Radio Havana Cuba, 9 March 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 Forwarded message: From nyt@aries.blythe.org Sat Mar 13 02:13:41 1999 From: nyt@aries.blythe.org Message-Id: <199903130709.CAA00660@aries.blythe.org> Subject: Radio Havana Cuba, 9 March 1999 To: nyt@blythe.org Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 02:09:45 -0500 (EST) Content-Type: text The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, March 9, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF GRENADA KEITH MITCHELL 2.- TRIAL CONTINUES AGAINST SALVADORAN CHARGED WITH SIX COUNTS OF TERRORISM 3.- MONUMENT INAUGURATED TO HONOR LEGENDARY GUERRILLA COMMANDER CAMILO CIENFUEGOS 4.- CUBA RETURNS MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS 5.- IRAQI LAWMAKERS VISIT THE ISLAND 6.- CUBA TAKES ITS PLACE AT INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR IN GERMANY 7.- NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT TV PROGRAM GOES ON THE AIR 8.- NEW VATICAN REPRESENTATIVE IN HAVANA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF GRENADA KEITH MITCHELL Havana, March 9(RHC)-- The visiting Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell, was officially received Tuesday by Cuban President Fidel Castro in a ceremony at the Cuban capital's Palace of the Revolution. The Grenadian and Cuban leaders subsequently began official talks aimed at further enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two Caribbean nations. Prime Minister Mitchell is at the head of a high-ranking delegation, including members of his cabinet, that will be in Cuba until Sunday. The Grenadian prime minister first visited Cuba in April 1997 -- a visit that was reciprocated by Fidel Castro in August 1998 as part of a Caribbean tour that also took the Cuban leader to Jamaica and Barbados. TRIAL CONTINUES AGAINST SALVADORAN CHARGED WITH SIX COUNTS OF TERRORISM Havana, March 9(RHC)-- The trial against a Salvadoran charged with six counts of terrorism went into its second day on Tuesday in the Cuban capital. During the first day of trial proceedings against Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, the accused admitted his responsibility in carrying out the bomb attacks in the Cuban capital in 1997. Cruz Leon pleaded guilty to placing bombs in Havana hotels and tourist facilities, resulting in the death of an Italian tourist and the wounding of 11 people -- four Cubans, four Mexicans, two Chileans and one Jamaican. Cuban television broadcast the testimony of Cruz Leon on Monday evening, including questioning by Cuba's Deputy Attorney General, Rafael Pino Becker. The prosecution is asking for the death penalty for the accused terrorist, who stated that he placed the bombs because he needed the money. During Monday's questioning, Cruz Leon told the court that he was recruited in El Salvador by Francisco Antonio Chavez Abarca, who paid him 3000 dollars for each bomb placed in Havana hotels and restaurants. Cuban authorities believe that Chavez Abarca is an intermediary for the Miami-based Cuban-American National Foundation. The accused admitted setting the explosives to go off at the National and Capri hotels on July 12, 1997, returning to El Salvador following his terrorist actions. In late August of that year, Cruz Leon returned to Cuba to set off explosives at the Triton, Copacabana and Chateau Miramar hotels, as well as the Bodeguita del Medio, a popular restaurant in Old Havana. Admitting his responsibility and asking forgiveness for killing and wounding innocent people in the bombings, the accused said he carried out his terrorist actions for purely economic reasons. During the second day in court on Tuesday, Cuban physicians testified that Cruz Leon was mentally fit and appeared to be aware of his actions. Doctors who performed the autopsy on the body of Fabio Di Chelmo, the Italian tourist killed in the explosion at the Copacabana hotel in September 1997, testified that the victim died as a result of metal fragments which pierced his neck. Prosecuting attorney Rafael Pino Becker pointed out that at the time Cruz Leon placed one of the bombs at the Capri hotel in July 1997, there were a number of people in the hotel's lobby and more than 100 children attending a party in an adjoining meeting room. The trial of Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon is being attended by national and international press and is expected to take several days. Cuban judicial authorities say they plan to call some 40 witnesses. MONUMENT INAUGURATED TO HONOR LEGENDARY GUERRILLA COMMANDER CAMILO