Radio Havana Cuba-8 June 2000 22:45 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 8 June 2000 22:45 *SCHOOL CHILDREN'S MARCH TO US INTERESTS SECTION FOR ELIAN'S RETURN *US SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ACTS AGAINST ITS CONSTITUENTS *US WHEAT GROWERS' DELEGATION WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA *4th U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT UNDERWAY IN CANCUN *CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO BELIZE *CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH TURKISH GOVERNMENT MINISTER *ALARCON SPEAKS AT UNIVERSITY OF HAVANA ON JUDICIAL WORKER'S DAY *US GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE DEMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT *CUBA'S EXHIBIT ATTRACTS ATTENTION AT GERMAN 2000 WORLD EXHIBITION *FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON ECO-TOURISM SLATED FOR PINAR DEL RIO *Viewpoint: A SIREN SONG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND DEATH *SCHOOL CHILDREN'S MARCH TO US INTERESTS SECTION FOR ELIAN'S RETURN Havana, June 8 (RHC)-- More than 150,000 Cuban school children will march Friday morning in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to demand the immediate return of Elian Gonzalez. The Cuban government stated that this new demonstration comes amid "the on-going interminable, incoherent and confusing legal process" in which nothing is clear one week after an Atlanta Appeals Court ruling. The march will be made up of elementary school children from the 4th, 5th and 6th grades, 7th, 8th and 9th grade junior high school students, and high school students in the 10th grade. They will also be joined by nearly 1000 children attending the elementary school in Cardenas, Matanzas where Elian is enrolled in the first grade. *US SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ACTS AGAINST ITS CONSTITUENTS Havana, June 8 (RHC)-- A roundtable discussion, broadcast live on Cuban radio and television Thursday evening, reported on the latest news regarding the case of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez -- still being unjustly held in the United States. Cuban journalists and experts in international law analyzed information coming out of Washington -- revealing that the Senate Judiciary Committee has requested documents from the U.S. Justice Department relating to the rescue operation in April which freed Elian from his kidnappers in Miami. According to reports from Capitol Hill, the Republican-controlled Senate is also demanding that Attorney General Janet Reno appear before the Committee to answer questions about the rescue mission. Panelists on the nightly roundtable discussed attempts by right wing forces in the U.S. Congress to prolong Elian's stay in the United States. The experts agreed that these congressional representatives, acting in concert with extremist elements in the Cuban-American community, are actually acting against their constituents -- who overwhelmingly believe that Elian, his family and friends should be free to return to Cuba. Thursday's roundtable discussion was aired live on Cuban television, the national radio network and the international shortwave frequencies of Radio Havana Cuba. *US WHEAT GROWERS' DELEGATION WRAPS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, June 8 (RHC) -- A delegation representing members of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Wheat Associates, Incorporated, has wrapped up a five-day visit to Cuba. The delegation -- the organization's fifth visit to Cuba during the last two years -- toured port facilities and processing mills and presented a seminar on marketing. During the visit, the organization's vice president, Paul Dickerson, stated that Cuba has to pay much more to import wheat from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean, then it would have to pay to import wheat from the United States through the Gulf of Mexico. On the occasion of the visit, the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council revealed that Cuba imports approximately one million tons of grains annually, and that more than 90 percent come from Europe. Shipping costs are, in some cases, one hundred percent above comparable shipping costs from the U.S. to Cuba. The visit forms part of a series of trips to Cuba by U.S. legislators and agro producers interested in establishing trade relations with Cuba following an eventual lifting of Washington's blockade. And these visits come amid stepped up pressure on the U.S. Congress to lift restrictions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba as a first step in putting an end to the blockade. Members of the U.S. Wheat Associates delegation announced that once back home, they will continue to work for an end to Washington's economic sanctions against the Cuban people. *4th U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT UNDERWAY IN CANCUN Cancun, June 8 (RHC)-- U.S. business executives have gathered in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun to discuss future possibilities of trade and economic relations between Washington and Havana. The 4th U.S.