Radio Havana Cuba, Tuesday, March 2, 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 Tuesday, March 2, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA ARRIVES IN VIETNAM 2.- FOUR PEOPLE ACCUSED OF SEDITION GO ON TRIAL IN HAVANA 3.- PRESIDENT OF SPANISH AUTONOMOUS REGION CASTILLA AND LEON CONTINUES VISIT TO CUBA 4.- CUBAN WOMEN HAVE MADE ENORMOUS ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS 5.- CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES: ONE OF THE ISLAND'S MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO LATIN AMERICA 6.- DELEGATION OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN PARLIAMENT CURRENTLY VISITS THE ISLAND 7.- CUBA WILL TAKE PART IN UNIVERSAL HANOVER FAIR 2000 IN MAY CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA ARRIVES IN VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh City, March 2(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina arrived today in Vietnam for a four-day official visit. Robaina is on the third leg of an Asian tour that has taken him to Japan and China. The top Cuban diplomat arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, and will travel tomorrow to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. FOUR PEOPLE ACCUSED OF SEDITION GO ON TRIAL IN HAVANA Havana, March 2(RHC)-- A Havana court is studying the evidence presented against four Cubans accused of sedition. The defendants, Vladimiro Roca Antunez, Felix Bonne Carcasses, Beatriz Roque Cabello and Rene Gomez Manzano, are being charged with crimes against the security of the nation. According to a news release made available to journalists by Havana's International Press Center, the prosecution has asked a six year prison sentence for Roca Antunez and five years for the other defendants. After the defense and prosecution's closing statements were presented Monday, the court has 12 days to issue a ruling. During the trial, according to the news release, witnesses and experts provided the court with details on the accusations. In her report, District Attorney Edelmira Pedris pointed to the close relation between the violations allegedly carried out by the defendants and their adherence to provisions of the U.S. anti-Cuba Torricelli and Helms-Burton Laws, which seek to reinforce Washington's economic blockade against Cuba and encourage internal subversion on the island. Prosecutor Pedris presented evidence indicating that the accused received U.S. dollars, computers and were briefed on the promotion of subversive actions. They were also accused of having called on Cubans to refrain from voting in the island's general elections last year and of having used media outlets in Miami to promote civil disobedience in Cuba. Another charge includes the sending of letters to foreign investors, urging them to refrain from doing business on the island. PRESIDENT OF SPANISH AUTONOMOUS REGION CASTILLA AND LEON CONTINUES VISIT TO CUBA Havana, March 2(RHC)-- The President of the Spanish autonomous region of Castilla and Leon, Juan Jose Lucas Gimenez, placed a floral wreath at the foot of the Jose Marti Monument at Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion during his second day on the island. The Spanish official also visited the Federation of Castilla and Leon Associations in the Cuban capital and met with its president, Sergio Rabanillo, and the presidents of the seven societies in Havana and four provinces. They discussed the group's work and perspectives for the future. The institution was founded in 1909 and currently has some 3000 members, including nearly 300 nationals from Castilla and Leon who immigrated to Cuba and raised families on the island. Later in the afternoon, the president of the autonomous region of Castilla and Leon also delivered a lecture at the University of Havana entitled: "Spanish, A Universal Language." Attending the lecture was the Dean of the University of Havana, Juan Vela Valdes, Spain's ambassador to Cuba, Eduardo Junco Bonet, as well as other Spanish and Cuban authorities. Juan Jose Lucas Gimenez also met with Cuban Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas. Gimenez told reporters that one of the objectives of his visit is to strengthen the already good economic relations between the Spanish region and Cuba. CUBAN WOMEN HAVE MADE ENORMOUS ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS New York, March 2(RHC)-- Cuban women have achieved advances in economic, political and social areas, despite the country's economic crisis and Washington's nearly 40 year blockade against the island. Speaking before the 43rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Legal and Social Condition of Women, Cuba's UN delegate, Magalys Arocha Dominguez, said that according to 1998 statistics, women make up 42.9 percent of the work force in Cuba and 66.6 percent of the island's technicians and professionals. The Cuban representative added that 31.1 percent of women hold a political and/or administrative position and 27.6 percent of the deputies to the National Assembly are women. Dominguez stated that Cuba attributes great importance to the 1995 World Conference on Women that took place in Beijing and preparations for the special session of the UN General Assembly in the year 2000. A national seminar to evaluate the implementation of Cuba's national plan, approved two years ago, will take place next month in Havana. CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES: ONE OF THE ISLAND'S MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO LATIN AMERICA Havana, March 2(RHC)-- The President of the Indigenous Fund's Executive Council, Victor Hugo Cardenas, characterized Cuba's medical brigades -- treating victims of Hurricane Mitch -- as "one of Cuba's most important contributions to Latin America." Hugo Cardenas, who is in Cuba to obtain the support of the island's institutions for the work of the Indigenous Fund, met with the Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Ibrahim Ferradaz. During the meeting, Ferradaz ratified Cuba's support of the Fund in the development of Latin America's indigenous peoples, particularly the training of specialists. A document which outlines Cuba's cooperation in the field will be signed on Friday. The issue of indigenous peoples in Latin America will be discussed during the next Iberoamerican Summit, to take place in Havana in November this year. DELEGATION OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN PARLIAMENT CURRENTLY VISITS THE ISLAND Havana, March 2(RHC)-- A delegation of the Central American Parliament is currently visiting the island at the invitation of Cuba's National Assembly. Headed by former Guatemalan President Ramiro de Leon Carpio, the Central American legislators met with the Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Ibrahim Ferradaz and acting Foreign Minister Jorge Bolanos. The visiting parliamentary representatives also met with the National Assembly's President of the Sports, Health and Environment Commission, Jose Luis Toledo, as well as other Cuban parliamentarians. CUBA WILL TAKE PART IN UNIVERSAL HANOVER FAIR 2000 IN MAY Havana, March 2(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, Hector Perez Paez, told Radio Havana Cuba that his association will be represented at the Universal Hanover Fair 2000, scheduled to take place in that German city in May. He added that the slogan of the Cuban stand is "Human Beings, Nature and Technology." He said that during the last four decades, the island has had interesting results in the preparation of human resource management, biotechnological development, computer technology as well as environmental protection. According to the President of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, Cuban business executives have prioritized their participation in Latin American and Caribbean trade fairs and expositions due to the island's geo-political position, but the Universal Hanover Fair 2000 is a very important event for Europe and Cuba should not be left out. [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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