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, January 8, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA'S NEW ANTI-CRIME CRUSADE WILL NOT DIMINISH THE HUMANITARIAN CHARACTER OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION 2.- CUBA AND CANADA SIGN IMPORTANT ACCORDS WITH THE VISIT TO HAVANA OF CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LLOYD AXWORTHY 3.- DELEGATION OF PROMINENT AFRICAN-AMERICANS WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA 4.- WHITE HOUSE MEASURES SUPPOSEDLY AIMED AT EASING U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA DO NOT CHANGE CUBA'S POSITION 5.- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEO-LIBERAL GLOBALIZATION SET TO BEGIN IN HAVANA 6.- BELGIUM'S FOREIGN MINISTER EXPECTED TO VISIT CUBA SUNDAY 7.- SURINAM'S PRESIDENT WILL TRAVEL TO CUBA ON MONDAY 8.- MORE CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES ARRIVE IN NICARAGUA 9.- CUBA SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT GAINS STRENGTH IN 1998 CUBA'S NEW ANTI-CRIME CRUSADE WILL NOT DIMINISH THE HUMANITARIAN CHARACTER OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION Havana, January 8(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has insisted that the island's new anti-crime crusade will not diminish the humanitarian character of the Cuban Revolution. In the second part of a five-hour speech aired Thursday evening on national television, the Cuban leader said the policy of re-educating prison inmates and of sentence reductions for good behavior will continue. The speech was delivered Tuesday evening before five thousand members of Cuba's National Revolutionary Police -- on the occasion of its 40th anniversary -- and aired on TV in two parts on Wednesday and Thursday. President Castro focused on the rising crime rate in Havana in the 1990s, as a result of the country's economic opening and the development of tourism. He said authorities knew of this risk beforehand, but that Cuba had no other alternative in the face of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the intensification of Washington's blockade against the island. The Cuban leader recognized the deep concern of the people, which had not seen crimes like prostitution, procurement and violent robberies since before the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. Cubans closely followed the television broadcasts, during which the leader of the Cuban Revolution called on media outlets to continuously highlight specific cases of crimes and the response of authorities so that people are convinced that tougher measures will be adopted against criminals. The Cuban leader also called for the re-establishment of life imprisonment. The maximum prison sentence in Cuba is now 30 years. Fidel Castro said that "just as the nation has come together to confront these difficult economic times and to resist Washington's stepped-up economic war against Cuba without renouncing the social gains of the Revolution, so too will the Cuban people unite in the fight against crime." CUBA AND CANADA SIGN IMPORTANT ACCORDS WITH THE VISIT TO HAVANA OF CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LLOYD AXWORTHY Havana, January 8(RHC)-- Visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy signed two important accords with his Cuban counterpart Roberto Robaina during a brief visit Thursday to Havana. The two countries have established bilateral cooperation in the war against drugs and in a program of prisoner exchanges -- Canadians convicted and sentenced in Cuba will able to serve their prison terms in Canada and vice versa. Shortly before departing following a six-hour visit, the Canadian foreign minister highlighted what he called "the permanent and very strong bilateral ties with Cuba," and commented on the 14-point bilateral cooperation accord signed between the two countries two years ago. He said that the accord has "significantly boosted the strengthening of Canada-Cuba relations." During his brief stay, Foreign Minister Axworthy was received by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Axworthy said that among other issues, they looked into areas in which bilateral cooperation could expand. Canada is the most important foreign investor in Cuba, with 640 million dollars last year. That amount could reach one billion dollars if the two countries sign an investment protection and promotion accord that is currently under negotiation. DELEGATION OF PROMINENT AFRICAN-AMERICANS WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, January 8(RHC)-- An important delegation of African-American writers, film-makers and intellectuals from the United States wrapped up a visit to Cuba on Thursday. The delegation, headed by Randall Robinson, Director of the anti-apartheid, civil rights organization Transafrica, examined the effects of the U.S. economic blockade against the island. Radio Havana Cuba asked Randall Robinson what the delegation plans to do upon its return to the United States. "We will prepare a report with recommendations and make it available to the Congress and to the American people generally. We will appear on a range of television and radio programs to recommend and to urge that the embargo be lifted as soon as possible. We believe, and we are buttressed in this belief by recent