-Cuba Business Summit got underway Wednesday in Cancun, with meetings between American business representatives and Cuban officials running through Thursday. Some 70 representatives from more than 40 companies in the United States are taking part in the event, which continues Friday and Saturday here in the Cuban capital. The Cuban delegation is being headed by Marta Lomas Morales, the Cuban Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, and is also made up of Ileana Rey, the Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning, and Orlando Hernandez from the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Other officials are taking part in the meeting, including authorities from the Central Bank of Cuba. Among the U.S. businesses represented at the 4th U.S.-Cuba Business Summit are: Pepsi Cola, United Airlines, Caterpillar, Shandwick International, Darden Restaurants and the Lexington Institute. According to one of the U.S. participants, Roland J. Regan, the President of the Cuban Charitable Basketball Classic, his organization will propose a series of games between U.S. and Cuban university basketball teams. Regan told reporters in Cancun that the proceeds from the games could go to charitable organizations that help children and senior citizens. Another business executive attending the summit in Cancun affirmed that Washington's economic blockade of Cuba is "totally illogical" -- preventing U.S. companies from doing business with a market that is right next door. Kirby Jones, the President of Alamar Associates, a business consulting firm, said that increasing numbers of U.S. companies are ready to do business with Cuba -- just as soon as the U.S. government wakes up and lifts its ridiculous restrictions against trade with the island. *CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT TO BELIZE Havana, June 8 (RHC) -- Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque today began an official two-day visit to Belize. In this first visit to Belize of a Cuban foreign minister, Perez Roque and Belician Prime Minister Said Musa will reportedly broaden the first bilateral cooperation accords signed between the two nations last year in the areas of education, sports, tourism and housing construction. Among his activities, Cuba's chief diplomat will visit the capital's Ladyville Hospital, where Cuban health professionals are providing assistance. There are currently nearly 100 Belician youths studying in Cuban universities. *CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH TURKISH GOVERNMENT MINISTER Havana, June 8 (RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage met on Wednesday in Havana with Turkish Government Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen. The two leaders discussed current and future commercial relations between the two countries. During the encounter, the Turkish official thanked the Cuban government and people for the island's support after last year's earthquake, which left thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless. The Turkish government minister and his accompanying delegation met on Wednesday with the Cuban Minister of Agriculture, Alfredo Jordan, and the Minister of Fishing, Orlando Rodriguez, as well as the President of the National Bank, Francisco Soberon. The Turkish visitors plan to meet with other government officials and will tour the industrial zone of Wajay. *ALARCON SPEAKS AT UNIVERSITY OF HAVANA ON JUDICIAL WORKER'S DAY Havana, June 8 (RHC)-- Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon has affirmed that the legal process in the United States in which six-year-old Elian Gonzalez is involved is "unsure and corrupt, prolonging the child's illegal detention." Alarcon spoke at the University of Havana on the occasion of Cuban Judicial Worker's Day on Wednesday. During the event, Cuban Justice Minister Roberto Diaz Sotolongo outlined the role of Cuban judicial experts in the battle of ideas to speed the return of Elian to the island. Havana's judicial specialists also signed the Code of Ethics, in which they promise to continue their work in defense of justice and truth. *US GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE DEMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT Guantanamo, June 8 (RHC)-- The presence of a U.S. naval base in eastern Guantanamo is inflicting severe damage to the area's flora and fauna, according to a report published by the daily Juventud Rebelde. According to experts, laboratory tests show that the number of fish species that die in the waters surrounding the Guantanamo Naval Base continue to increase due to the presence of various chemicals. It is also reported that there are constant explosions that affect those living in the area near the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo. *CUBA'S EXHIBIT ATTRACTS ATTENTION AT GERMAN 2000 WORLD EXHIBITION Hanover, June 8 (RHC)-- Some 