Radio Havana Cuba, October 13, 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 Wednesday, October 13, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND CEREMONY FOR RETURN OF THE PANAMA CANAL 2.- ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT JAMIL MAHUAD RECEIVES VISITING CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE 3.- SECOND OF A SERIES ARTICLES ON IRREGULARITIES DURING WINNIPEG PAN-AM GAMES 4.- GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO CUBA 5.- GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES VISIT TO CUBA 6.- CUBA OPENS BOOK OF CONDOLENCES FOR FORMER DIRECTOR OF UNICEF IN HAVANA 7.- GENERAL DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY ARRIVES IN HAVANA TOMORROW 8.- CUBA IS "Y2K" READY CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND CEREMONY FOR RETURN OF THE PANAMA CANAL Havana, October 13(RHC)-- The Panamanian government will invite Cuban President Fidel Castro to attend the ceremony during which the U.S. will officially turn over the Panama Canal to its rightful owners. In compliance with the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, the Canal will return to Panamanian sovereignty on December 31st this year. Panama's ambassador in Cuba, Marcos Alarcon, made the announcement, pointing out that the Cuban leader "is one of the most important figures of the 20th century and there is no reason why he should not be invited to such an important international and historic event." Alarcon emphasized that Panama and Cuba maintain excellent relations and said that during his mission in Havana, he will work to consolidate cooperation ties between both nations. The Panamanian diplomat, who is also the former education minister of his country, said that despite ideological differences with Cuba, his government respects the self-determination of other countries. ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT JAMIL MAHUAD RECEIVES VISITING CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE Quito, October 13(RHC)-- Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad has received visiting Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, who gave him a personal invitation from his Cuban counterpart, Fidel Castro, to Havana's upcoming Ibero-American Summit. Perez Roque told the Prensa Latina News Agency that Mahuad confirmed he would attend next month's gathering. The Cuban foreign minister said that he expressed to President Mahuad Havana's willingness to offer 70 scholarships for Ecuadorian youths wishing to study medicine on the island and that Cuba would be willing to send a medical brigade to that sister nation to work in remote regions. Perez Roque also announced that during the upcoming Ibero-American Summit, Cuba will propose granting posthumous recognition to the late Ecuadorian painter Osvaldo Guayasamin -- a long-time friend of Cuba -- who passed away last March. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is also considering posthumous honors for Guayasamin. The Cuban foreign minister also invited the Ecuadorian president to Havana's South-South Conference, slated for next April, where more than 100 heads of state are expected to attend. Following a two-day visit to Bolivia, Foreign Minister Perez Roque will be in Ecuador until tomorrow, Thursday. SECOND OF A SERIES ARTICLES ON IRREGULARITIES DURING WINNIPEG PAN-AM GAMES Havana, October 13(RHC)-- This morning's edition of the Cuban daily Granma offers the second in a series of five articles on the irregularities during the Winnipeg Pan-Am Games. Refuting the Pan American Sports Organization's recent claim that the Winnipeg Games were "the best in Pan Am history," the article recalled that Cuba was not the only country to complain -- as was reflected in some international media outlets. The newspaper highlighted a report by Germany's Deutsche Press News Agency (DPA), which wrote during the Games that doubts concerning the clean nature of the competitions were growing daily. DPA reported that karate competitions could only begin after having held four cartel selections and that in Greco-Roman wrestling, U.S. and Canadian athletes were preclassified without taking into consideration their ranking. This same news agency took note of the boycott of several Latin American delegations that accused the organizers of changing the rules. In ping pong, according to the DPA cable, there was an irregular cartel selection before the sports delegations had even arrived, while in this sport -- as well as in wrestling - U.S. and Canadian athletes were clearly favored. The article in today's edition of the Cuban newspaper recalled that four days after the beginning of competitions, the Cuban delegation was forced to issue an official protest and that just two days later, another official protest was issued due to the unprecedented harassment of Cuban athletes by scouts and other individuals encouraging them to desert. The newspaper pointed to the facilities granted to these scouts and individuals to literally invade the terrain were the Cuban sports delegation sat during the competitions. The article pointed out that 42 heads of delegations at Winnipeg officially declared their support of Cuba's protest, while even the head of the Canadian delegation stated that he had never before seen such harassment. But, despite all