Radio Havana Cuba-29 June 2000 23:30 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 29 June 2000 23:30 *ELIAN'S HOMECOMING RECEIVES UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION *MAJOR U.S. MEDIA APPLAUD ELIAN'S RETURN, DEPLORE MIAMI'S ULTRA-RIGHT *DESPITE RETURN OF ELIAN' MIGRATORY DISCREPANCIES WITH WASHINGTON PERSIST *THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF SHAKA SANKOFA *VIGIL IN MEMORY OF SHAKA SANKOFA HELD AT HAVANA'S ROSENBERG MEMORIAL *INTERNATIONAL "FRIENDS OF THE SEA" FAIR BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN CIENFUEGOS *CHUCHO VALDES: BEST LATIN JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR *Viewpoint: ELIAN'S RETURN HOME: A VICTORY SHARED IN CUBA AND THE U.S. *ELIAN'S HOMECOMING RECEIVES UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- The homecoming of Elian Gonzalez to Cuba was front-page news throughout the world on Thursday. Images of the six-year-old boy and his father arriving in the Cuban capital Wednesday night enjoyed live, international television coverage and close-up photos graced all major news dailies Thursday morning. Throughout Latin America, special coverage was given to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to lift a prohibition on Elian from leaving the United States and his return to Cuba. In Quito, Ecuador, radio and television commentaries included detailed information on Elian's return to the Caribbean island. One of Quito's main dailies, "El Comercio," noted that the illegal detention of the six-year-old cost U.S. taxpayers over two million dollars. Elian's return to Cuba was also front-page news in Venezuelan newspapers on Thursday. The headlines of one of the country's major newspapers was "Elian Returns Home" - with photos of the boy and his father waving goodbye as they boarded a small private plane that would take them from the U.S. capital to Havana. News of the arrival in Havana of Elian Gonzalez was also THE news story throughout the United States on Thursday. Quoting "The Chicago Tribune," the vast majority of Americans are relieved that six-year-old Elian Gonzalez is finally back in Cuba. According to Jeffrey Leving, an attorney and specialist on child custody in Chicago, Elian's return to the island demonstrates a positive example of migratory justice, especially for those U.S. citizens involved in child custody disputes. Leving affirmed that Elian's seven-month-long stay in the United States was a moral issue for an overwhelming number of American citizens. *MAJOR U.S. MEDIA APPLAUD ELIAN'S RETURN, DEPLORE MIAMI'S ULTRA-RIGHT Washington, June 29 (RHC)-- Major news dailies in the United States applauded the return home of Elian Gonzalez and blasted the attitude of Miami's ultra-right wing sectors. An editorial in Thursday's edition of The New York Times asserted that the image of the Cuban-American community in Miami has suffered greatly due to its belligerence and attempts to destroy the ties between a father and his son. The editorial termed as "intolerable" the refusal of elected Miami officials to cooperate with federal authorities in the case, saying that politics in Miami have become more divisive than ever. According to the influential news daily, the anti-Cuba lobby damaged its image by using the child as a political prop. But the worst damage to the anti-Cuba cause, according to The New York Times, was that many Americans began to sympathize with Elian's father and became aware of Washington's outdated policy of isolation with respect to Cuba. The Washington Post, while accusing Cuban President Fidel Castro of politically exploiting the case, also agreed that the Cuban leader's principle adversaries in the United States have been weakened and ostracized. In its Thursday edition, The Los Angeles Times wrote that Capitol Hill should take advantage of the repercussions to the Elian Gonzalez case and open a debate concerning Washington's Cuba policy. *DESPITE RETURN OF ELIAN' MIGRATORY DISCREPANCIES WITH WASHINGTON PERSIST Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry today stated that migratory discrepancies with Washington persist, despite the return of Elian Gonzalez. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aymee Hernandez reiterated Havana's opposition to Washington's discriminatory Cuban Adjustment Act -- which encourages illegal departures from Cuba -- stating that, for the moment, there will not be another round of U.S.-Cuba migratory talks. Last week, Cuba unilaterally suspended the next round of talks that were to be held later this month. Hernandez insisted, however, that Havana remains committed to the strict compliance of the U.S.-Cuba migratory accords signed in 1994 and 1995. *THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF SHAKA SANKOFA Houston, June 29 (RHC)-- Shaka Sankofa was buried today in Houston, Texas. The memorial service for the African-American prisoner, who was unjustly executed one week ago, was attended by more than 2000 people, predominantly from the African-American community. His mother, daughter and grandchildren, as well as many other relatives were also present. One of the speakers during the service, which lasted for more than three hours, was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who spoke to Shaka just minutes before his execution. After talking about the spirit that Shaka left behind, Rev. Jackson made reference to his last words -- calling for unity and struggle to abolish the racist death penalty. Another speaker was Shaka Sankofa's spiritual advisor, Minister Robert Muhammad, from the Nation of Islam in Houston, Texas. Muhammad said that the death penalty