30,000 people have visited the Cuban exhibit over the past week during the Hanover 2000 World Exhibition in Germany. Cuba's Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, Raul Becerra, said that his country's exhibit at the Hanover 2000 World Exhibition in Germany as been a major attraction. Becerra said that visitors can take a look at the results of the island's achievements during the last 40 years in the fields of culture, science, health and tourism, as well as enjoy Cuban cigars and traditional music. Cuba will celebrate its July 26th holiday at the exhibition with an official event at the Cuban Pavilion. And on July 29th, the Germany-Cuba Si Solidarity group is scheduled to organize a solidarity party in a Berlin park. *FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON ECO-TOURISM SLATED FOR PINAR DEL RIO Pinar del Rio, June 8 (RHC)-- The First International Meeting on Eco-Tourism will be held in Vinales, Pinar del Rio, on November 6th with the participation of representatives from the Caribbean and Latin America. The Tourism Ministry delegate to Vueltabajo said that eco-tourism is a potential in the territory located on the western part of the island and is a recreational option for neighboring Havana, Cayo Largo to the south and the Varadero Beach Resort in Matanzas. A scientific meeting is scheduled to be held during the event, where experts will show the natural beauties of the western province of Pinar del Rio -- known on the island as the Natural Cathedral of Cuba. *Viewpoint: THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT--A SIREN SONG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND DEATH The return to Cuba of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez will not solve the current migratory problems between the United States and Cuba. As you surely know by now, Elian survived a shipwreck in the Florida Straits last November, in which his mother and nine others died while attempting to illegally migrate to the United States. As Cuban authorities have repeatedly stated, it is of utmost importance to eliminate the cause of this and other similar tragedies. Crossing the Florida Straits on improvised rafts or precarious boats has long been considered a totally irrational act. However, some irresponsible Cubans risk their lives and those of their children -- encouraged by the Cuban Adjustment Act, which promotes illegal departures from the Caribbean island by granting special treatment to Cuban immigrants. This U.S. legislation provides for the automatic granting of permanent residence in the United States to any Cuban reaching U.S. soil. The Cuban Adjustment Act, passed in 1966, sends the message to Cubans that if they manage to reach U.S. soil without first dying at sea, they're "home free" -- immediately receiving a work permit; permanent residency is granted one year and one day after they arrive in the U.S. Since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, Washington has tried hard to paint Cuba in the worst imaginable light, trying to sell the idea of growing popular discontent on the island. This is one of the excuses they use to try to justify Washington's constant anti-Cuba maneuvers over the past 40 years. Cuba is not by any means the Latin American nation with the most migrants to the United States, as Washington is trying to portray. Other Central and South American nations, like Mexico for example, have many more. However, those immigrants -- who like most Cubans are seeking better economic opportunities in the wealthy nation to the north -- are not greeted with flowers. Instead, they are chased down, arrested -- often violently -- and jailed until their deportation. As another example, the treatment given to immigrants from Haiti -- the poorest nation in the hemisphere -- is not a pretty picture. The United States and Cuba signed a bilateral migration agreement in 1995, aimed at normalizing immigration relations between the two nations. Under the agreement, any Cuban migrant intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard is to be returned to the island immediately. Cuba, for its part, promises not to file criminal charges against those deported back from the United States and to facilitate the return to their homes. Cuba, for its part, has fully complied with the agreement. Despite repeated failures to comply, the United States has resumed granting some 20,000 visas a year to Cubans who wish to migrate legally to the United States. However, the U.S. Cuban Adjustment Act continues to promote illegal immigration from the island, giving rise to the unsavory business of smuggling undocumented immigrants through the dangerous, shark-invested Florida Straits. Smugglers of human beings demand a high price for their dangerous services, while the United States warmly welcomes such people as "heroes." Certainly, as long as such a criminal law remains on the books, this human tragedy will continue. (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-21372 2000-Jun-09 11:38:46