Radio Havana Cuba-17 July 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 17 July 2001 . *CUBA PREDICTS EVEN MORE SUPPORT AGAINST BLOCKADE AT UN THIS YEAR *FIDEL CASTRO, JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE HOLD TALKS *EU APPLAUDS BUSH'S TITLE-III WAIVER, OPPOSES LEGISLATION *EUROPEAN UNION WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND RELATIONS WITH CUBA *QATAR'S ECONOMY MINISTER TOURS VARADERO *CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH CANARY ISLANDS GROW CLOSER *ALGERIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER VISITS CUBA *UN CLIMATE CONFERENCE: GREENPEACE BLASTS US ON ENVIRONMENT *ARGENTINA: LABOR ORGANIZATIONS CALL 24-HOUR GENERAL STRIKE *COLOMBIA: GOVERNORS, FARMERS OUTRAGED BY SPRAYING OF DRUG CROPS *Viewpoint: ADIOS TO THE POST-COLD WAR? . *CUBA PREDICTS EVEN MORE SUPPORT AGAINST BLOCKADE AT UN THIS YEAR Havana, July 17 (RHC)--Cuba predicted Monday that international rejection of the US blockade against the island will increase at the United Nations this year. Announcing the presentation of a report to the UN Secretary General on the effects of the blockade on life in Cuba, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said it expected that at the UN vote next November on a resolution demanding an end to Washington's nearly 40-year-old measure, the number of countries standing with Cuba will exceed the 167 which did so last year. Only three nations -- United States, Israel and the Marshall Islands -- voted in favor of the continuation of the blockade last year. Presenting the report to the press in Havana, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jaime Hernandez said that even more important than the growing number of votes against the blockade was the growing international moral support for the island's denunciation of the criminal US policy. Hernandez pointed out that international repudiation of the US blockade against Cuba in the world body's General Assembly has increased year after year, going from 59 nations that opposed it in 1992 to 167 in the year 2000. The Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that 63 countries and five UN specialized agencies responded to the UN Secretary General's appeal this year to contribute their opinions about the blockade and its impact on daily life in Cuba, which he described as affecting all sectors of the island. Among the effects of the US blockade on life in Cuba, the report to the UN Secretary General highlights that 6 out of every 10 Cubans were born and have grown up under the conditions of hardship, hostility, and tension imposed by that policy; that in the year 2000 alone, the island had to pay an additional $38 million to purchase food; and that from 1997 to 2000 Cuba was deprived of an estimated $1.2 billion in international credits with which it could have built 100 thousand new homes and four 600-bed hospitals. The report also notes that under normal circumstances some 25 million Americans would have visited the island during the last four decades, which would have generated revenues of more than $16 billion for Cuba. The report describes US policy as an attempt to "economically choke an entire nation and deprive it of basic means of subsistence in order to undermine its determination for independence. " *FIDEL CASTRO, JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE HOLD TALKS Brussels, Washington, July 17 (RHC)--The European Union has applauded U.S. President George Bush's waiver of the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law's Title III, but has reiterated its opposition to all of Washington's extraterritorial legislation. The EU had threatened to re-file its challenge in the World Trade Organization if Bush put into effect a measure that would allow US citizens to bring suit in federal court against foreign firms investing in Cuba. Following Bush's waiver late Monday, the EU took the opportunity to reiterate its concern over a US law that slaps sanctions on investments in Iran and Libya, calling such measures a violation of international law and the sovereignty of states. In the USA, meanwhile, Bush successfully avoided anger and criticism from ultra-conservatives in Congress and the rightwing Cuban-American community. Senator Jesse Helms, Cuban-American legislators on capital hill and leaders of the reactionary sector of Cuban-Americans in Miami seemed ready to overlook Bush's action while praising the current administration's hard-line position regarding Cuba. Over the weekend, Bush announced a series of anti-Cuba measures that observers unanimously agreed were aimed at placating those who have consistently pushed for implementation of Title III, and preventing a loss of support in the re-election bid of his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush. *EU APPLAUDS BUSH'S TITLE-III WAIVER, OPPOSES LEGISLATION Havana, July 17 (RHC)--In Havana, Cuban President Fidel Castro today held talks with visiting Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Following Aristide's official reception, the two Caribbean leaders began discussions centered on stepping up Cuba's assistance to impoverished Haiti, where 485 Cuban health professionals form part of the brigade of 600 internationalists working in that nation. Upon arriving in Cuba late Monday, the Haitian president characterized Cuba's assistance to his country "exceptional." Eighty-five percent of Haiti's population lives in extreme poverty in a nation that has a life expectancy of only 58 years and an infant mortality rate of 74 per 1,000 live births. *EUROPEAN UNION WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND RELATIONS WITH CUBA Havana, July 17 (RHC)--European Union officials are interested in expanding bilateral economic and trade relations with Cuba, according to Luis Felipe Marquez, Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Business and Cooperation. Marquez is currently in Cuba on an official visit that runs through Wednesday, July 18. While on the island, the Portuguese official will meet with representatives of Cuba's ministries of foreign