Radio Havana Cuba, Monday, July 12, 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 Monday, July 12, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- HAVANA ACCUSES WASHINGTON OF 1961 MERCENARY BAY OF PIGS INVASION DURING ON-GOING TRIAL FOR 40 YEARS OF AGGRESSIONS 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO VENEZUELA 3.- U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION TO VISIT CUBA 4.- IRANIAN FIRST VICE PRESIDENT ENDS OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA 5.- GENERAL SECRETARY OF VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST PARTY TOURS SANTIAGO DE CUBA 6.- DIRECTOR OF THE VOICE OF VIETNAM VISITS RADIO HAVANA CUBA 7.- CUBAN DOCTORS IN GUATEMALA TREAT VICTIMS OF SUNDAY'S EARTHQUAKE 8.- REMAINS OF SEVEN CUBAN AND BOLIVIAN INTERNATIONALISTS WILL SOON BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MEMORIAL HAVANA ACCUSES WASHINGTON OF 1961 MERCENARY BAY OF PIGS INVASION DURING ON-GOING TRIAL FOR 40 YEARS OF AGGRESSIONS Havana, July 12(RHC)-- Cuban labor and grassroots organizations have accused Washington of the 1961 mercenary Bay of Pigs invasion in the second week of a trial against the U.S. government for 40 years of aggressions against the island. The invasion resulted in 176 Cubans killed and 300 wounded -- 50 of them permanently disabled. During the first week of court proceedings, attorneys for the plaintiffs presented abundant evidence and witnesses concerning the U.S.-supported counterrevolutionary bandits that operated in Cuba's Escambray Mountains between 1960 and 1965. Some 90 former combatants, victims and family members of victims provided testimony, while attorneys presented evidence that includes recently declassified CIA documents. An editorial in the Monday edition of the Cuban newspaper Trabajadores pointed out that the lawsuit against the U.S. government for the deaths of 3478 Cubans and the disabling of another 2099 has "refreshed the nation's collective memory concerning Washington's efforts to destroy the Cuban Revolution over the past 40 years." CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO VENEZUELA Caracas, July 12(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque arrived in Caracas Sunday evening to begin a two-day official visit to Venezuela. Upon his arrival, Cuba's top diplomat stated that it is no coincidence that his first official visit as Cuba's foreign minister is to Venezuela. He said his first trip abroad is aimed at highlighting the importance that Havana attributes to the government of President Hugo Chavez, whose program of social justice is greatly admired in Cuba. The Cuban foreign minister also praised Venezuela's defense of the Third World at the recent Rio Summit, gathering leaders of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union. Perez Roque's official activities began Monday morning with the placing of a floral wreath at the monument to Latin American independence hero Simon Bolivar. He later inaugurated, together with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jose Vicente Rangel, the first bilateral mixed commission gathering aimed at seeking ways to increase bilateral cooperation. Venezuela provides Cuba with oil through international intermediaries and maintains a favorable 359 million dollar trade balance with Cuba, while Havana's exports to Venezuela only represent some two million dollars. Foreign Minister Perez Roque will reportedly seek agreements allowing Cuba to export pharmaceutical products and medical equipment to Venezuela. In a jam-packed agenda, the Cuban foreign minister will also be received by President Hugo Chavez and will gather with Venezuelan legislators, business leaders, solidarity activists and members of the Cuban community residing in that Latin American nation. President Chavez recently proposed that Cuba and the entire Caribbean take part in the San Jose Pact, by which Venezuela and Mexico provide Central America with oil at preferential prices. Wednesday morning, the Cuban foreign minister is scheduled to travel to Panama. U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION TO VISIT CUBA Havana, July 12(RHC)-- Washington has given a green light for a visit to Cuba by the United States Chamber of Commerce. While the White House rushed to assure that the authorization does not represent an easing of the blockade against Cuba, the delegation will be headed by an individual who in recent months has strongly come out against that anti-Cuba measure and all of Washington's unilateral sanctions. The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donahue, represents