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 29, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER DENIES THERE ARE CUBAN TROOPS IN ANGOLA 2.- COSTA RICA WILL SOON OPEN CONSULAR OFFICE IN HAVANA 3.- U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONDEMNS BLOCKADE OF CUBA 4.- HONDURAN PARLIAMENT AWARDS CUBAN DOCTORS 5.- ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN HOTELS CONDEMNS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S REFUSAL TO GRANT VISAS TO CUBAN DELEGATION 6.- DIGNITY PARK HONORS FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM CUBA AND GUATEMALA CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER DENIES THERE ARE CUBAN TROOPS IN ANGOLA Havana, January 29(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina has categorically denied that there are Cuban troops in Angola. Robaina, in statements made to journalists in the Cuban capital, referred to foreign media reports which he called "pure speculation" and "nothing further from reality." The Cuban foreign minister also denied that Angola has requested Cuban military assistance, expressing his confidence that Angola and the African community will themselves be able to resolve any problem in that part of the world. COSTA RICA WILL SOON OPEN CONSULAR OFFICE IN HAVANA San Jose, January 29(RHC)-- Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Rojas told reporters in San Jose Thursday that his country will soon open a consular office in Havana. Rojas said that he plans to meet with his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina, to discuss further details. Both foreign ministers are scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony of Venezuelan President-elect Hugo Chavez next week in Caracas. The Costa Rican foreign minister stated that both San Jose and Havana have been interested in re-establishing diplomatic relations, broken during the early 1960's as a result of pressure by the United States. At Washington's insistence, the Organization of American States expelled Cuba from the regional body and most Latin American countries -- with the exception of Mexico -- broke diplomatic relations with the island. Over the years, nearly all Latin American countries have re-established diplomatic or consular relations with Cuba. U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONDEMNS BLOCKADE OF CUBA Washington, January 29(RHC)-- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has once again come out strongly against Washington's blockade of Cuba. According to Richard O'Leary, a leading member of the Chamber of Commerce, the best policy that the United States could adopt in relation to Cuba is to lift the economic and commercial sanctions unilaterally imposed against the island nearly 40 years ago. O'Leary said that the blockade is a remnant of the Cold War, which --in his words -- "is dead and buried." The member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce told reporters that the new measures recently announced by the White House are insufficient. He pointed out that Washington's blockade has denied U.S. companies the possibility of doing business in Cuba, at the same time that other countries around the world -- especially in Europe and Canada -- are opening joint ventures in many areas of the Cuban economy. HONDURAN PARLIAMENT AWARDS CUBAN DOCTORS Tegucigalpa, January 29(RHC)-- The Honduran Parliament has announced that the 123 Cuban doctors currently offering their services to the victims of Hurricane Mitch will receive a special award. The decision was unanimously adopted by 128 deputies from five political parties. Proposed by Deputy Doris Gutierrez, the Honduran lawmaker said that Cuban doctors are offering a humane and free service to the victims of Hurricane Mitch, primarily the poorest people in the remote areas of that Central American country. Since last October 30th, Cuba has sent seven medical brigades to Honduras to assist the victims of Hurricane Mitch, which also severely affected other countries in the region. ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN HOTELS CONDEMNS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S REFUSAL TO GRANT VISAS TO CUBAN DELEGATION San Juan, January 29(RHC)--The Association of Caribbean Hotels has condemned the U.S. State Department's refusal to grant visas to a Cuban delegation, invited to take part in a tourism fair in Puerto Rico. The group of eight Cubans requested visas to attend the Market '99 Tourism Fair, considered the largest regional event of its type in San Juan, Puerto Rico with the participation of 1500 people. The General Director of the Association of Caribbean Hotels, John Bell, said he is disappointed with Washington's attitude and added that the organization did all it could to have Cuba represented. These types of fairs include the participation of tour- operators, travel agents, hotels and other sectors linked to tourism, whose main objective is the promotion of the Caribbean as a tourist destination. DIGNITY PARK HONORS FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM CUBA AND GUATEMALA Havana, January 29(RHC)-- Dignity Park was inaugurated on Thursday at the site of the Cuban Association of the United Nations in Havana. The park pays tribute to those who have defended the independence and sovereignty of the peoples in the diplomatic field. During the inauguration ceremony, busts of the late Cuban Foreign Minister Raul Roa as well as Guatemalan Foreign Minister Guillermo Toriello were unveiled. Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina, who attended the event, said that Roa and Toriello "were both symbols of internationalism, patriotism and the defense of the dignity of Our America." Robaina pointed out that the seeds planted by Raul Roa and Guillermo Toriello are sprouting in Guatemala, where several Cuban medical brigades are offering their services free-of- charge to the victims of Hurricane Mitch. For his part, the Guatemalan Ambassador to Cuba, Willy Kalshmit, thanked the participants in the name of the distinguished, late foreign ministers and recalled the profound feelings that Guillermo Toriello had towards Cuba, "where he found his freedom." [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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