Radio Havana Cuba Weekend-16/17 December 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend News Update - 16-17 December 2000 . *CUBA PULLS THE PLUG ON DIRECT PHONE CALLS FROM THE US *FIDEL CASTRO AWARDED HEALTH ACTIVIST DIPLOMA *CUBAN-VENEZUELAN MIXED COOPERATION COMMISSION MEETING CONCLUDES *MINISTER OF CUBAN ARMED FORCES MEETS WITH RUSSIAN COUNTERPART *INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL UNDERWAY IN HAVANA *NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT RECYCLED MATERIALS CONCLUDES . *CUBA PULLS THE PLUG ON DIRECT PHONE CALLS FROM THE US Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- Cuba has every legitimate right to cut direct, long-distance telephone calls from the United States. During a special roundtable discussion, aired live on Cuban radio and television last night, a panel of journalists and experts on international affairs examined the decision to cut the cord on direct communications, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday. One panelist on the roundtable -- Eduardo Dimas, a political commentator on radio and television in Havana -- recalled that since 1966, Cuba has maintained telephone links with the U.S. despite the fact that payments were never made. Dimas said that Cuba did not receive a single cent for the phone service and that the money was frozen in U.S. bank accounts until 1994. Journalists taking part in the televised program Friday night noted that in 1999, a judge in Miami ordered that the frozen funds be used to pay the families of four members of the terrorist group Brothers to the Rescue. The four were shot down, despite repeated warnings that they were violating Cuban territorial airspace, on February 24, 1996. It was revealed that Judge Lawrence King is in the pay of the right wing Cuban-American community in southern Florida. After warning that telephone service would be cut if the bills were not paid to ETECSA, a Cuban-Italian joint venture, it was announced that phone service would be disconnected beginning on Friday, December 15th. Several panelists pointed out that the right-wing Cuban-Americans in Miami are now raising hell -- claiming that Havana has unilaterally taken this measure at a time when relatives in southern Florida want to call their families on the island and wish them a Merry Christmas. Reinaldo Taladrid, a television commentator, said that the Miami mafia is not reporting on the long history of stormy relations in communications between the two countries... trying to make it seem like Cuba is cutting the cord on telephone calls at this time of year to punish the families of Cubans on the island. Taladrid pointed out that when one doesn't pay their bill, services are terminated. And he pointed out that even in the United States, if one doesn't pay their gas bill, their heat is turned off -- even in the dead of winter, right around Christmas-time. The right-wing campaign coming out of Miami and Washington, designed to make Cuba into the bad guy, was quickly dismissed as nothing more than a weak propaganda effort. During the roundtable discussion on Friday, panelists also examined the desperate attempts by Miami to try to free international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who is being held in Panama for planning to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro. The participants pointed to the campaign -- led by an attorney and former attorney general of Panama -- who has been paid to try to defend Posada Carriles and his accomplices. It was noted that attempts to defend the jailed terrorists in Panama and free them on bail purposefully ignore the long history of Luis Posada Carriles in attacks against the Cuban Revolution. *FIDEL CASTRO AWARDED HEALTH ACTIVIST DIPLOMA Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- Delegates to the First National and Regional Conference on Health Promotion have granted Cuban President Fidel Castro the Health Activist Diploma "for his tireless efforts and his active participation in the promotion of adequate and high-quality health care assistance not only for his people, but also for all peoples of the world." The First National and Regional Conference on Health Promotion, which concluded on Friday here in the Cuban capital, gathered representatives from nine countries, including Mexico, other nations from Central America and the Caribbean. For two days, participants in the conference exchanged their experiences in the fight against tobacco, alcohol and drug addiction. Experts also reviewed current national programs against sexually transmittable and other preventable diseases. Other Cuban personalities who were also given the diploma for their active participation in health promotion are Dr. Carlos Dotres, Health Minister, Vilma Espin, President of the Cuban Women's Federation and Juan Contino, National Coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs). The President of the Conference Organizing Committee, Dr. Jose Pinon, pointed to Cuba as a vivid example of what can be achieved when all members of society work together towards high-quality health care for all. *CUBAN-VENEZUELAN MIXED COOPERATION COMMISSION MEETING CONCLUDES Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- The Cuban-Venezuelan Mixed Cooperation Commission concluded sessions on Friday with the signing of the Final Document. The document was signed by Venezuelan Minister for Production and Cooperation, Luisa Romero, and Cuban Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas. The document was previously signed by the Presidents of Cuba and Venezuela, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, during President Castro's recent visit to the sister Latin American nation. Under the agreement, Venezuela will provide Cuba with oil. It also provides for full bilateral cooperation in spheres such as health, finances, tourism, trade, sports, education, agriculture, construction and the food industry. Also under the bilateral cooperation accord, 46 Venezuelans have arrived in Havana to receive specialized health care assistance. The group was accompanied by some 200 young Venezuelans who will begin studies at the Havana-based International Sports Institute. *MINISTER OF CUBAN ARMED FORCES MEETS WITH RUSSIAN COUNTERPART Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- Visiting Russian Defense Minister, Igor Dmitrievich Sergueiev, met on Friday with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro Ruz, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. The official talks, held in a friendly ambiance, focused on bilateral issues of common interest and other issues relating to the current international situation. The top Russian military official is in Cuba as part of a visiting delegation from the European nation, headed by the country's President Vladimir Putin. At the end of the meeting, the two military officials signed a cooperation agreement, providing for military and technical bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Havana. *INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL UNDERWAY IN HAVANA Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- Havana's International Jazz Festival, Jazz Plaza 2000, continues in Havana, hosting performances and jamming by jazz players from ten countries. Friday evening the Cuban Maestro Chucho Valdes and his band "Irakere" performed at the National Theatre. That same evening, Puerto Rican flutist David Valentin was seen jamming at the "El Elegante" hall at the Riviera Hotel, accompanied by Cuban pianist Jesus Valdes Jr. and his trio. Playing at the Culture Center in Vedado, downtown Havana, was "Insight," recognized as the youngest professional Latin Jazz band in the United States; German singer Clarissa and her band; Paco Charley and his quintet from Martinique and the band "Klimax" from Cuba. Also on Saturday evening at the Culture Center there was the highly anticipated concert of U.S. renowned trumpet player Roy Hargrove. The closing concert is scheduled for Sunday evening at the Amadeo Roldan Theatre, featuring Maestro Chucho Valdes and his guests: U.S. jazz players Kenny Barron and Ronnie Mathews, Cubans Changuito, Tata Guines and Frank Emilio Flynn. *NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT RECYCLED MATERIALS CONCLUDES Havana, December 16 (RHC)-- A national campaign to collect recycled material concluded on Saturday. Organized by the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) the campaign was part of activities to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution, commemorated next January 1st. The main activity to close the national campaign took place in central Sancti Spiritus province, chosen for its leadership in the collection of recycled materials. With the slogan "More with More," the national action is aimed at promoting the CDRs' direct contribution to the country's economic development through the collection of all kinds of recyclable, useful materials, including glass and paper. (c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= rhc-eng-6288 2000-Dec-17 07:51:24