Radio Havana Cuba-23 January 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 23 January 2001 . *CUBA'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE *PANAMANIAN COURT RULES POSADA CARRILES DETENTION IS LEGAL *NIGERIAN WRITER HONORED BY HAVANA UNIVERSITY *TWO CUBAN PERFORMERS HONORED IN HAVANA *NEW CRISIS IN COLOMBIAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS *CHILEAN JUDGE FINALLY INTERVIEWS PINOCHET *ILLINOIS ADDRESSES THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY *Viewpoint: CUBA'S VACCINATION CAMPAIGN . *CUBA'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE Havana, January 23, (RHC)--As the island experiences a rapid increase in the number of cars, trucks and buses on its streets, traffic accidents have become the 4th most common cause of death in Cuba. According to an article in Tuesday's edition of the Cuban newspaper, Granma, in the last 25 years 34,378 people have died in accidents and 268,869 have been injured. The article notes that in 80% of the cases human factors were decisive. Official statistics reveal that last year alone 9,619 traffic accidents were responsible for the deaths of 1,024 people and 8,440 injuries. The study shows that accidents were caused by inattention, failure to yield the right-of-way, poor judgement by cyclists and pedestrians, speeding and drunk driving. The Grandma article points out that the island's rate of 72 accidents for every 100,000 inhabitants, is considered to be high. *PANAMANIAN COURT RULES POSADA CARRILES DETENTION IS LEGAL Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Panama's Supreme court has ruled that the arrest of Cuban-born terrorist, Luis Posada Carriles was legal under Panamanian law. Posada Carriles and three companions were taken into custody last November after they entered the country with false passports. A Panamanian citizen was also arrested. The detainees are under investigation for allegedly plotting to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro during his November stay in Panama where he attended the 20th Ibero American Summit. In a unanimous decision the nine judges declared that Luis Posada Carriles' detention is legal for purposes of extradition. The ruling was in response to two habeas corpus actions filed by Posada's lawyers. It was Cuban President Fidel Castro himself who informed Panamanian authorities of the plot and of Posada Carriles' presence in Panama. After the men were arrested authorities recovered kilos of plastic explosives on the outskirts of Panama City which were quickly linked to the men. The assassination attempt was to have taken place in the University of Panama, where the Cuban leader was scheduled to speak. *NIGERIAN WRITER HONORED BY HAVANA UNIVERSITY Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, l986 Nobel Literature prize winner, has been awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Havana, for his "struggle for social justice and his rich literary history." In a simple ceremony held Monday evening in the university's Aula Magna, or master lecture hall, Soyinka accepted the distinction in the name of the many young Nigerians who are currently studying on scholarships in Cuba. The distinguished writer told the gathering that the assistance of Cuban doctors and teachers working in his country is a way of thanking Nigeria for the rich culture brought to the Americas by Africa slaves. Cuban poet, Nancy Morejon, praised the work of the playwrite, poet and novelist, who is considered to be Africa's most important living writer, as "an immense supplier of feelings and ideas which remain valid." And she recalled that he is the first African to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Soyinka, on his third visit to Cuba, is a special invited guest for the 42nd Casa de las Americas Literary Prize which began on Monday in Havana. The Nigerian writer has written an autobiography, essays, poems, satiric comedies, works of philosophy, plays and two novels. He first visited Cuba in l964. *TWO CUBAN PERFORMERS HONORED IN HAVANA Havana, January 23, (RHC)--Two of Cuba's most popular singer/actresses have been awarded the island's coveted National Theater Prize. Maria de los Angles Santa and Rosa Fornes received the honor Monday night in the capital's Gran Teatro. The prize, which is awarded for a lifetime of work, was presented by Cuban Culture Minister, Abel Prieto, the president of the Cuban Women's Federation, Vilma Espin, and the president of the country's Writers and Artists Union, Carlos Marti. Film and theater directors praised the two women, who have entertained Cuban and international audiences for more than 40 years. *NEW CRISIS IN COLOMBIAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS Havana, January 23 (RHC)--Colombian President Andres Pastrana has cut short official visits to France, Sweden and Switzerland amid a new crisis in his government's peace process with rebel groups. The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces announced Monday that peace talks will remain suspended until authorities clarify the government's position regarding right-wing paramilitaries and adopts concrete measures against these groups. With the January 31st deadline on maintaining the vast demilitarized zone in southern Colombia, Pastrana had warned that the decision to return to the negotiation table is unilaterally in the hands of the guerrilla organization. But