polls, that the American people overwhelming support the lifting of the embargo." Among those visiting Cuba as part of the Transafrica delegation was the well-known U.S. actor Danny Glover. WHITE HOUSE MEASURES SUPPOSEDLY AIMED AT EASING U.S. BLOCKADE AGAINST CUBA DO NOT CHANGE CUBA'S POSITION Havana, January 8(RHC)-- Cuban Economy Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez says that U.S. President Bill Clinton's recently announced measures supposedly aimed at easing the U.S. blockade against Cuba "do not alter or change Cuba's position against that cruel measure." Rodriguez made the statement at a Havana news conference on Friday. The Cuban economy minister stressed that the island's struggle against the blockade will not change because, in his words, "the measures are not designed to lift the blockade against the Caribbean island." Jose Luis Rodriguez underscored the vitality of the island's economy during 1998 when it grew by 1.2 percent despite hurricanes, droughts and decreasing prices for most of the country's exports. He said that rate confirms the economy's tendency to grow since 1994. Rodriguez then said that in the next five years, growth predictions are between four and six percent. The Cuban government official also told reporters that the Cuban economy is not moving toward a mixed or a market economy, despite changes introduced over the past ten years. He noted that the Cuban economy remains socialist with most means of production in State hands and with space opened to some kinds of private property like joint ventures with foreign capital, self-employment and land-leasing. The Cuban economy minister pointed out that this socialist economic model, however, has changed in the sense that it has evolved toward decentralization. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEO-LIBERAL GLOBALIZATION SET TO BEGIN IN HAVANA Havana, January 8(RHC)-- Some 500 representatives from 48 countries have confirmed their participation at the International Conference on Neo-liberal Globalization scheduled to begin on the 18th. According to the President of the Association of Cuban Economists, Roberto Verrier, the meeting will include personalities and representatives from 15 world institutions. Among them are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and the Latin American Economic System (SELA). The meeting is aimed at discussing ideas and ways to contribute possible solutions to the problems associated with neo-liberal globalization and the current world crisis. Some of the issues that will be discussed are the world trade and international financial systems, in addition to the social impact of globalization and its perspectives. BELGIUM'S FOREIGN MINISTER EXPECTED TO VISIT CUBA SUNDAY Havana, January 8(RHC)-- Belgium's Foreign Minister Erik Derycke is scheduled to visit Cuba on Sunday in what is the first high-ranking official visit of a Belgian government official. The Belgian foreign minister will remain on the island until next Wednesday and is expected to meet with Cuban President Fidel Castro. The Belgian official's visit is reportedly also to prepare a future visit of that country's economy minister. SURINAM'S PRESIDENT WILL TRAVEL TO CUBA ON MONDAY Havana, January 8(RHC)-- The President of the Republic of Surinam Jules Albert Wijdenbosch will travel to Cuba at the invitation of his Cuban counterpart Fidel Castro. The Surinam leader is heading a delegation of ministers and other high-ranking officials as well as business executives who want to get a first-hand look at the island's business potential. Surinam and Cuba will sign several bilateral agreements. MORE CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES ARRIVE IN NICARAGUA Managua, January 8(RHC)-- Nine Cuban medical brigades have arrived in the northern region of Nicaragua to offer their services to the victims of Hurricane Mitch. The brigades -- which include 40 doctors and paramedical personnel -- will be transferred to the Department of Nueva Segovia and several regions in the North Atlantic region. The Cuban medical brigades carry medicines and food as well as field hospitals to assist the victims of Hurricane Mitch. Last December, during Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina's two-day visit to Nicaragua, the Cuban leader offered the country nine medical brigades and granted 300 scholarships to young Nicaraguans interested in studying medicine in Cuba. CUBA SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT GAINS STRENGTH IN 1998 Havana, January 8(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People's (ICAP), Sergio Corrieri, said that the Cuba solidarity movement gained strength during 1998. During a news conference in Havana, Corrieri said that this past year, four solidarity with Cuba conferences were held in different regions of the world and 25 were held on the island in which over three thousand people participated. Among the most important activities that ICAP's president outlined were the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. military intervention in Cuba and nearly 40 events that were held to coordinate and improve solidarity work against Washington's blockade of the island. [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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