Radio Havana Cuba, January 4, 2000 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, January 4, 2000. Today's stories: 1.- U.S. RELIGIOUS DELEGATION VISITING CUBA SAYS RETURN OF ELIAN GONZALEZ IS A MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTION, NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE 2.- CUBAN MASS ORGANIZATIONS FILE LAWSUIT IN LOCAL COURT AGAINST U.S. GOVERNMENT FOR ECONOMIC DAMAGES 3.- AUTHORITIES IN ITALIAN PROVINCE OF NAPLES DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ 4.- INFANT MORTALITY RATE IN CUBA -- REDUCED TO 6.4 IN 1999 5.- UNESCO APPROVES TWO NEW BIOSFERE RESERVES ON THE ISLAND 6.- PHOTO EXHIBIT DEDICATED TO CUBAN CHILDREN 7.- PEDDLE-PROTEST TO DEMAND U.S. OUT OF GUANTANAMO U.S. RELIGIOUS DELEGATION VISITING CUBA SAYS RETURN OF ELIAN GONZALEZ IS A MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTION, NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE Havana, January 4(RHC)-- An important U.S. religious delegation visiting Cuba has stated that its members will try to convince President Bill Clinton that the return of a Cuban child being held in Miami is a moral and humanitarian question, and not a political issue. The statement came Monday from Reverend Joan Brown Campbell, leader of the National Council of Churches, following a one-hour visit to the home of Juan Miguel Gonzalez, father of Elian Gonzalez. The six-year-old boy is still being held in Miami by distant relatives with the support of the ultra-right wing in Florida and on Capital Hill. Following the gathering, the U.S. religious leader, heading her country's largest ecumenical organization, said she was able to confirm that Elian's family is loving, misses their son and grandchild and has all the necessary conditions to provide him with proper care. The leader of the National Council of Churches of Christ told reporters that her organization is willing to receive Elian, bring him to Cuba and turn him over to Cuba's National Council of Churches so that this local religious organization can take him home. The child's father also responded to questions from journalists, including U.S. news correspondents. He said that when he speaks with his child by telephone, he notes that the boy is under pressure. He added that when Elian begins to talk about missing his home, the conversation is generally cut-off. The visit comes amid press reports in the United States asserting that U.S. authorities want to give a visa to Elian's father so that he himself can pick up the child in Miami and return with him to Cuba. According to The Washington Post and The Miami Herald, in this Way, Washington hopes to diminish the impact of his return within the ultra-right wing -- which would probably react angrily if Elian is returned by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Meanwhile, thousands gathered at Havana's International Convention Center Tuesday evening to hear Cuban artists and musicians demand that the young child be immediately returned to his family on the island. Among the messages of support for the return of Elian was a note from Cuba's prima ballerina, Alicia Alonso. CUBAN MASS ORGANIZATIONS FILE LAWSUIT IN LOCAL COURT AGAINST U.S. GOVERNMENT FOR ECONOMIC DAMAGES Havana, January 4(RHC)-- Cuban mass organizations have filed another lawsuit in a local court against the United States government for economic damages. This morning's edition of the Cuban daily Granma reported that labor, farmers, students and grassroots organizations -- representing the vast majority of the Cuban people -- are suing Washington for 121 billion dollars as a result of the economic damages caused by 40 years of a blockade, economic warfare and physical aggressions supported and financed by the U.S. government which included acts of terrorism, sabotage and armed infiltrations into Cuban territory. This is the second court action that the Cuban people have launched against Washington. Last year, these same organizations filed a 181 billion 100 million dollar suit against the U.S. government -- in the name of several thousand Cubans killed and maimed -- for the human damage caused by four decades of aggressions. Those court proceedings saw the testimony of family members of those killed, wounded survivors and members of the Cuban armed forces who served on the front-lines of defense against U.S. and U.S.-sponsored aggressions. The court also received abundant documentary evidence, including recently declassified CIA and U.S. State Department documents on Washington's secret war against Cuba, investigative journalistic pieces detailing the organization and financing of that war by successive U.S. administrations -- beginning with former President Dwight D. Eisenhower -- as well as publications by some of the terrorists involved in those attacks. Cuba has not discarded the possibility of taking these court proceedings and their results to international courts and agencies. Granma reported that it will publish the full text of the lawsuit -- which it called an important document -- on Wednesday. AUTHORITIES IN ITALIAN PROVINCE OF NAPLES DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ Rome, January 4(RHC)-- The government of the Italian province of Naples has demanded the immediate release of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez, who is still being held in Miami against his father's wishes. Prensa Latina News Agency reports that local authorities from various political parties in Naples, including the president of that province, Amato Lamberti, approved a document on Tuesday morning -- demanding the release of Elian Gonzalez. Meanwhile, the Education and Cultural Advisor in Naples, Rafaele Porta, told Prensa Latina that the return of Elian to his father on the island must take place soon. He emphasized that with the demand of Elian's repatriation, international law and humanitarian principles are being defended. INFANT MORTALITY RATE IN CUBA -- REDUCED TO 6.4 IN 1999 Havana, January 4(RHC)-- Cuba has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world -- registering 6.4 for every one thousand live births. According to an article in this morning4s Granma newspaper, this figure is the lowest in Cuban history. The news daily pointed out that the reduced infant mortality rate is the result of the selfless and hard work of the island4s health professionals. Tuesday's Granma daily also says that during 1999, 104 more infants were saved than the previous year -- adding that for the first time in history, all of the island's provinces registered less than eight. Villa Clara heads the island's provinces with less than five for every one thousand live births. Only 20 countries have an infant mortality rate lower than Cuba4s, where infant and children's mortality figures as well as the maternal death rate were also reduced during 1999. UNESCO APPROVES TWO NEW BIOSPHERE RESERVES ON THE ISLAND Havana, January 4(RHC)-- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has approved two new biosphere reserves in Cuba. The new reserves are the Zapata Swamp located in south-central Cuba -- considered to be one of the largest wetlands in Latin America -- and the second is the Buena Vista zone, located between the central provinces of Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila. Cuba currently has six biosphere reserves on the island. PHOTO EXHIBIT DEDICATED TO CUBAN CHILDREN Havana, January 4(RHC)-- The photo exhibit entitled "Sons of the Revolution" by Italian photographer Vittorio Giaccari has been inaugurated in Havana. The exhibit is dedicated to Cuban children. Cuban artist Ilena Mulents told reporters that the photographs of Vittorio Giaccari clearly show the beauty of childhood, adding that at this every moment, thousands of children are dying throughout the world due to serious social injustices. PEDDLE-PROTEST TO DEMAND U.S. OUT OF GUANTANAMO Havana, January 4(RHC)-- A group of cycle-tourists from the United States, Canada and Cuba will peddle to the eastern city of Caimanera on the occasion of the 147th anniversary of the birth of Cuba's independence hero Jose Marti. Caimanera, which is located next to the illegally-occupied Guantanamo Naval Base, was selected to be the final stop of the one thousand 592 kilometer bicycle route -- designed to protest Washington's blockade against the island. The cross-country event, sponsored by the Gran Caribe Cycle-Tourism Club, will end with a protest action against Washington's military presence in Cuban territory. 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