CIENFUEGOS Sancti Spiritus, March 9(RHC)-- A monument in honor of legendary guerrilla commander Camilo Cienfuegos was inaugurated in Yaguajay, located in the western Cuban province of Sancti Spiritus. The monument -- an image of Camilo made from stone, flagstone and cement -- is the work of renowned Cuban architect Alexis Calzadilla and artist Angel Miguel Martinez. The monument was inaugurated in the same place where, in December 1958, Rebel Army forces under the command of Camilo -- fondly called "Senor de la Vanguardia" -- began the battle to liberate Yaguajay. The inauguration ceremony was headed by Juan Antonio Diaz, member of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee and First Secretary of the Party in Sancti Spiritus, and was attended by provincial authorities as well as the people of Yaguajay and former comrades-in-arms of Camilo Cienfuegos. CUBA RETURNS MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS Havana, March 9(RHC)-- More than 100 Haitian immigrants were returned on Monday from Guantanamo to Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. The group of immigrants -- made up of 108 men, 25 women and one child -- were picked up by the Cuban Coast Guard a few weeks ago, off the eastern shores of the island. The immigrants were then housed at a center for refugees located in Punta de Maisi, Guantanamo. The Cuban government and Red Cross covered the expenses of the return trip to Haiti. IRAQI LAWMAKERS VISIT THE ISLAND Havana, March 9(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas met with Sadoom Hammadi, President of the Iraqi National Assembly on Monday. The Iraqi dignitary arrived in Havana on Sunday at the head of a delegation of lawmakers from the Arab nation. The meeting centered around bilateral economic and trade relations between Iraq and Cuba. During the encounter, the Cuban minister of foreign trade reiterated the island's decision to continue exporting medicines and other basic goods to Baghdad, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed by the United Nations and Iraq. The president of the Iraqi National Assembly also met with his Cuban counterpart, Ricardo Alarcon, with whom he signed a protocol of bilateral cooperation. The visit to the island of the Iraqi parliamentary delegation coincides with the arrival of the Iraq's new Ambassador to Cuba, Mohammed M. K. Al-Amili. CUBA TAKES ITS PLACE AT INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR IN GERMANY Berlin, March 9(RHC)-- Tourism was the main earner of foreign currency during 1998 in Cuba, bringing in a total of two billion dollars, according to Cuba's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Eduardo Rodriguez, who is in Germany to attend the Berlin International Tourism Fair. The high-ranking Cuban official pointed out that in 1998, the island welcomed a record number of one million 400,000 foreign visitors. During the fair in Berlin, it was revealed that by the next millennium, the Caribbean will be one of the world's regions with important tourism growth -- where Cuba and the Dominican Republic will be the favorite tourist destinations. NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT TV PROGRAM GOES ON THE AIR Havana, March 9(RHC)-- The launching on Monday of a morning news and entertainment TV program called "Buenos Dias" or "Good Morning" is another important step towards the recovery of the Cuban media, seriously affected during the 1990s by an acute lack of resources. The new program -- aired two hours daily -- is designed to provide news and information for the early morning TV audience and includes interviews, cultural news and up-to-date weather reports. In related news, beginning this Saturday, the 13th, the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde -- which has been a weekly publication -- will appear on the news stands five days a week. The Cuban government recently announced that more resources would be earmarked to increase the editions of national newspapers. This Saturday, the 7th Congress of the Cuban Journalists Union, the UPC, gets underway in Havana. NEW VATICAN REPRESENTATIVE IN HAVANA Havana, March 9(RHC)-- The Vatican's new Ambassador to Cuba, Mexican Bishop Luis Robles Diaz has expressed his hope to maintain good relations with the Cuban government. Monsignor Diaz, who arrived in Havana to replace Italian Beniamino Stela, has also served as the Vatican's ambassador to Honduras, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Ecuador and Colombia. [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-16128 1999-Mar-13 02:20:23