Radio Havana Cuba-02 February 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 02 February 2001 . *MEXICO CONDEMNS U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF CUBA *SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN OFFICIALS *CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CULTURAL INSTITUTION GRANTS ANUAL AWARDS *RICARDO ALARCON PRAISES WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN BRAZIL *FIDEL BIDS FAREWELL TO VENEZUELAN GOVERNOR AFTER FOUR-DAY VISIT *COLOMBIAN REBELS AGREE TO MEET WITH GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS FEB 8th *RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS OF NATO EXPANSION Viewpoint: *CUBA'S 42 YEARS OF HARD WORK, RESISTANCE PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD . *MEXICO CONDEMNS U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF CUBA Mexico City, February 2 (RHC)-- Media outlets in the United States and Mexico are still commenting about the recent declarations of Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda regarding Cuba. Castaneda strongly condemned Washington's economic blockade against Cuba and stated that Mexico would work to better its already excellent relations with Havana. Mexico's top diplomat met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell this week and held a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart. Political commentators noted that both Castaneda and Powell are new in their posts and that their meeting was an important first step in extending a welcoming hand between the two neighbors. But observers said the strong condemnation of Washington's blockade by Castaneda took Powell and the new Bush administration by surprise -- especially coming from someone who has similar, right wing credentials. Castaneda upheld Mexico's traditionally good ties with Cuba and said he would work to further strengthen those ties. The Mexican foreign minister also spoke with the U.S. secretary of state about the upcoming visit to his country by U.S. President George W. Bush, slated for later this month. *SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN OFFICIALS Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-During the second day of her official visit to Cuba, South African foreign minister, Nkosazana Zuma, will meet with the president of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcón and afterwards with the ministers of Foreign Trade and Basic Industry, Raul de la Nuez and Marcos Portal respectively. The meeting's main objective is to examine ways to strengthen economic and commercial ties between Cuba and South Africa, which have already expanded in the health sector. Next Monday, the South African foreign minister will meet with the Cuban Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas, in order to sign a general agreement to promote bilateral links in the education, health and scientific fields. *CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CULTURAL INSTITUTION GRANTS ANUAL AWARDS Havana, February 2nd (RHC)--Writers from Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Brazil have taken top honors in Cuba's Casa de las Americas 2001 Literary Competition. A jury made up of 24 intellectuals from 24 countries awarded the prestigious Havana cultural institution's top prize in the category of the novel to Colombia author, Leonardo Pesa Calderon for his "Siempre es Posible Verlos Pasar" (It's always possible to see them go by). The humorous "Te ve, mi amor T.V.," by Mexican Dante Medina, won the short story award, while the Casa de las Americas prize for the best theater piece went to Walter Acosta of Uruguay for his "El Escorpion y la Comadreja," (The Scorpion and the Weasel). Literary prizes awarded by Havana's Casa de las Americas cultural institution are considered to be among the region's most prestigious. Each year's winning works are published as a set and sold in Cuba both in Cuban pesos and dollars, as well as abroad. The institution, which is located on the capital's seaside drive, or Malecón, also houses a library, an art gallery and a concert hall. *RICARDO ALARCON PRAISES WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN BRAZIL Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-The president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcón, said yesterday that the recently ended World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was considered one of the most important meetings in history not only for the large number of participants but also for its diversity. In declarations to the Cuban press, Alarcón stressed that the forum forged a path in the face of the need to search for new alternatives to free market globalization. He also referred to mass demonstrations, which took place in Porto Alegre during the event in support of the Cuban Revolution - especially during the opening and closing sessions. The minister of the Cuban Parliament underscored the importance of the inter-parliamentary cooperation agreement signed between Cuba and Brazil on Thursday as the first agreement of its kind signed by the island with a South American country. *FIDEL BIDS FAREWELL TO VENEZUELAN GOVERNOR AFTER FOUR-DAY VISIT Havana, February 2nd(RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro