Radio Havana Cuba-17 October 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 17 October 2000 . *GRANMA CALLS FOR MASSIVE TURNOUT AT WEDNESDAY'S MARCH *PALESTINIAN RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY *CUBA DONATES COMPUTERIZED DENGUE DETECTION EQUIPMENT TO HONDURAS *CUBAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS HISTORIAN EVENT *RICARDO ALARCON ADDRESSES JURISTS' CONGRESS *INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETS THURSDAY IN HAVANA *GOVERNOR OF SOUTH AFRICAN PROVINCE OF GAUTENG ARRIVES IN CUBA *12TH CHANO POZO RUMBA FESTIVAL READY TO BEGIN IN HAVANA *Viewpoint: MUCH-TRUMPETED US LEGISLATION ON SALES TO CUBA A FAKE . *GRANMA CALLS FOR MASSIVE TURNOUT AT WEDNESDAY'S MARCH Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- An editorial appearing in Tuesday morning's edition of Granma calls on Havana residents to turn out for tomorrow's massive march in front of the U.S. Interests Section. The march -- to protest recent anti-Cuba legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives -- will gather an estimated 800,000 people. The Granma editorial states that the message of Wednesday's demonstration will be especially directed toward U.S. public opinion -- emphasizing that the Cuban people do not believe the outrageous lie that Washington's economic blockade is being softened. Noting that the legislation illegally confiscates Cuban assets and hands the money over to terrorist groups operating against the Cuban Revolution, the editorial states that thousands have been killed over the past 40 years in actions condoned and encouraged -- if not directly armed and organized -- by the U.S. government. Cuba is now the only country in the world that is unilaterally blockaded and the target of an economic war by the largest and most powerful empire on the face of the earth. Tuesday's editorial in Granma calls for an immediate and unconditional end to Washington's cruel and genocidal war being waged against Havana. The intelligent and heroic people of Cuba can never be tricked, Humiliated or forced to their knees. *PALESTINIAN RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY Havana, October 17 (RHC) -- In Havana, the Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America -- OSPAAAL -- has strongly condemned what it calls Tel Aviv's bloody repression being carried out in Palestinian occupied territories. According to a statement issued by OSPAAAL on Monday, Israeli aggressions have escalated the level of violence and include the aerial bombing of offices of the Palestinian National Authority and other civilian targets. The Havana-based solidarity organization states that innocent civilians have been the victims of the irrational violence being flaunted by Israel, which has cost the lives of more than one hundred Palestinians and wounded thousands more. OSPAAAL calls on Tel Aviv to immediately stop the violence, which it terms as genocide against the noble and heroic Palestinian people. The Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America affirms that all people of the world must demand an end to the massacre and open the way for a peaceful solution to the conflict. OSPAAAL states that the Palestinian cause is just and legitimate -- and that the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination, independence and sovereignty. *CUBA DONATES COMPUTERIZED DENGUE DETECTION EQUIPMENT TO HONDURAS Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- Cuba has donated computerized equipment to Honduras that detects any virus in a period of 24 hours. The medical technology is primarily geared towards the fight against the dengue epidemic. Hemorrhagic dengue, which is also affecting Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, continues on the rise in Honduras, where 53 cases have been reported, of which 43 are located in Tegucigalpa, the capital. The computer will process 800 to 900 cases in a period of four hours. *CUBAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS HISTORIAN EVENT Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro said late Monday in Havana that without the knowledge of history it is not possible to achieve a high and comprehensive cultural level, calling for the perfection of the current educational programs related to history. Speaking to participants at the final session of the workshop entitled, "History, Historians, the current Cuban Society and the Challenges of the New Millennium," the Cuban President said there are infinite forms and methods to educate the population. There are some 250 delegates from across the island participating in the history congress, which began last Saturday in Havana. Among the issues debated was the need to promote history and the preservation of documentaries and bibliographies containing important historical information. *RICARDO ALARCON ADDRESSES JURISTS' CONGRESS Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, said Monday in Havana that the Cuban people will continue as a symbol of justice and solidarity for the rest of the world. Alarcon was speaking during the opening of the 12th Conference of the International American Jurists Association and the 15th Congress of the International Democratic Jurists Association meeting in Havana until Thursday. The Cuban Parliamentarian expressed his appreciation for the presence of legal experts from 50 countries and for their solidarity with Cuba, an island, he added, that has been the victim of an economic war for the past 40 years. Alarcon gave a detailed explanation on the anti-Cuba policies of successive US