Radio Havana Cuba-18 April 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 18 April 2001 . *IN TIGHT VOTE AT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, CUBA WINS A MORAL VICTORY *CUBA DENOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED US PRESSURES AND MANIPULATION IN GENEVA *COMMEMORATION OF U.S. INVASION'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY BEGINS AT PLAYA GIRON *MORE CUBAN YOUTH HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AS COMPUTER CLUBS EXPAND *CONCERN FOR REGION'S SENIOR CITIZENS AT SOCIAL SECURITY CONGRESS *CUBAN SPORTS SPECIALISTS FULLY OPERATIONAL IN VENEZUELA *NICARAGUA: SANDINISTAS EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA *SUBVERSIVE PLANS AGAINST VENEZUELA'S REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS *VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ SLATED TO SPEAK SATURDAY IN QUEBEC *SYRIA BLASTS CRITICISM OF PALESTINIANS AND ARAB COUNTRIES Viewpoint: *POWERFUL ENEMIES CONTINUE EFFORTS TO MOUNT A FRONT AGAINST CUBA . *IN TIGHT VOTE AT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, CUBA WINS A MORAL VICTORY Havana, April 18 (RHC)--Cuba has won a moral victory in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, despite the narrow approval of an anti-Cuba resolution regarding alleged human rights violations on the island. The vote -- 22 in favor of the U.S.-sponsored resolution with 20 nations voting against and ten members abstaining -- comes after what observers called intense arm-twisting by the U.S. delegation and its allies. Introduced by the Czech Republic, the resolution was designed to condemn the Cuban Revolution among the international community. Early Wednesday morning, the Cuban Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning Washington's delegation at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva for carrying out a campaign of pressure and intimidation. According to the statement, the United States shamelessly pressured the African member nations of the Commission Wednesday morning, in a last-ditch effort to change their votes in favor of their resolution. Minutes before the vote on the anti-Cuba resolution, the head of the Cuba's delegation to the session, Ambassador Carlos Amat, took the stage to highlight the climate of political manipulation and unprecedented pressures that had marked the drafting and final presentation of the document. Amat said that once again, the Human Rights Commission was forced to carry out a shameful action, which damages its credibility and prestige before the international community and leads the world to question the commission's mechanisms and objectives. Ambassador Amat said it was clear that this practice responded only to the U.S.'s own interest, so that Washington could have an excuse to justify the economic and trade blockade imposed on the Cuban people for over forty years. It also served as a pretext, he said, to justify Washington's hegemonic, interventionist and aggressive policy towards Cuba, which has been repeatedly rejected by the international community. *CUBA DENOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED US PRESSURES AND MANIPULATION IN GENEVA Following are excerpts from the speech delivered Wednesday by Ambassador Carlos Amat, head of the Cuban delegation to the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Commission: The Cuban Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Carlos Amat, noted that Europe had again yielded before Washington's efforts to try to humiliate Cuba. "I'm referring to the bill contained in document L-21, presented by the Czech Republic under the dictate of the United States," said the Cuban representative in his address. "We all know the unjust, discriminatory and politicized character with which this issue has been treated. It is clear that it does not respond to a real concern about the issue of human rights. If that were the case, it would be others, including the real authors of this anti-Cuba resolution and their allies, who would be here responding before this commission for the numerous violations of human rights in their own countries, as well as for those that they commit every day outside their borders. "U.S. control over the text of the draft resolution, and the removal of the paragraph on the blockade, have once again shown the European Union's inability to defend its positions to the last consequences, and its disposition to yield before the hegemonic role of the United States today. "Cuba strongly rejects this practice, as well as the text of the draft resolution, and considers them to be ill-intended from the beginning, as evidenced by their essence of political manipulation, its fallacious content, and the absolute lack of moral authority on the part of its promoters in their efforts to try to condemn Cuba, whose work in guaranteeing the full enjoyment of all human rights for its people is unquestionable. "Cuba's work in the area of human rights and dignity for its people is all the more outstanding when considering that during the last 40 years Cuba has had to face direct military aggressions from the United States, sabotage and terrorist actions, assassination plots