Radio Havana Cuba, Friday, June 11, 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 Friday, June 11, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA DENOUNCES U.S.-LED NATO WAR OF AGGRESSION AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA 2.- FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES FRIDAY 3.- INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT WINDS UP IN THE CENTRAL CITY OF SANTA CLARA 4.- CUBAN MOVEMENT FOR PEACE AND SOVEREIGNTY SUPPORTS CUBA'S CHARGES AGAINST THE U.S. GOVERNMENT 5.- RENOWNED SCIENTISTS VISIT HAVANA'S PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL 6.- VENEZUELA STUDIES POSSIBILITY OF OIL EXPLORATION IN CUBA CUBA DENOUNCES U.S.-LED NATO WAR OF AGGRESSION AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA Havana, June 11(RHC)-- Cuba has reiterated its denunciation of the U.S.-led NATO war against Yugoslavia, calling it premeditated genocide. Speaking before the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba's Permanent Ambassador before the world body, defined genocide as the systematic action aimed at depriving a defenseless population of its means of subsistence. Rodriguez insisted that innocent civilians cannot be bombarded in the name of human rights, that an entire people cannot be murdered in the name of international law, and that the exodus of refugees cannot be avoided with war. He lashed out at the Security Council for its silence on the aggression prior to yesterday's meeting. He stated that the document approved by the Security Council to send in a so-called peace-keeping force -- in his words -- "will not change reality when the true history is written: that this was, and still is, an invasion by the United States and NATO of a sovereign European nation." Cuba's UN ambassador said that neither the former European colonial powers nor the country that launched the war against Vietnam can pretend to teach lessons to others. He accused the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of acting as the world's policemen -- totally ignoring the UN Charter and international law. Rodriguez said that after 78 days of bombings, it was obvious that Washington and NATO were not looking for a political solution in Kosovo, but the consolidation of a new mechanism of world power. The Cuban representative to the United Nations referred to the incalculable damage the war of aggression has caused on the environment and the mass exodus of refugees due to the constant airstrikes, despite the fact that Washington and Brussels claimed that the air campaign was designed to stop the flow of refugees. Offering numerous examples of past crimes committed by the U.S. and its allies, Bruno Rodriguez mentioned Washington's support of the South African apartheid regime, U.S. military and political support of Latin American dictatorships, atrocities carried out in Southeast Asia, crimes committed against the Palestinian and Arab peoples and more than 11 million African refugees from conflicts promoted or aided by Washington. Rodriguez asked how could Washington and NATO explain a continuation of the bombardments after Yugoslavia's acceptance of a peace plan. He said the continuation of the airstrikes was militarily unnecessary, ethically unacceptable and, from a humanistic point of view, criminal. Cuba's UN ambassador reiterated Havana's offer to send 1000 doctors to treat Kosovar refugees, before or after they return to their homes. FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES FRIDAY Havana, June 11(RHC)-- Iberoamerican integration and the protection of national identity were the closing debates of the nine working commissions during the First International Congress on Culture and Development, which concludes Friday at Havana's International Convention Center. Over 600 delegates from some 40 countries took part in the event, discussing cultural development from an ethical perspective. Among some of the speakers during the last session of the Congress was Havana's Historian Eusebio Leal, Colombian theater expert Patricia Ariza and Chilean writer Volodia Teitelboim. Parallel to this important Congress, the Third Culture Minister's Meeting of Iberoamerica is taking place in Havana as part of the preparations for the 9th Iberoamerican Summit to be held next November in the Cuban capital. According to the official program, this closed-door ministerial meeting will adopt a message to be sent to the Iberoamerican heads of State or governments. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT WINDS UP IN THE CENTRAL CITY OF SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, June 11(RHC)-- The International Scientific Conference on the Environment in the 21st Century has wound up in the central city of Santa Clara with the participation of over 100 specialists from 18 countries. The three-day meeting at the Central University of Las Villas allowed researches, academics and other specialists related to the environment to exchange ideas on this extremely important issue for humanity. One of the participants at the conference on the environment, British expert Judith Charnet, discussed globalization and sustainability among the developed and underdeveloped nations and the need to find solutions to environmental problems. CUBAN MOVEMENT FOR PEACE AND SOVEREIGNTY SUPPORTS CUBA'S CHARGES AGAINST THE U.S. GOVERNMENT Havana, June 11(RHC)-- The Cuban Movement for Peace and Sovereignty with the Peoples issued a declaration urging all peace organizations and renowned personalities to support the charges presented by Cuba against the U.S. government for 40 years of attacks and aggressions. The declaration states that all peace-loving people should support such a just accusation, calling for an end to the unjust U.S. blockade against Cuba. RENOWNED SCIENTISTS VISIT HAVANA'S PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL Havana, June 11(RHC)-- World-renowned scientists Dr. Oscar Shoeder and Dr. Carmen Selva visited Havana's Psychiatric Hospital on Thursday. Dr. Shoeder, former President of the United Nation's International Drug Control Board and Dr. Selva, the current President of that board, were welcomed by the Director of the Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Bernabe Ordaz. Speaking with journalists in the Cuban capital, both doctors stated that they have visited many psychiatric hospitals in the world, but none have such excellent treatment programs as the one in Havana. The scientists had special words of praise for the hospital's musical group, which is composed of the patients themselves as part of the occupational therapy program. Doctors Shoeder and Selva congratulated the hospital's director for such achievements. For his part, the Director of Havana's Psychiatric Hospital, Bernabe Ordaz, said he has lived and will always live for the patients and praised the commitment of the Cuban Revolution, the country's Health Ministry and the extraordinary efforts of all the hospital's workers. VENEZUELA STUDIES POSSIBILITY OF OIL EXPLORATION IN CUBA Caracas, June 11(RHC)-- Venezuela is studying the possibility of exploring and refining crude oil in Cuba, according to that country's Foreign Minister, Vicente Rangel. The Venezuelan official affirmed that future oil projects are part of the country's foreign policy, aimed at increased trade and commercial integration. Venezuela's Energy and Mines Minister Ali Rodriguez confirmed last week that Caracas and Havana are also discussing plans for Cuba to obtain oil under the San Jose Pact -- a joint agreement between Venezuela and Mexico to supply oil to Central America and Caribbean countries at special prices. Venezuela's foreign minister recalled that there are Canadian and European oil companies already working in Cuba and that Caracas believes that now is the perfect time to get involved in oil exploration on 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. 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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