicken pox and mumps in 1995. The National Vaccination Program currently protects the population against 13 preventable diseases. STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ARRIVE IN HAVANA Havana, February 19 (RHC)-- The U.S.S. Universe Explorer cruise ship has docked at the Port of Havana, bringing U.S. university students to the Cuban capital. With its cultural program entitled "Sea Semester," the trip is sponsored annually by the University of Pittsburgh -- designed to give students a first-hand look at other cultures and traditions. This time, organizers selected Cuba for a three-day visit, during which the U.S. university students will visit places of socio-historic, academic and cultural interest. Upon their arrival, the students visited the University of Havana where they were warmly welcomed by Cuban students and professors. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION TO BE HELD IN HAVANA Havana, February 19(RHC)-- An international seminar entitled "Immigration and Consular Activity on the Threshold of the 21st Century" is scheduled to take place in Havana from April 14th through the 16th. Academics, consular officials and other experts on the issue will analyze immigration to the United States and relations between Washington and Havana. Participants from more than ten countries to the conference, sponsored by the Cuban Association of the United Nations and the International Relations Higher Institute among others, have already confirmed their participation. PRESIDENT OF CUBA'S SUPREME COURT SAYS CUBA-U.S. MIGRATION ACCORDS ARE PROBLEMATIC Havana, February 19(RHC)-- The President of Cuba's Supreme Court, Ruben Remigio Ferro, said that there are areas of the Cuba-U.S. migration accords that are problematic, given that illegal departures from the island are still being encouraged from within the United States itself. Ferro believes that it does not make any sense for the United States to warmly welcome and automatically offer resident status to Cuban citizens that reach U.S. territory. The Cuban official added that the situation only encourages illegal departures from the island. In addition, U.S. residents with speed boats are entering Cuban territorial waters and attempting to take people to Florida, in many cases risking the lives of all involved. According to the Cuba-U.S. migratory agreements signed in 1994 and 1995, people who illegally leave the island and are captured on the high seas before reaching the United States are returned to Cuba and do not face trial. The President of Cuba's Supreme Court recalled that the migratory agreements include joint efforts to stop illegal migration. COLOMBIAN BOOK COLLECTION DONATED TO THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN BOGOTA Bogota, February 19(RHC)-- Colombian poets and writers have donated a book collection to the Cuban embassy in Bogota on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Author Jose Luis Dias Granado officially handed over the book collection to Cuba's ambassador to Colombia, Jesus Martinez, on behalf of poets and writers as well as the Casa Colombian in Solidarity with the Peoples. The Cuban ambassador said that the books will be available to the public in the embassy's library, which is visited by Colombians each day. [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-25667 1999-Feb-19 19:34:52