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 Monday, February 15, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT GATHERS IN FIRST EXTRAORDINARY SESSION FOR MODIFICATION OF CRIMINAL CODE 2.- PANAMANIAN AND PERUVIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS ARRIVE IN HAVANA 3.- BRITISH MAGAZINE SPONSORS ROUND TABLE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES 4.- RELIGIOUS LEADERS ATTEND EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF LATIN AMERICAN BISHOPS 5.- CUBANA AIRLINES BEGINS FLIGHTS TO BOLIVIA CUBAN PARLIAMENT GATHERS IN FIRST EXTRAORDINARY SESSION FOR MODIFICATION OF CRIMINAL CODE Havana, February 15(RHC)-- The Cuban Parliament's Fifth Legislature began its first extraordinary session today, aimed at revising the island's criminal code. The modification of the penal code is in response to Cuban President Fidel Castro's speech last January 5th on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Cuba's National Revolutionary Police. At that time, the Cuban leader called on authorities to get tough in the fight against crime, which has grown primarily as a result of tourism and the island's economic opening. Cuban legislators are expected to introduce the death penalty in cases of large-scale drug trafficking. Life imprisonment, which did not exist before in Cuba, is expected to be introduced in cases of burglary and violent robbery. Tougher penalties are expected to be applied in cases of sexual procurement and in cases of the repeated offense of prostitution. New crimes will also be included in Cuba's criminal code, including the trafficking of persons -- in response to vessels based in Florida that have been picking up illegal immigrants on the coasts of Cuba. Penalties against money laundering will also be increased -- in response to a recent case of Spanish business executives using a firm in Cuba to transport drugs and launder the profits. At the same time, the more than 600 Cuban lawmakers will debate a draft law entitled Protection of Cuba's National Independence and Economy -- a response to the U.S. anti-Cuba Torricelli and Helms-Burton Laws, which openly promote the financing of anti-government activities in Cuba. PANAMANIAN AND PERUVIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS ARRIVE IN HAVANA Havana, February 15(RHC)-- Panamanian Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter arrived in Havana on Sunday to begin an official visit. Upon his arrival, Ritter termed his visit to Cuba as "very appropriate" -- coming during the year that the Panama Canal will be returned to his country. The Panamanian foreign minister asserted that the voice of Cuba in the Non-Aligned Movement contributed to the success of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaties. Among the activities during his visit, Ritter is expected to deliver a lecture at the University of Havana entitled "Panama and its Canal in the Year 2000." The visit to Cuba of Panama's top diplomat coincides with the presence here of Peruvian Foreign Minister Fernando de Trazegnies. This Latin American dignitary will participate in the first Cuba-Peru business gathering at the head of a delegation that includes some 25 Peruvian business executives. Over the weekend, the President of the Spanish autonomous region of Asturias, Sergio Marques Fernandez, wrapped up his visit to Cuba following a five-hour meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Asturias and Cuba signed five bilateral cooperation accords in diverse fields. BRITISH MAGAZINE SPONSORS ROUND TABLE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES Havana, February 15(RHC)-- Important business executives and bankers from around the world will participate in the 5th Round Table on Economic Issues with the Cuban government, organized by the British magazine "The Economist." The event is scheduled for February 22nd through the 24th in Havana. The meeting will allow participants to take a look at the island's business opportunities and analyze the recovery of the Cuban economy. Participants will also visit facilities in what are called Cuba's emerging sectors: real estate business, biotechnology, heavy industry and duty free zones. RELIGIOUS LEADERS ATTEND EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF LATIN AMERICAN BISHOPS Havana, February 15(RHC)-- Latin American bishops held a mass Sunday evening at Havana's Cathedral as part of the inauguration of talks on the churches' role in the continent. Five cardinals and 25 bishops traveled to the Cuban capital to attend the Episcopal Conference of Latin America, which will study Pope John Paul II's call for the evangelization of the hemisphere. Although most of the participants are from Latin America, 15 bishops from the United States and Canada are included in the group. The conference, the first of its type in Cuba, is taking place just one year after the Pontiff's historic visit to the island. CUBANA AIRLINES BEGINS FLIGHTS TO BOLIVIA La Paz, February 15(RHC)-- The representative for Cubana Airlines in Bolivia, Pedro Bohorques, told reporters that flights from Havana to that South American nation will resume in the next few days. The inaugural flight is scheduled for Saturday between Havana and the eastern Bolivian province of Santa Cruz. The Cubana Airlines representative said the move was made due to the increasing number of Bolivian vacationers to the Caribbean island. 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