Radio Havana Cuba, November 9 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, November 9, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA ACHIEVES ANOTHER OVERWHELMING VOTE IN SUPPORT OF ITS UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION AGAINST WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE OF THE ISLAND 2.- CUBA CALLS ON ALL IBERO-AMERICAN NATIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILDREN'S LIVES 3.- CUBAN MEDICAL PERSONNEL TAKE PART IN VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN HAITI 4.- 7th CONGRESS OF LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS FEDERATION MEETS IN HAVANA 5.- CUBA SAYS HUMANITY NEEDS NEW, JUST, EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL ORDER CUBA ACHIEVES ANOTHER OVERWHELMING VOTE IN SUPPORT OF ITS UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION AGAINST WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE OF THE ISLAND New York, November 9(RHC)-- At the United Nations General Assembly, Cuba achieved another overwhelming vote in support of its resolution against Washington's blockade of the island. 155 countries voted in favor of Cuba's resolution, with two against -- the United States and Israel -- and eight abstentions. Though the eighth consecutive Cuban resolution against the blockade is the first that didn't achieve a record support, six countries that last year supported Cuba have been deprived of their right to vote due to outstanding debts with the world body. The first anti-blockade resolution, in 1992, garnered only 52 votes. But in each consecutive vote that number steadily increased, reaching 157 countries condemning the blockade last year. And the number of abstentions also decreased this year once again, from 12 in 1998 to eight in today's vote. The United States and Israel are the same two countries that voted against the Cuban resolution last year. In his speech to the UN General Assembly leading up to the vote, Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon unmasked the lies contained in letters that Washington sent to numerous countries, urging those nations to vote against the Cuban resolution. In the letters, of which Cuba obtained copies, the U.S. government asserted that its blockade of Cuba is a bilateral affair and that its regulations are only applied to people or entities under U.S. jurisdiction. Alarcon said that if this were true, how can Washington explain the fact that even its closest allies have been forced to adopt norms to protect themselves from the extraterritoriality of the blockade. Why, asked Alarcon, did the European Union take the matter to the World Trade Organization, and why is there an overwhelming majority vote each year in the world body -- unless the U.S. government believes that the entire planet is under its jurisdiction. Washington's letters also claimed that the U.S. government facilitates the export of medicines, medical equipment and food to Cuba for humanitarian reasons. Why then, asked the Cuban official, are U.S. agro and pharmaceutical firms demanding to be allowed to sell these items to Cuba. He said the American Association for World Health has also issued a detailed study refuting Washington's claim of providing humanitarian aid to Cuba. The president of Cuba's Parliament said that the nation with the largest debt to the world body -- directly responsible for its current financial crisis while benefiting economically from the income it obtains as its headquarters -- not only repeatedly ignores the General Assembly's resolutions, but also insults the international institution with its lies and its insolent arrogance. In reference to Washington's claim that the blockade's objective is to restore freedom and democracy in Cuba, Alarcon said freedom and democracy are not the exclusive property of the United States and its government has no right to claim them as their own. No one, said Alarcon, has empowered them to decide what the political and social organization of other countries should be. He said Cuba is not and will never again be a colony of the United States. In his speech before the UN General Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon said the economic warfare against Cuba began at exactly the moment when the Cuban people overthrew the Batista dictatorship, Washington's loyal ally and servile instrument. He said the assassins, torturers and thieves of that dictatorship were trained, financed and befriended by U.S. governments. Alarcon said this is the situation that Washington would like to see returned, and that this is expressed in detail in the Helms-Burton Law. CUBA CALLS ON ALL IBERO-AMERICAN NATIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILDREN'S LIVES Havana, November 9(RHC)-- A call to turn into reality the hopes of a new generation was made by the President of the Federation of Cuban Women, the FMC, Vilma Espin during the Ibero-American Conference on Children and Youth. The event, which is underway at Havana's International Convention Center, is the last of a series of ministerial meetings prior to the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, slated to begin next week in the Cuban capital. During the first day of the meeting, Cuban authorities urged Ibero-American nations to earmark a large portion of their resources to improve the quality of life of children in the coming new millenium. At the Ibero-American Congress on Children and Youth, Havana also urged for compliance with agreements, which will be submitted to the heads of state and governments present at the Ibero-American Summit -- with the hopes of actually improving the situation of children and youth people in our region. CUBAN MEDICAL PERSONNEL TAKE PART IN VACCINATION CAMPAIGN IN HAITI Port Au Prince, November 9(RHC)-- Cuban medical personnel in Haiti will participate in a vaccination campaign in that Caribbean nation beginning November 15th. The head of the 4th Cuban medical brigade in Haiti, Jose Luis Manso, said that one million 500,000 Haitian children between the age of nine months and 5 years will be vaccinated against measles. The vaccination campaign will end next December 17th and is sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization, as well as the governments of Haiti and Cuba. 7th CONGRESS OF LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS FEDERATION MEETS IN HAVANA Havana, November 9(RHC)-- The 7th Congress of the Latin American Journalists Federation will be held in Havana later this week, according the president of the regional organization, Luis Suarez, of Mexico. Suarez said that the Latin American journalists gathering in Cuba is a rejection of Washington's blockade against the island and, in particular, the Helms-Burton Law. Meanwhile, the President of the Cuban Journalists Association, Tubal Paez, revealed that his organization will host the 6th Ibero-American Journalists Meeting, which will be held prior to the 9th Ibero-American Summit slated for next week. CUBA SAYS HUMANITY NEEDS NEW, JUST, EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL ORDER New York, November 9(RHC)-- Cuba says that globalization would be beneficial for humanity if it is accompanied by a new, just, equitable and sustainable international order. The Cuban representative before the United Nations Commission for Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs stated that the active participation of underdeveloped countries is necessary when it comes to decision-making and profound transformations of the international monetary system. Speaking at a UN discussion on human rights, the Cuban representative stressed that the right to development is and will continue to be out of reach for many if concrete actions are not taken. He added that economic, social and cultural prerogatives are really an invisible part of the United Nations mechanism of civil rights. Finally, he denounced the alleged contradiction between sovereignty and human rights which are discussed at UN forums and emphasized that this is a way of evading real problems and intends to disguise intervention in the affairs of nations. [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-15505 1999-Nov-10 02:07:55