against its leaders, a ruthless economic war, the introduction of plagues and diseases aimed against both its population and its agriculture, the covert and overt organization and financing of actions against the rule of law and the national security of Cuba, and an unprecedented campaign of slanders and lies." The head of the Cuban delegation in Geneva, Ambassador Carlos Amat, recalled that on a day like today 40 years ago, Cuba was fighting against the US-organized and financed military invasion at the Bay of Pigs. Amat also noted that industrialized nations are never denounced at the UN Human Rights Commission. "Does this mean that the powerful do not violate these rights? Or is it that the purpose of this Human Rights Commission is to be used to crush the small countries when they decide to defend their sovereignty and their self-determination? What is presently being done against Cuba certainly sets a dangerous precedent, as it could serve to destroy the sovereignty and independence of nations that might oppose the unacceptable imposition of a single model aimed at doing away with the history and idiosyncrasies of nations and cultures through pressure and blackmail. "It is also no secret how, over these past three years following the failure of the anti-Cuba resolution in 1998, the United States, worried about this new vote and afraid of the political cost of a new defeat, has once again made use of the Czech Republic to carry out the humiliating role of holding the fig leaf to try to hide their indecent action. However, Washington's role as the real promoter of this action is so evident that a DNA test would be totally unnecessary to determine the true father of this diabolic creature." *COMMEMORATION OF U.S. INVASION'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY BEGINS AT PLAYA GIRON Havana, 18th April (RHC)--Cuban president Fidel Castro traveled to the Bay of Pigs today to attend ceremonies to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the invasion. The Cuban leader directed operations himself when 1,500 mercenaries supported by United States naval vessels, invaded the island in 1961 and were quickly routed by the island's militia within 72 hours. Fidel Castro met with other veterans who fought off the invasion between the 17th and the 19th April forty years ago. One of them, Raul Curbelo Morales praised the 10 pilots who made up the Cuban air force those days that so successfully helped to defeat the invaders. He remarked that although there weren't many of them, Cuban planes survived the bombing attacks on its airports on the 15th April 1961 because Fidel Castro had had the nation's aircraft scattered to protect them from attack. Thus, only three were destroyed. He added that this small force was able to break the back of the mercenaries by sinking ships and providing air cover enabling the militia to fight back and capture the entire invasion force. Jose Ramon Fernandez, the man in charge of the island's militia at the time, was also present. The Bay of Pigs is 145 kilometers from Havana and the attackers expected help from counter-revolutionary groups within Cuba. They did not expect much resistance from the militia, which was extremely determined and proficient. Fidel Castro, who was 34 in 1961, ran operations out of the now-famous Australia Sugar Mill, in what he often refers to as "the first route of US imperialism." *MORE CUBAN YOUTH HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AS COMPUTER CLUBS EXPAND Havana, 18th April (RHC)--The simultaneous inauguration of another eight computer youth clubs in the province of Holguin yesterday brought to 23 the number of clubs now operating in the province. To date, some 2000 youngsters have graduated from computer introduction classes in Holguin with another 300 currently undergoing courses at various levels. One of the main objectives of the computer youth clubs, which are called Joven Clubs, is to provide the islands youth with not only proficiency in the operation of computers but also access to the Internet which for economic reasons is denied to most Cubans. The island's antiquated telephone lines are also unable to cope with a significant increase in traffic with the increased use of the Internet. Thus efforts are being made to digitalize the entire island's telephone system. Most of Havana has now been converted and larger numbers of its citizens now have access to both e-mail accounts and the Internet. *CONCERN FOR REGION'S SENIOR CITIZENS AT SOCIAL SECURITY CONGRESS Havana, 18th April (RHC)--The Secretary General of the Ibero-American Social Security Organization, known by its Spanish acronym OISS, yesterday said in Havana that his principal concern is that of the welfare of the region's senior citizens. Adolfo Jimenez, who is in Cuba for the First International Social Security Congress, said that it was unacceptable that at the beginning of the 21st century so many senior citizens had poor access to sanitary conditions. He added that in some Latin American countries no more than 12% of their senior citizens have access to basic social services. Jimenez said that funding such services could not simply come from social security