Radio Havana Cuba, October 7, 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, October 7, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO DESCRIBES VISIT BY GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT AS EXCELLENT 2.- ATHLETES REMEMBER VICTIMS OF SABOTAGED CUBANA AIRLINER 3.- CUBA PAYS TRIBUTE TO SEVEN INTERNATIONALIST FIGHTERS 4.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS MEETING OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS UNION 5.- CONGOLESE FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA 6.- FRENCH DELEGATION FROM THE PARIS MUNICIPALITY OF SEINE SAINT DENIS VISITS CUBA 7.- MEXICAN DELEGATION FROM MERIDA SIGNS SISTER CITY AGREEMENT WITH CAMAGUEY CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO DESCRIBES VISIT BY GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT AS EXCELLENT Havana, October 7(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro described the three-day visit to Havana of Guatemalan President Alvaro Arzu as -- "in one word -- excellent." The leader of the Cuban Revolution said he spoke with his Guatemalan counterpart about bilateral cooperation as well as general impressions regarding the international economic situation and the need for Latin American unity. Fidel Castro said that the visit to Cuba by Alvaro Arzu was an important step in the process of Latin American and Caribbean integration. Speaking with reporters following the conclusion of the Guatemalan president's visit to the island on Wednesday, the Cuban leader referred to the medical assistance offered by Havana to Central American countries devastated by Hurricane Mitch last year. He said that President Arzu expressed his interest in expanding Cuban medical assistance to Guatemala. Fidel emphasized that Cuba was ready to increase its aid to Guatemala and was studying ways to expand medical assistance to other Third World nations. Fidel Castro pointed out that Cuban doctors and medical personnel were prepared to go into remote areas where no other doctor would dare visit and that Cuban health professionals treat patients in those Third World countries free-of-charge. During his visit to Cuba -- characterized as "historic" by numerous media outlets -- Guatemalan President Alvaro Arzu praised the efforts of Cuban doctors, calling them "examples of discipline and apostles of health." ATHLETES REMEMBER VICTIMS OF SABOTAGED CUBANA AIRLINER Havana, October 7(RHC)-- Cuban athletes held a commemoration ceremony on Wednesday for members of the island's junior fencing team, killed in the sabotage of a Cubana airliner 23 years ago. The plane exploded in mid-air after taking off from Barbados on October 6th, 1976, killing all 73 people aboard. During yesterday's ceremony, Maria Redondo, the mother of one of the athletes killed, presented the national flag to the Cuban fencing team that will participate in next month's World Fencing Championship in South Korea. One of the Cuban fencers on the way to South Korea is Oscar Garcia, who read a statement affirming that the best way to honor those who were killed is to win in Seoul and qualify for next year's Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The sabotage attack 23 years ago took the lives of 57 Cubans, including the island's entire junior fencing team, which was returning from the 1976 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. Sixteen foreigners on board the Cubana flight were also killed. Evidence showed that two bombs were placed on the Cubana aircraft by Cuban-American terrorists in the pay of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. CUBA PAYS TRIBUTE TO SEVEN INTERNATIONALIST FIGHTERS Santa Clara, October 7(RHC)-- The people of Santa Clara and all of Cuba will pay tribute Friday morning to seven guerrillas who fought together with Ernesto Che Guevara in Bolivia. Tomorrow, October 8th, marks the 32nd anniversary of the death in combat of the Heroic Guerrilla. On Thursday, Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes and the First Secretary of the Communist Party in Villa Clara, Miguel Diaz Canel, received the remains which were flown from Havana to Santa Clara. The skeletal remains of the seven internationalists were found several months ago in Bolivia and repatriated to Cuba. They are: Cubans Juan Vitalio Acuna (Vilo or Joaquin), Gustavo Machin Hoed de Beche (Alejandro), Israel Reyes Zayas (Braulio); and Bolivians Walter Arencibia Ayala (Walter), Eddy Maymura Hurtado (Ernesto), Moises Rodriguez Guevara (Moises) and Apolinar Aquino Quisten (Polo). The remains of the seven guerrillas will lie in state Thursday evening at the Jose Marti Library in Santa Clara. Tomorrow, Friday, the remains will be buried in the Ernesto Che Guevara Mausoleum, joining 17 others who fought and died in Bolivia in the late 1960's. CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO ATTENDS MEETING OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS UNION Havana, October 7(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro participated in a working session of the Cuban Artists and Writers Union, UNEAC, on Wednesday in Havana. The meeting's objective was to analyze the agreements reached during UNEAC's 6th Congress, which was held last year. Participants at the congress agreed to evaluate the results of the meeting every 12 months. The President of the Cuban Artists and Writers Union, Carlos Marti Brenes, told journalists that the search for solutions to problems confronted by intellectuals and artists has been one of the most important achievements of the Congress. The National Council of UNEAC also discussed the application of a cultural policy in the mass media, work with young people and the international promotion of the island's creative works. CONGOLESE FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, October 7(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas met with the visiting Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo, Rodolph Adada, to discuss commercial cooperation. During the meeting, both sides agreed on the need to unite forces in international forums and perspectives for the Third World South Summit, to take place in Havana in April next year. The Congolese official arrived in Havana to head the 9th meeting of the Cuba-Congo Economic Cooperation Commission. Bilateral agreements will be signed on Friday in the Cuban capital. FRENCH DELEGATION FROM THE PARIS MUNICIPALITY OF SEINE SAINT DENIS VISITS CUBA Havana, October 7(RHC)-- A delegation from the Paris municipality of Seine Saint Denis, headed by its vice president Daniel Mongeau, continues their six-day visit to Havana. The visiting French delegation met with the President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon and the President of Havana City's Provincial Assembly, Conrado Martinez Corona. The General Council of Seine Saint Denis is financing a cultural exchange project that will allow 200 Cuban youths to visit France each year and vice-versa. MEXICAN DELEGATION FROM MERIDA SIGNS SISTER CITY AGREEMENT WITH CAMAGUEY Havana, October 7(RHC)-- The President of the Mexican municipality of Merida, Javier Abreu Sierra, expressed interest in broadening cultural and social ties with the Cuban government and people. Invited by the Cuban Parliament, the Mexican delegation is carrying out a broad working-program, which includes the signing of a sister city agreement with Camaguey. Early Thursday morning, the Mexican delegation from the municipality of Merida met with Havana Historian Eusebio Leal and toured Old Havana. 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