administrations, which, he pointed out, began the very day of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1st, 1959. He recalled that in recent days Cuba has denounced new maneuvers in the legislation approved in the US House of Representatives that does not ease Washington's blockade but in fact reinforces that blockade, constituting yet another act of aggression against the island. The President of the Cuban Parliament said that despite Washington's cruel economic war against the island, the Cuban people will continue their struggle for economic recovery and social justice. *INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETS THURSDAY IN HAVANA Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- The regional meeting of the International Chamber of Commerce will session in Havana on Thursday with an agenda centered on trade and investment in Latin America. The delegates will discuss themes like electronic trade and economic liberalization in services, among other topics. The International Chamber of Commerce currently gathers over 7 thousand firms from over 134 countries. Cuba became a member of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1998. *GOVERNOR OF SOUTH AFRICAN PROVINCE OF GAUTENG ARRIVES IN CUBA Havana, October 17 (RHC)--The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, welcomed Tuesday in Havana the Governor of the South African province of Gauteng, Mbhazima Shilowa. The cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg are located are located in this province. Shilowa is in Cuba heading a delegation that will tour the provinces of Pinar del Rio and Villa Clara. He was declared Havana City's honorable guest. The South African government delegation will end their visit on Thursday. *12TH CHANO POZO RUMBA FESTIVAL READY TO BEGIN IN HAVANA Havana, October 17 (RHC)-- The 12th Chano Pozo Rumba Festival is scheduled to begin on October 23rd in Havana and will be dedicated to the four most outstanding rumba experts of our time: Isabel Ibanez, Manuela Alonso, Caridad Cuervo and the Queen Guaguanco, Celeste Mendoza. The artistic dierector of the project, Orestes Vasallo, has called the festival "the last rumba of the millennium." The rumba is an Afro-Cuban dance full of complex rythyms that was born in Cuba's urban regions at the end of the 19th century. It's one of the most popular musical genres on the island. Luciano "Chano" Pozo was born on January 7th, 1915. He was an important composer, dancer and singer as well as a "rumbero." In May, 1946, Chano Pozo traveled to New York and performed with important musicians, including Dizzie Gillespie. He died in Harlem on December 2nd, 1948. Viewpoint: MUCH-TRUMPETED US LEGISLATION ON SALES TO CUBA A FAKE Over the last few days, Western media outlets have been busy praising an alleged easing of the economic blockade against Cuba, achieved after protracted lobbying by Democratic and Republican legislators. The measure, attached to the important Agriculture Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2001, has experts and Cuba solidarity activists alike intrigued on how Washington will effectively materialize legislation that in practice can't be applied. For months, legislative forces hoping to positively change the U.S.'s Cuba policy, worked hard to ease the restrictions on the sale of food an medicine. At the last minute, the effort was derailed in conference committee by the Republican leadership in Congress, with the unconditional support of the representatives of the Miami's Cuban-American mafia in Congress. The anti-Cuba forces also seized the opportunity to block the President's ability to lift or enforce a ban on travel to Cuba without congressional approval by railroading language into the appropriations bill which converts into law current travel restrictions. If signed into law by President Clinton this week, Americans and Cuban-Americans will be denied the freedom to travel to the island nation. To top it off, the reactionary forces in congress also attached to another bill an amendment granting access to frozen Cuban assets in the United States, estimated at over100 million dollars, to compensate relatives of alleged victims of terrorist acts. Once again it's anti-Cuba time in the U.S. Congress: an alleged easing of restrictions on food and medicine, with no federal or private funds available, with no Cuban ships or foreign ships coming from Cuba authorized to dock in U.S. ports. It is merely another public relations stunt, and - like Senator Christopher Dodd said - it's all about money and elections. Washington decided to ease sanctions against countries it has describes as "rogue states," including Cuba. s one of them. But Cuba is now the only country in the world subjected to a brutal economic blockade. Cubans, however, will not surrender and will remain determined to fight for their sovereignty and independence. That's why some eight hundred thousand Cubans will be marching Wednesday in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to express their repudiation of Washington's new ploy. Havana residents will convey to the world, and especially to U.S. public opinion, what the Cuban people think about the so-called easing of the blockade: that the humiliating conditions that the United States is trying to impose on the island will not be accepted and that the numerous anti-Cuba amendments and laws that translate into the U.S. blockade of Cuba are still intact. Cubans will not be deceived, humilated or forced to their knees. (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-13551 2000-Oct-17 23:25:26