payments taken from worker's paychecks but needed to be fully funded with state grants as part of member-nation's budgets. In some nations the privatization of their social security services had led to a decrease in services and these nation's governments should step in to fill the gap, he said. One of the OISS's biggest concerns is that many retirement funds have passed from public to private hands thus affecting eventual coverage for workers reaching retirement age. Some 160 delegates from more than 20 countries are attending the Social Security Congress, which will be in session through the 20th April at Havana's Convention Center. *CUBAN SPORTS SPECIALISTS FULLY OPERATIONAL IN VENEZUELA Havana, 18th April (RHC)--The 300 Cuban sports technicians that were part of the accords signed by Venezuela and Cuba last year in an exchange program for Venezuelan oil for Cuban expertise, are now reported to be fully operational. The Vice-President of the Cuban Sports and Recreation Institute or INDER , Alberto Juantorena, said that the work of his compatriots was not to Cubanize the Venezuelan sports training program but to seek solutions for those problems identified by the Venezuelans. The two Venezuelan states of Barinas (with 80 technicians) and Lara (with 62 technicians) are the ones that currently contain the most number of Cuban sports experts who are looking to work closely with the nation's communities to improve Bogota's sports program. Juantorena said that he was very satisfied with things so far and commended the Venezuelan government and its president Hugo Chavez for their interest and participation in the program. The interest from the very top circles can only have a positive effect, he said, and was sure to stimulate both Venezuelans and Cubans alike into producing excellent results. *NICARAGUA: SANDINISTAS EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA Managua, April 18 (RHC)--The former president of Nicaragua and head of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, Daniel Ortega, has sent a congratulatory message to the Cuban people marking the 40th anniversary of their victory at the Bay of Pigs. Ortega says that his party and people will continue to stand side by side with the heroic Cuban people. The Sandinista leader recalled that 40 years ago, mercenary troops left from the Nicaragua of Somoza to invade the island. Today, he stated, mercenaries are once again using a corrupt and oppressive government in Managua to attack Havana. He said that today's mercenary forces -- also at the service of imperialism -- are trying to intimidate Cuba at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. According to the head of the Sandinistas, rather than condemning the real violators of human rights -- those who blockade and attack the Cuban people -- the forces of reaction are trying to mask their lies as truth. And Daniel Ortega took particular aim at his country's inclusion in their delegation in Geneva of a Cuban-born terrorist who currently lives in Miami. Luis Zúñiga hid behind the name-plate of Nicaragua, but has absolutely nothing to do with that Central American country, other than sharing the Nicaraguan government's desire to destroy the Cuban Revolution. Zúñiga, now a naturalized U.S. citizen, took aim at Havana with his lies and was denounced as the terrorist and traitor that he is. The leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front and current presidential candidate of his party, Daniel Ortega stated that today, 40 years after the Cuban people defeated the invaders at the Bay of Pigs, they continue to win new victories -- armed with the truth of their independence, self-determination and socialism. *SUBVERSIVE PLANS AGAINST VENEZUELA'S REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS Caracas, April 18 (RHC)-- Huge amounts of money are being funneled into Venezuela to finance a conspiracy against the administration of President Hugo Chavez. According to the head of State Security, Eliecer Otaiza, the current subversive plans underway in Venezuela cannot be underestimated. Appearing on a television news program in Caracas, Otaiza said there is ample evidence to incriminate a group of very well-financed individuals who are involved in plans to destroy the Venezuelan revolutionary process. The enemies of the revolution, stated Eliecer Otaiza, have even taken to pay protesters to demonstrate against the government -- pointing to one recent example of 200 taxi drivers who went out on strike. Answering questions by one reporter, the head of State Security discounted rumors that his agency secretly films and records opposition journalists and owners of newspapers or radio and TV stations. Otaiza said that such activities are unnecessary because everyone knows that these reporters and media sources are openly against the government. Venezuela's security chief referred to the struggle against corruption being carried out by the administration of President Hugo Chavez. He noted that many people working in government and public agencies are left-overs from previous, corrupt administrations in the country. Some of them have criminal records and have no training in their areas