accompanied Jesus Montilla, the governor of the Venezuelan state of Falcón to the airport on Thursday, where he bid him farewell after a four day visit to the island. In conversations with the Cuban leader, Montilla discussed the development of the cooperation agreement signed last year between Havana and Caracas. The majority of Venezuelan patients currently being treated in Cuban hospitals as a part of the medical exchange aspect of the agreement, came from the governor's state. Montilla said that he would look forward to an increase of cooperation between the two nations in the fields of health, tourism and cultural exchange. In return for highly favorable terms on the purchase of Venezuelan oil, Cuba is providing health care and sports training to Caracas, as well as an exchange of agricultural technology. *COLOMBIAN REBELS AGREE TO MEET WITH GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATORS FEB 8th Bogotá, February 2 (RHC)-- The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces broke its silence on today, announcing that they would be willing to meet with government negotiators next Thursday, February 8th. According to reports from Bogotá, the head of the rebel forces, Manuel Marulanda, agreed to hold talks to examine the peace process in that South American country. Earlier this week, Colombian President Andres Pastrana made a last-minute decision to extend the deadline on a demilitarized zone, which has to have expired on Wednesday, January 31st. While the extension only goes until this Sunday, the 4th, observers believe the government will accept the rebel proposal to meet next Thursday. *RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS OF NATO EXPANSION Moscow, February 2 (RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has warned of the negative consequences of further NATO expansion. Ivanov told reporters in the Russian capital that the problem with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization having more members is not numerical, but that the expansion would create what he called "new lines of division." According to Moscow's top diplomat, his country is logically concerned about its own security. And the Russian foreign minister added that if a threat from NATO emerges, Russia will consider it within its rights as a sovereign nation to take appropriate defense measures. Ivanov's warning comes at a time when several Eastern European countries from the former socialist block are expressing their interest in joining the military and political alliance. Moscow has repeatedly stated that there is no real reason for the existence of NATO in the current, post-Cold War period. . Viewpoint: *CUBA'S 42 YEARS OF HARD WORK, RESISTANCE PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD Cuba's president Fidel Castro, recently enumerated the island's many achievements, which he noted, were gained through ideology, national unity and courage. The Cuban people have managed to leave behind a past of extreme poverty and backwardness in which the people of many Third World nations continue to live. The example of tiny Cuba over the past four decades has become an important political and ideological force. In a speech to some 300,000 Cubans gathered last week on the outskirts of Havana, President Castro recalled the challenges faced by the new government when it took power in l959. At that time, he noted, Cuba was an inexperienced, unarmed, practically illiterate nation, beaten down by six decades of bloody colonial rule. It was not, nor had it ever been a democratic, free and sovereign country . From a nation drowning in ignorance, unemployment, disease and social inequality, subordinated to the United States, Cuba has become a free, democratic and sovereign country. It has ended illiteracy once and for all, and boasts a fine national system of education, high quality universal healthcare and soon the Cuban people will be among the most cultured anywhere. In 42 years there has never been a political assassination, disappearances of people, claims of prisoners being tortured or attacks on mass demonstrations. Nor is it common as in other countries to see riot police and troops in Cuban streets. The Cuban people know what they are struggling for and they know who their true enemies are, not because of official propaganda, but rather from their experience of being the target of constant conspiracies and aggressions from abroad. Every day hundreds of hours of anti-Cuba radio propaganda is broadcast from the United States into Cuba. A genocidal economic blockade maintained against the island for more than forty years has failed to force Cubans to their knees nor has it managed to hold back the achievements of the Revolution. The most powerful nation in the world has been unable to politically isolate the island internationally with its rabid anti-Cuba policy which attempts to force other nations to reject Cuban sovereignty. Because Cuba has managed to maintain its independence in the face of such hostility and has in fact, managed to make great social and political strides while doing so, has earned it the respect and friendship of millions around the world. (c) 2001 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-24102 2001-Feb-03 07:39:37