this, officials of the Pan American Sports Organization acted as if there were no problems. GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO CUBA Havana, October 13(RHC)-- During his on-going visit to Cuba, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Reverend Konrad Raiser, toured Old Havana on Wednesday and met with city Historian Eusebio Leal. On Tuesday, in a pastoral message, the religious leader praised the courage and dignity of the Cuban people, facing a globalized world and Washington's economic blockade against the island. During a religious service, held in Havana's Mella Theater and organized by Cuba's Council of Churches and Methodist and Presbyterian denominations on the island, the head of the World Council of Churches thanked the Cuban people for their hospitality and reiterated his institution's solidarity with the Cuban people. Reverend Raiser stated that the Cuban people "have suffered and are suffering the disastrous effects of the U.S. blockade," adding that he has witnessed the struggle to maintain purpose and develop values to guide the country. Attending the religious service was the President of the Latin American Council of Churches, Reverend Walter Altmann, and a member of the Presidium of the Caribbean Council of Churches, Carlos Emilio Ham. Reverend Konrad Raiser arrived in Havana last Saturday and has met with representatives of the Cuban churches that are members of the World Council. During his visit, he has also participated in seminars, offered lectures and has met with Cuban religious leaders. GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES VISIT TO CUBA Chicago, October 13(RHC)-- The Governor of the U.S. State of Illinois, Republican George Ryan, has confirmed he will visit Cuba beginning October 23rd. Governor Ryan announced that his delegation will include local government officials, legislators and journalists. The governor of Illinois also stated that his accompanying delegation will donate nearly two million dollars in food, medicine and school supplies to the Cuban people. According to Governor George Ryan, an advance group from Illinois visited Cuba several weeks ago and was able to get a first-hand look at the situation on the island. He told reporters that issues affecting the Cuban people are also important for the people of his Midwestern state of Illinois. George Ryan, who became the governor of Illinois last February, could become the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since Washington imposed its economic blockade against the island almost 40 years ago. CUBA OPENS BOOK OF CONDOLENCES FOR FORMER DIRECTOR OF UNICEF IN HAVANA Havana, October 13(RHC)-- The Cuban Association of the United Nations has opened a book of condolences for the former director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)in Cuba, Luis Zuniga, assassinated in Burundi on Tuesday. This morning's edition of the Cuban daily Granma points out that Zuniga, a Chilean citizen who worked in Cuba from 1992 to 1998, will always be remembered for his enthusiasm and love for the children of Cuba. The UN official was killed together with another official of the United Nations World Food Program by Hutu ethnic rebels in Burundi. GENERAL DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY ARRIVES IN HAVANA TOMORROW Havana, October 13(RHC)-- The General Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei, is scheduled to arrive in Havana on Thursday as part of a Latin American tour which will also take him to Mexico and Peru. The Egyptian expert will get a first-hand look at the use of that institution's technical cooperation, according to the director of Cuba's National Nuclear Security Center, Ulises Fernandez. His visit to Cuba will include a tour of the island's nuclear program installations, including the Juragua nuclear power plant located in central Cienfuegos province, whose construction was temporarily halted due to a lack of financing. The general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency will also sign an additional protocol to a protection agreement with Havana, ratifying Cuba's commitment to use nuclear energy for peaceful means. Cuba is the only country among those that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which has adopted an additional protocol -- a gesture of goodwill for the support received by the international community. CUBA IS READY FOR "Y2K" Havana, October 13(RHC)-- Cuba is ready for what has become known as the "Y2K" problem -- which many believe will drastically affect computers and digital equipment when the year 2000 arrives. Cuba has been busy updating its computer and automation systems to be ready by November 30th and will receive certification of all the island's institutions. During the awarding of the first four certificates, Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage stressed that since 1996, authorities were aware of the complexity of the situation, which could cause automated digital systems to only recognize the last two digits -- assuming that the year was 1900, rather than the year 2000. Lage recognized that the efforts to confront the so-called error of the millenium have been possible mainly due to the work of 30,000 Cuban professionals directly linked to the information sector. 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