some three million business and professional organizations in the United States. The delegation -- the first of its kind to visit Cuba since the triumph of the revolution -- will reportedly visit the University of Havana, Cuba's Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Center and the medical research center Finlay Institute. The visit comes as an increasing number of U.S. business representatives are demanding that Washington allow them to conduct normal business with Cuba. IRANIAN FIRST VICE PRESIDENT ENDS OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA Havana, July 12(RHC)-- Iran's First Vice President, Hassan Habibi, met with his Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage before winding up a two-day official visit to the island. During his stay in Cuba, the Iranian leader also met with President Fidel Castro and discussed bilateral issues. In statements to journalists, the Cuban vice president characterized the first high-ranking visit from Iran as extremely important, emphasizing that Iran and Cuba maintain important cooperation relations in the pharmaceutical industry as well as commercial and economic sectors. During the Iranian delegation's visit to the island, both sides signed important bilateral accords. GENERAL SECRETARY OF VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST PARTY TOURS SANTIAGO DE CUBA Santiago de Cuba, July 12(RHC)-- The General Secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party Le Kha Phieu thanked the Cuban people for their solidarity and respect shown towards his country -- pointing out that relations between Vietnam and Cuba are at their highest level. The Vietnamese leader took part in the inauguration of a cigar factory in eastern Santiago de Cuba on Sunday. Authorities hope the factory will be able produce more than 14 million cigars for export. The head of Vietnam's Communist Party also placed a floral wreath at the Jose Marti Monument at Santa Efigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. He also visited economic and social places of interest. DIRECTOR OF THE VOICE OF VIETNAM VISITS RADIO HAVANA CUBA Havana, July 12(RHC)-- The General Director of the Voice of Vietnam, Tran Mai Hanh, visited Radio Havana Cuba on Monday. He expressed his appreciation to the Cuban people and the workers of the island's shortwave radio station for supporting Vietnam during the U.S. war of aggression. Tran Mai Hanh is visiting Cuba as part of a delegation headed by the general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party. During a brief but warm ceremony, the director of Radio Havana Cuba, Milagro Hernandez Cuba, welcomed Tran Mai Hanh, who is also a member of the Central Committee of Vietnam's Communist Party. While the workers of Radio Havana Cuba gathered to talk with the director of the Voice of Vietnam, the Union of Cuban Journalists awarded him with the Felix Elmuza Medal. Tran Mai Hanh also served as a war correspondent during Washington's war of aggression against the Asian nation. CUBAN DOCTORS IN GUATEMALA TREAT VICTIMS OF SUNDAY'S EARTHQUAKE Guatemala, July 12(RHC)-- Members of the Cuban medical brigade offering their services in Guatemala were not injured by an earthquake which struck the Central American country on Sunday. The tremor, which registered nearly six on the Richter scale, injured at least 30 people and caused severe damage in the country's northeastern region. Tremors were reportedly felt in neighboring Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua and even areas of Mexico. A total of 22 Cubans are located in the Guatemalan department of Izabel, including a medical brigade, teachers and sports personnel as well as the crew of the Tamar 13 ship. The Cuban medical personnel in Guatemala are currently treating victims of Sunday's earthquake. Journalists from the area report heavy damage to more than 20 homes as well as blocked roads, power outages and disruptions to telephone service. REMAINS OF SEVEN CUBAN AND BOLIVIAN INTERNATIONALISTS WILL SOON BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA MEMORIAL Havana, July 12(RHC)-- The remains of seven Cuban and Bolivian internationalists who fought with Ernesto Che Guevara during the 1960's in Bolivia will soon be laid to rest at the memorial bearing the name of the Cuban-Argentinean revolutionary leader. The skeletal remains of the internationalist fighters were found in a common grave near Valle Grande, Bolivia last month by Cuban scientists and flown to Havana on Saturday. [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-31360 1999-Jul-12 22:59:58