Radio Havana Cuba, Thursday, July 22, 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 Thursday, July 22, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- HONDURAN CONGRESS URGES OPENING OF INTERESTS SECTION IN HAVANA 2.- HAITIAN PRESIDENT PRAISES CUBAN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE 3.- VENCEREMOS BRIGADE PRESENTED WITH AWARD COMMEMORATING 60th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBAN WORKERS' CONFEDERATION 4.- OVER 500 MEDICAL STUDENTS GRADUATE IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA 5.- U.S. AUTHORITIES RETURN GROUP OF ILLEGAL CUBAN IMMIGRANTS 6.- THIRD MEXICO-CENTRAL AMERICA-CARIBBEAN REGIONAL MEETING OPENS IN HAVANA 7.- JULY 26th PHOTO EXHIBIT INAUGURATED IN HAVANA HONDURAN CONGRESS URGES OPENING OF INTERESTS SECTION IN HAVANA Tegucigalpa, July 22(RHC)-- The Honduran Congress has called on President Carlos Flores to open an interests section in Cuba. An overwhelming majority of the legislature's 128 deputies approved a resolution that calls on the Honduran president to open the diplomatic office in Havana. Cuba opened its interest section in Tegucigalpa in 1997. According to Fernando Martinez, the sponsor of the resolution, Tegucigalpa should go even further to strengthen its relations with Cuba, which has sent more than 100 doctors and medical professionals to Honduras to treat those affected by Hurricane Mitch, devastating the Central American country last October. Martinez, who is also the country's former foreign minister, recalled that there are nearly 300 Honduran young people studying medicine on the island, recipients of a special scholarship provided by the Cuban government. Recently, the Honduran Minister of Tourism, Norman Garcia, called for the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations with Cuba. Garcia said that he sees no reason why Honduras cannot go beyond setting up an interests section, which provides offices for diplomatic personnel but without full diplomatic recognition. HAITIAN PRESIDENT PRAISES CUBAN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Port-au-Prince, July 22(RHC)-- Haitian President Rene Preval has affirmed that the medical assistance being provided by Cuba to his country would not be possible had it not been for the historic attack on the Moncada Garrison on July 26th, 1953 and the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1st, 1959. On Wednesday, the Haitian president visited the residence where Cuban physicians stay in the capital, Port-au-Prince. He praised the work of the Cuban doctors and medical professionals, recalling that Cuba recently agreed to double the number of doctors working in his country. The Haitian president said that over the past seven months, 82,200 patients have been treated free-of-charge by the Cuban medical brigades, many in remote regions where doctors were previously unknown. VENCEREMOS BRIGADE PRESENTED WITH AWARD COMMEMORATING 60th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBAN WORKERS' CONFEDERATION Havana, July 22(RHC)-- The General Secretary of the Cuban Workers' Confederation, Pedro Ross Leal, presented the Venceremos Brigade with an award commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Cuban trade union organization. The ceremony, held at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp, was attended by the Vice President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Ricardo Rodriguez, as well as nearly 150 members of the 30th Contingent of the Venceremos Brigade. The general secretary of the Cuban Workers' Confederation spoke about issues related to the trade union organization, which groups over three million workers representing the island's labor force. The brigadistas were interested in learning about the protection of workers' rights in Cuba, as well as steps taken by the international labor movement to face challenges resulting from neo-liberal globalization. The 30th Contingent of the Venceremos Brigade arrived in Cuba on Sunday to carry out voluntary work in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution. During their stay on the Caribbean island, the brigadistas will also attend July 26th activities in Matanzas and Cienfuegos, as well as visit places of historic and social interest. OVER 500 MEDICAL STUDENTS GRADUATE IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA Santiago de Cuba, July 22(RHC)-- Over 500 health professionals have received their university degrees from the Institute of Medical Sciences, located in eastern Santiago de Cuba province. Graduates include 228 doctors, 261 nurses, and 20 dentists. The group also includes 15 youth from Angola, Ethiopia and Sudan who studied in Cuba. Their scholarships were granted by the Cuban government as part of a program to help improve health care services in Third World nations. U.S. AUTHORITIES RETURN GROUP OF ILLEGAL CUBAN IMMIGRANTS Havana, July 22(RHC)-- Another group of illegal Cuban immigrants was returned to the island on Wednesday -- the 140th such operation since the signing of the Havana-Washington Migratory Accords on May 2nd, 1995. The group of undocumented immigrants, made up of 13 people including three children, was picked up at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard while trying to reach U.S territory. This latest operation brings the number of illegal immigrants returned to Cuba since 1995 to 2301. Thirty-five have been returned this week. Cuban authorities have reiterated that they will make every effort to prevent illegal departures from the island. THIRD MEXICO-CENTRAL AMERICA-CARIBBEAN REGIONAL MEETING OPENS IN HAVANA Havana, July 22(RHC)-- The Third Mexico-Central America-Caribbean Regional Meeting opened Thursday in the Cuban capital. More than 40 computer experts from 27 nations, as well as specialists from Canada and the United States, will discuss issues related to Y2K, as well as setting up contingency plans to counteract its damaging effects in areas like health, telecommunications and public administration. Melchor Gil Morell, from the Cuban Computers Industry, told reporters that Mexico has the largest delegation to this encounter, which is held every other month. The Cuban official said that the Caribbean island will be among the least-affected countries, since authorities are adopting and will continue to adopt any necessary measures to protect the island's basic social and economic sectors from the negative effects of the Y2K phenomenon. JULY 26th PHOTO EXHIBIT INAUGURATED IN HAVANA Havana, July 22(RHC)-- A photo exhibit commemorating the 46th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Garrison was inaugurated Thursday at Havana's Abel Santamaria House-Museum. Abel Santamaria was one of the principal leaders of the revolutionary movement and took part in the historic attack 46 years ago on the military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. He was captured, tortured and brutally murdered by the Batista dictatorship. Attending the inauguration of the photo exhibit was Cuban heroine Melba Hernandez and other survivors of the attack on July 26th, 1953 -- the action that ignited the spark of the Cuban Revolution. [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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