Radio Havana Cuba, Thursday, March 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 Thursday, March 11, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- TESTIMONY IN TRIAL AGAINST SALVADORAN TERRORIST IMPLICATES CUBAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION 2.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO OFFICIALLY RECEIVES VISITING PRESIDENT OF NIGER IBRAHIM MAINASSARA BARE 3.- PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT EXPLAINS NEW LAW 4.- ITALY AND CUBA SET UP NEW JOINT VENTURE 5.- IRAQI PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA 6.- CANADIANS INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS ON THE ISLAND 7.- GUATEMALA-CUBA MIXED COMMISSION MEETING SUCCESSFUL TESTIMONY IN TRIAL AGAINST SALVADORAN TERRORIST IMPLICATES MIAMI-BASED CUBAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION Havana, March 11(RHC)-- During the trial against Salvadoran Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, accused of terrorism, a Guatemalan citizen has testified that the Miami-based, Cuban-American National Foundation was directly involved in the series of bomb attacks against tourist facilities in the Cuban capital in 1997. Percy Francisco Alvarado Godoy testified that as an undercover agent for Cuban State Security, he infiltrated the Foundation in November 1993. He was recruited by a secret military wing of the Cuban-American National Foundation and was known as "Agent 44." His testimony implicated Francisco Jose Hernandez Calvo, a leader of the ultra-right wing organization, along with Luis Posada Carriles, Francisco Chavez Abarca, Horacio Garcia, Arnaldo Monzon, Luis Suniga, Alfredo Domingo and Gaspar Jimenez -- with whom he maintained contacts. The Cuban double agent, who has lived on the island since 1960, said that Arnoldo Monzon, a resident in the U.S. state of New Jersey, offered him a large sum of money to place bombs at Havana's Tropicana Cabaret and a hotel at Varadero Beach. Alvarado Godoy said the counterrevolutionary organization hoped to spread panic among tourists and create the impression that the terrorist actions were being carried out by members of the Cuban Armed Forces and Interior Ministry opposed to the revolution. The witness also spoke of the obsession within Miami's right-wing community to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro. Another Guatemalan, arrested last year while attempting to smuggle explosives into Havana, also pointed to the Cuban- American National Foundation. Maria Elena Gonzalez Meza said she was hired by Francisco Chavez Abarca, the same individual who hired the Salvadoran citizen currently on trial. She said Chavez Abarca maintained close ties with Arnaldo Monzon. The prosecution has also entered into evidence a New York Times interview with well-known terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, in which he admitted that the Cuban-American National Foundation gave him money to help organize terrorist actions inside Cuba. CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO OFFICIALLY RECEIVES VISITING PRESIDENT OF NIGER IBRAHIM MAINASSARA BARE Havana, March 11(RHC)-- The President of Niger, Ibrahim Mainassara Bare, was officially received today by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Following the welcoming ceremony, the two leaders began official talks, with bilateral cooperation in health, education and agriculture topping the agenda. Niger is the poorest nation in West Africa and has one of the lowest standards of living in the world, despite being the fourth largest producer of uranium. Niger also has phosphate, tin and iron, but due to the country's arid lands, its nine million citizens have not been able to adequately develop agriculture. Internal ethnic disputes, successive military coups and pressures from international lending agencies have also complicated the country's socio-economic scenario. Cuba and Niger established diplomatic relations in 1976, but the two countries did not sign their first cooperation agreement until 1997. Twenty-one students from Niger have graduated from Cuban universities, but cooperation between the two countries is expected to significantly increase with the visit of President Ibrahim Mainassara Bare. PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT EXPLAINS NEW LAW Havana, March 11(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon has sent letters to several other nations' legislative bodies, explaining the terms of Cuba's new Law for the Protection of National Independence and the Cuban Economy. In the letters, Alarcon points out that the new law -- approved this past February -- is aimed at preserving Cuba's national sovereignty, as well as protecting the island and other countries from constant U.S. aggressions. The president of Cuba's Parliament also stated that prior to the approval of this new law, the island passed the Reaffirmation of Cuba's Dignity and Sovereignty Law, which constitutes an adequate legal response against those who help implement Washington's anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law, by providing the U.S. government with information from the island. The extraterritorial U.S. legislation -- aimed at tightening Washington's almost 40 year blockade against Havana -- attempts to punish foreign companies doing business in Cuba. ITALY AND CUBA SET UP NEW JOINT VENTURE Camaguey, March 11(RHC)-- The Italian hotel group Cascina and Cuba's Cubanacan Company have set up a joint venture to build a new four-star hotel at a beach resort on the northern coast of central Camaguey province. Marcos Bucarelli, President of the Cascina hotel group, told Cuban journalists that 18 million dollars will be earmarked for the construction of the 400 room, Gran Hotel de Santa Lucia. Cascina is currently operating Cubanacan's hotel Santa Lucia Club, in accordance with a trade and management contract signed with the Cuban company. The Italian hotel group has already begun negotiations with Cuban authorities to invest in other areas, such as the energy sector and the food industry. IRAQI PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, March 11(RHC)-- The Iraqi parliamentary delegation headed by the President of the Iraqi National Assembly, Sadoom Hammati, wrapped up an official visit to Cuba on Thursday. The Iraqi delegation arrived in Havana on Sunday at the invitation of the Cuban parliament. The aim of the visit was to enhance bilateral economic and trade relations between Cuba and Iraq. During their stay on the island, the visitors met with high-ranking Cuban government officials and toured several centers of economic, scientific and historic interest. On Wednesday, the Iraqi parliamentary delegation visited Havana's Frank Pais scientific research center, where they were received by its director, Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez Cambras. The visitors were informed that 85 percent of the orthopedic needs of the country are produced at the center, where foreign patients are also treated. The center provides medical services free-of-charge to foreigners who could not otherwise afford that kind of treatment in their own countries. Shortly before returning to Iraq on Thursday, the delegation visited Havana's Molecular Immunology Research Center. CANADIANS INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS ON THE ISLAND Havana, March 11(RHC)-- Canada's Ambassador to Cuba, Keith Christie, told reporters in Havana that there is an ever- growing number of Canadian companies interested in doing business on the island. Responding to questions concerning the recently approved Law for the Protection of Cuba's National Independence and the Cuban Economy, the Canadian diplomat defended the current state of bilateral relations between Cuba and Canada, which he termed as "very constructive and mutually beneficial." The Canadian diplomat praised the Cuban Revolution's achievements in areas like education and health, as well as the role played by Cuba to aid Central American nations in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch last September. GUATEMALA-CUBA MIXED COMMISSION MEETING SUCCESSFUL Guatemala City, March 11(RHC)-- Cuba's Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Raul Taladrid, stated that the results of the first meeting of the Mixed Commission on Development Cooperation between Cuba and Guatemala were very positive. The high-ranking Cuban official stated that the encounter -- held Tuesday in Guatemala City -- constitutes a new, important step towards the enhancing of bilateral ties between Guatemala and Cuba. During the session, representatives of both countries examined bilateral cooperation in the area of health. There are currently a number of Cuban medical teams in Guatemala, offering their services to victims of Hurricane Mitch. The meeting also set up the basis to develop bilateral cooperation in the areas of education, science, technology, environment, agriculture, transportation, construction, sports, culture and tourism. In addition, the two sides agreed on the possibility of signing new agreements concerning civil aeronautics, sea transportation and justice. Cuba and Guatemala re-established diplomatic ties last year.  [c] 1999, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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