Radio Havana Cuba, Monday, March 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 Monday, March 22, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- TRABAJADORES DEMANDS AN END TO TERRORISM AGAINST CUBA 2.- HAVANA LIBRE HOTEL CELEBRATES 41st ANNIVERSARY 3.- CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY WINDS UP SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS OF DON QUIJOTE 4.- RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS THE ISLAND 5.- CUBAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS COLOMBIA TRABAJADORES DEMANDS AN END TO TERRORISM AGAINST CUBA Havana, March 22(RHC)-- The recent trials held in Havana of two Salvadoran terrorists "are an example that the enemies of the Cuban Revolution intended to not only kill innocent people, but to destroy the spiritual treasures of the Cuban people," according to an editorial in Monday's edition of the newspaper Trabajadores. Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon and Otto Rene Rodriguez Llerena admitted that in addition to placing the bombs in Havana hotels, they were also planning to place explosives in the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial in the central city of Santa Clara, Havana's Museum of the Revolution as well as the Antonio Maceo Plaza in eastern Santiago de Cuba. Monday's editorial pointed out that the terrorist actions were "inspired and financed by the criminal, ultra-right wing Cuban-American National Foundation." The very existence of this so-called "Foundation" would not be possible without the support of the most reactionary and fascist sectors in the United States, opposed to the normalization of relations between Washington and Havana. According to today's Trabajadores weekly, members of the Foundation are "willing to even violate U.S. laws to destroy life and property in another country." Characterizing attempts to destroy important monuments as "criminal and desperate," the editorial in Trabajadores reiterates that "the Cuban people have the moral strength to demand an end to terrorism against their country and other similar actions that are committed against humanity." HAVANA LIBRE HOTEL CELEBRATES 41st ANNIVERSARY Havana, March 22(RHC)-- Cuba's well-known Havana Libre Hotel celebrated its 41st anniversary over the weekend with a news conference and reception for the island's journalists specializing in tourism. The legendary 25-story facility, located on 23rd Street in the heart of downtown Havana, is currently being run by Spain's Tryp Hotels group. At the news conference, hotel director Roberto Ferrari said that after recent renovation work, the Havana Libre Tryp facility has consolidated its position among competitors in Havana, reviving the area where it is located. Over the past two years, the hotel has achieved very positive economic results including revenues amounting to 10 million dollars in 1997 and 18 million in 1998. Ferrari added that this year, the Habana Libre Tryp is planning to make 20 million dollars. According to the hotel's director, the facility is working hard to promote congress tourism and over the next two years, the Habana Libre will become one of the leading hotels for congresses in the Cuban capital due to its strategic location and its excellent conference halls and rooms. Fifteen percent of its operations classify in this category. Ferrari noted that new markets are emerging for the hotel, including Scandinavian countries like Sweden. He added that during the first months of this year, the United States ranked fifth among its main markets. To celebrate the advent of the year 2000, the Havana Libre Tryp Hotel is preparing a host of special activities that will be announced shortly. CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY WINDS UP SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS OF DON QUIJOTE Havana, March 22(RHC)-- Almost without time to unpack after a tour of the United States, the Cuban National Ballet company wound up a series of presentations of Don Quijote in Havana on Sunday, with a function that included dancers Viensay Valdez and Reineris Reyes in the main roles. The other presentations held over the weekend and the weekend before last included ballerinas Anissa Curbelo, Falina Alvarez, Alhaydee Carreno and Laura Homigon in the role of Kitri and dancers Vladimir Alvarez and Jorge Vega in the role of Basilio, the town's barber. The ballet company has just returned from a very successful tour of the United States where it received excellent reviews. The ballet Don Quijote was premiered on December 26th, 1869 at Moscow's Bolshoi Theater, inspired by an episode of the novel Don Quijote by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The Cuban version was presented for the first time at Havana's Grand Theater on July 6th, 1988 and forms part of the Cuban National Ballet company's main classical ballets. RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS THE ISLAND Havana, March 22(RHC)-- A Russian delegation headed by the President of the Lower House of Parliament, known as the Duma, Vitali Sevastianov, visited the Cuban National Assembly on Monday. The Russian parliamentary delegation, which is visiting the island at the invitation of Cuba's National Assembly, met with the President of the Parliament's International Relations Commission, Jorge Lezcano, and with Deputy Foreign Minister Isabel Allende. CUBAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS COLOMBIA Bogota, March 22(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, is currently in Colombia on an official visit. Before his departure from Havana, Alarcon told journalists that the Cuban delegation he is leading will meet with Colombian government officials and representatives of the Senate. He added that the objective of the trip is to strengthen ties between the parliaments of Cuba 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-15714 1999-Mar-22 18:42:43