of work -- having been given comfortable jobs as a way to pay them for political favors to past governments. The head of Venezuela's state security reiterated the decision of President Hugo Chavez to eliminate corruption -- as well as the commitment to continue deepening the revolutionary process in the Land of Simon Bolivar. *VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ SLATED TO SPEAK SATURDAY IN QUEBEC Caracas, April 18 (RHC)--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be one of the first speakers to address the issue of human development at the upcoming Third Summit of the Americas, slated for Quebec, Canada this weekend. During a news conference in the Venezuelan capital, Foreign Minister Luis Alfonso Davila said that Chavez will speak on Saturday -- during a session examining regional development. Davila told reporters that the Venezuelan president is also very interested in two other issues that will be discussed by Latin American leaders in Canada: the theme of democracy and the issue of creating regional wealth. The Venezuelan foreign minister told reporters in Caracas that his country believes that before a Free Trade Area of the Americas is created, regional nations must carefully analyze the situation. Venezuela has joined Brazil and other countries in Latin America that believe the year 2005 is the earliest date possible for the regional free trade zone. The United States, Canada and Chile are pushing to move up the date to 2003, but many observers say that such a decision could place the weaker economies of the region in jeopardy. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Luis Alfonso Davila, who will also accompany Hugo Chavez to the Summit of the Americas in Canada later this week, stated that the Venezuelan president plans to meet with other leaders attending the gathering, including Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores, the President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, and Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson. *SYRIA BLASTS CRITICISM OF PALESTINIANS AND ARAB COUNTRIES Damascus, April 18 (RHC)-- Syrian President Bashar al Assad has sharply criticized United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan -- advising him to be more careful in his choice of words when calling for moderation in the Middle East. According to the Syrian news agency SANA, the head of the United Nations spoke with the Syrian president on the phone and said that Palestinians and Arabs should learn to control themselves. In statements to the SANA news agency, Syrian President al Assad said it is paradoxical that Arabs are asked to be moderate in the face of increasing Israeli attacks against them. The Syrian leader said it is impossible to achieve peace by using general terminology, adding that the situation in the region is extremely dangerous. Emphasizing that it is Tel Aviv that needs to find moderation in its behavior, the Syrian president said that it is surprising to define resistance to Israeli attacks as aggression. Israel must assume responsibility for its aggressive actions and attacks, and that the Palestinian and Arab peoples will continue to resist Zionist occupation and attacks. . Viewpoint: *POWERFUL ENEMIES CONTINUE EFFORTS TO MOUNT A FRONT AGAINST CUBA Washington, led by President George W. Bush and his reactionary government, have been mobilizing since the new president took office to get other nations, by hook or by crook, to condemn Cuba. The United States has spared no resources, pressures, promises, threats, and offers to try and justify its more than four decade long aggression against Cuba. The island's crime? Simply to have resisted those aggressions over the years and to insist that Cuba is a sovereign nation. Washington is set on world domination and in its pursuit has pressured poor nations into accepting neo-liberal globalization which has caused the Third World so many problems, beyond the fact that those countries are drowning in poverty and social problems. Now, with the vote of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva on an anti-Cuba resolution, the United States has moved heaven and earth to rally a majority against the island. But, as Cuban President Fidel Castro said recently, whichever way the vote goes, Cuba will be victorious because the world has now seen Washington's dirty tricks in action in Geneva including diplomatic and economic blackmail. At the time this editorial was written, the vote had not yet taken place and in fact, a move was afoot by the United States to postpone the balloting another day in order to make a last ditch attempt to garner more votes against Cuba. No matter what the vote, it is clear that the rest of the world supports Cuba That is how it has been in the last in 40 years, one attack after the other, invasions, sabotage, threats of all kinds, a genocidal economic blockade. Despite all its efforts to the contrary, it has become clear to the rest of the world that Washington is in the wrong and must change its policy if it doesn't want to defeat itself. (c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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