is not just an issue for Black people, but for all poor people, adding that only through unity will the executions be stopped. Gloria Rubac, an activist in the movement to abolish the death penalty in Texas, frequently visited Shaka Sankofa in prison. Rubac attended the funeral and told reporters that the message Cuban President Fidel Castro sent to the memorial service was very well received. Rubac said that everyone present at the funeral ceremony expressed their appreciation for the solidarity of the Cuban people. Shaka Sankofa was sentenced to die at the age of 17 for a crime that he did not commit. He was on death row for 19 years before being executed last week, despite an international campaign to save his life. *VIGIL IN MEMORY OF SHAKA SANKOFA HELD AT HAVANA'S ROSENBERG MEMORIAL Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- A vigil in honor of Shaka Sankofa was held Thursday night in front of the Rosenberg Memorial here in Havana. The vigil was sponsored by the Jo Jo White Work Brigade, which is currently in Cuba. The brigade is working on a construction and mural project in the municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, located in the Cuban capital. Jo Jo White was a victim of a random shooting in San Francisco shortly after his return from Cuba, where he worked on a solidarity brigade. In his memory, a community project in Arroyo Naranjo was named in his honor. The son of African-American political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is visiting here in Cuba, also took part in Thursday's vigil. *INTERNATIONAL "FRIENDS OF THE SEA" FAIR BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN CIENFUEGOS Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- The International Friends of the Sea Fair -- FIRMAR 2000 -- will be held from July 4th through the 7th in the central Cuban province of Cienfuegos. On hand will be business executives from Mexico, Canada, Italy, Spain and Cuba. A representative from Cuba's Chamber of Commerce, Lianne Quincose, said that the island's first international sea fair will be presented as a commercial event in promoting Cuba's potential in the fishing, nautical and tourism sectors. She added that there will be a special focus on cruise ship tourism. *CHUCHO VALDES: BEST LATIN JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR Havana, June 29 (RHC)-- Renowned Cuban pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader, Chucho Valdes, has added another prize to his long list of awards. The Cuban artist received a telephone call Thursday morning, affirming that he had just been officially recognized as the best Latin Jazz Artist of the Year by the American Association of Jazz Journalists. When interviewed by reporters, Chucho expressed joy for being the recipient of such a prestigious award. The extraordinary musician said that he's planning a stopover in the United States for the ceremony, on his way to Italy next week, where he will participate in the Umbria Jazz Festival. Chucho Valdes -- the first Cuban musician to receive a Grammy Award (in 1979) along with his band "Irakere" -- was nominated for this year's Grammy in the Latin Jazz category for his Briyumba Palo Congo album. The talented artist has been nominated on four separate occasions and has already won two Grammys, either accompanied by his group, his quartet or trumpet player Roy Hargrove. Chucho Valdes' name appears in the Los Angeles Hall of Fame for Latin Jazz since September 1999, when the names of three more musical giants were added -- Argentinean Lalo Schifrin and Puerto Ricans Tito Puente and Eddy Palmieri. *Viewpoint: ELIAN'S RETURN HOME: A VICTORY SHARED IN CUBA AND THE U.S. Six-year-old Elian Gonzalez -- following a trying seven-month-long legal battle during which he was unfairly detained in the United States after being literally kidnapped for political purposes by Miami-based, anti-Cuba groups -- has finally returned home. This is a resounding moral victory that is shared by both the people of Cuba and the United States. The U.S. legal system acted properly and forced the Miami mafia to obey U.S. law in this case of profound human interest. Beyond the political differences shared by the two countries over the past four decades -- during which time countless aggressions have been launched against the Cuban government -- the island has implemented a social and political project of great historical importance, both for itself and for others -- in which justice, morals and dignity have prevailed. The case of Elian Gonzalez has demonstrated the staunch unity and courage of the Cuban people. The entire nation massively mobilized to vigorously protest against the inhumane political kidnapping of one of its smallest citizens -- keeping popular pressure on for more than 200 days and demanding justice with huge, mass demonstrations. The lies, slander and manipulations of right wing Cuban-Americans in Miami were revealed one by one, along with the gangster spirit that has always characterized that group. For more than 40 years of confrontations, the real agenda of the Miami mafia was hidden behind the overwhelming onslaught of anti-Cuba propaganda, spread by powerful ultra-right wing sectors in the United States. If it wasn't clear before who these people really are, it's crystal clear now. After this successful and historic battle for dignity and justice, the people of Cuba and the United States must join together to struggle for the normalization of relations and the beginning of a new kind of understanding and cooperation in the new millenium. (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-23595 2000-Jun-30 01:20:03