the Colombiian Revolutionary Armed Force said the decision is exclusively in Pastrana's hands. The Colombian army has dispatched a large number of troops towards the demilitarized area that has served as the site for rebel andgovernment contacts. *CHILEAN JUDGE FINALLY INTERVIEWS PINOCHET Havana, January 23 (RHC)--For the first time former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has been officially interrogated concerning crimes committed during his 17-year regime. Judge Juan Guzman, investigating the now 210 criminal charges against Pinochet, interrogated him in his home during a period of more than two hours. It had been rumored that the interrogation would only last a few minutes since Pinochet would refuse to respond to questions. But Guzman's long stay indicates that the aging former dictator did in fact answer some 75 questions concerning more than 70 political prisoners summarily executed or forcibly disappeared in the days following the bloody Pinochet coup. Guzman can now issue an arrest order against Pinochet and begin trial proceedings, or can exonerate him for health reasons. During medical examinations two weeks ago, Pinochet was diagnosed with moderate subcortical dementia of vascular origin. *ILLINOIS ADDRESSES THE USE OF THE DEATH PENALTY Havana, January 23 (RHC)--The U.S. state of Illinois has adopted measures to insure justice in the application of the death penalty. The Supreme Court of the only state to have adopted a moratorium on capital punishment -- of the 38where the death penalty is applied -- has adopted nine regulations following two years of studies and hearings, as well as reveiwing an evaluation carried out by a committee of 17 attornies. The moratorium was decreed amid growing evidence that innocent persons were being executed or are awaiting execution. Thirteen prisoners on death row have been found to be innoncent of the charges against them -- oftentimes in investigations carried out by media outlets. Among the regulations adopted is an obligatory minimal standards of preparation and experience for district attornies and court-appointed lawyers - considered one of the weakest links in the capital punishment chain. A professional code of conduct will also instruct district attornies that their duty is to seek justice, and not just a conviction. The Illinois judicial system will also accept further evidence after the conclusion of trial proceedings but before the actual sentencing, and will make extensive use of DNA tests. While praising the initiative,some observers are insisting that some problems have not been addressed, such as using other inmates as informers to obtain confessions and naming court-appointed lawyers without taking into consideration their past record. But Thomas Fitzgerald, of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court, said they have just begun and that there will be more measures adopted in the future. *Viewpoint: CUBA'S VACCINATION CAMPAIGN This week, the Cuban newspaper, Granma, published the news that all Cubans under the age of 20 have been vaccinated against hepatitis B, considered one of the most dangerous socio-medical problems in the world with dire consequences for now and in the future. According to the World Health Organization between 5% and 8% of the world population is carrying this disease. This percentage indicates that between 300 and 500 million Latin Americans are subject to this health risk, which attacks 500,000 Latin Americans every year. Hepatitis B is transmitted in 50% of cases through blood transfusions given under unhygienic conditions and the other 50% via biological fluids such as semen. In general, the carriers who are sick do not present external symptoms. For this reason, it is crucial that vaccines are available in large quantities for the population of a country, particularly for the younger generation who are the most prone to this type of illness. Cuba is ceaselessly working to produce vaccines against these deadly illnesses and developed a hepatitis B vaccine which was found to be particulrly effective against the virus. The island also discovered a meningitis B vaccine - the only one in the world - which has had very successful results in children. The supply of this important and unique medication to the world has been hampered by negative anti-Cuba propaganda but it is now available in many parts of the Third World. On Monday Granma newspaper gave front page coverage to the news that all Cubans under the age of twenty years have been vaccinated against hepatitis B and that the process will continue to vaccinate all those suffering from diabetes. The results obtained by Cuba through to the end of 1999 reveal that the illness, acute hepatica, has been reduced in Cuba by 98% of those under 15 years of age and 81% in young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years. This type of health service has been freely available to all Cubans for forty-two years. The development of this system has resulted in the training of more than 66,000 doctors, which makes the country unique in the Caribbean, with the highest ratio of doctors per population at one for every 168 citizens. Hardly surprising that the people of this island are so determined and united in the defense of their hard won social system. (c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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