relations; culture; science, technology and the environment, as well as foreign investment and economic cooperation. Questioned about the state of relations between his country and Cuba, Marquez said relations were good and pointed to growing prospects for expanding and strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchange in various areas. *QATAR'S ECONOMY MINISTER TOURS VARADERO Havana, July 17 (RHC)--Qatar's Minister of Finance, Trade and the Economy, Yousef Hussein Kamal, on Tuesday toured Cuba's world-famous Varadero beach resort. Earlier, Yousef Hussein Kamal met in Havana with Cuban Tourism Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz, to whom he conveyed the interest of the Qatari business community to participate in joint ventures with the Caribbean island, particularly in tourism. The Qatari official has also met with Cuban Ministers for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas and Foreign Trade, Raul de Nuez. Bilateral relations between Qatar and Cuba have gained new momentum after the recent visit of Cuban President Fidel Castro to the Arab nation. Negotiations are currently underway leading to a bilateral accord for the promotion and protection of mutual investments. Teams of Cuban health and sports specialists are currently working in Qatar. *CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH CANARY ISLANDS GROW CLOSER Havana, July 17 (RHC)--Julio Bonis, a high-ranking government official of the Canary Islands, has pointed to growing bilateral relations between Cuba and the Spanish autonomous region. Bonis, who recently visited Havana, mentioned training of Cuban experts in the Canary Islands, as well as bilateral accords aimed at bringing Cuba's Supreme Court into the informatics age. Canary Islands´ President Roman Rodriguez recently made his second official visit to Cuba, which he described as excellent. During that trip, Rodriguez signed various bilateral cooperation agreements with the Cubans in areas such as culture and the judiciary. *ALGERIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER VISITS CUBA Havana, July 17 (RHC)--Algerian Minister of Agriculture Said Barkat has expressed his government's interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation ties with Cuba, especially in areas such as genetic engineering, agriculture and biotechnology. "Despite the large geographic distance separating Algiers and Havana," said Barkat, "bilateral cooperation could well be strengthened for the benefit of both peoples." The Algerian minister of agriculture arrived in Havana on Monday for a visit during which he plans to tour Cuba's Biology and Pharmaceutical Laboratories LABIOFAM, the Institute of Tropical Agriculture Research and the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center, among others. *UN CLIMATE CONFERENCE: GREENPEACE BLASTS US ON ENVIRONMENT Bonn, July 17 (RHC)--At the United Nations Climate Conference in Bonn, Greenpeace said those who believe the US will change its posture regarding the Kyoto Protocal on global warming were "naive." At a press conference Tuesday, British Greenpeace activist Kirsty Hamilton said Washington's attitude is dictated by the oil and automobile industries. Hamilton said US President George Bush's arguments justifying his decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol are almost identical to those of General Motors, Ford, Exxon-Mobil, Texaco and Chevron, recalling that Bush received the lion's share of the $32 million contributed by the oil and gas industries to US presidential candidates in 2000. According to Hamilton, Bush is now repaying his debt, after reneging on his campaign promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, observers in Bonn are reporting widening differences between Washington and the European Union concerning the Kyoto Protocol as the Climate Conference entered its second day. Bush reiterated his decision to maintain Washington's posture, while the EU issued a statement declaring that the international community cannot allow further delays in taking action to reduce global warming. *ARGENTINA: LABOR ORGANIZATIONS CALL 24-HOUR GENERAL STRIKE Buenos Aires, July 17 (RHC)--Both Argentina's official and dissident labor organizations have called a 24-hour general strike next Thursday to protest another severe economic shock package. The General Labor Confederation and the Argentinean Workers Central -- the country's two most important labor organizations -- called the belt-tightening measures an injustice unprecedented in Argentinean history. Public employees have called a strike for Wednesday to protest a 13% reduction in their salaries. The economic shock package is the seventh decreed by President Fernando de la Rua since he assumed office 19 months ago. *COLOMBIA: GOVERNORS, FARMERS OUTRAGED BY SPRAYING OF DRUG CROPS Bogotá, July 17 (RHC)--Indigenous and campesino organizations in Colombia are threatening to paralyze the southern portion of the country to protest the fumigation of drug crops in Cauca Department. Cauca Governor Floro Tunubala, the first indigenous elected governor in Colombia's history, also has the support of governors from the southern departments of Narino, Putumayo and Caqueta. At least three of the four governors have traveled to the capital, Bogota, to meet with President Andres Pastrana. On Sunday, the Colombian military began fumigating in the hope of eliminating 5,000 of Cauca's 11,000 poppy and coca plantations, but the region's residents want to eliminate the drug crops manually, to protect their health and ensure that other legal crops are not affected. The indigenous and campesino organizations are threatening to block all the major highways in southern Colombia, including the Pan American Highway joining Colombia to the rest of South America. *Viewpoint: ADIOS TO THE POST-COLD WAR? The hawks in the Pentagon are euphoric: the military industrial complex has its latest weapons requisitions practically guaranteed. The military finally managed a successful test of its proposed Anti-Missile Shield system. An "enemy" rocket launched from California's Vandenburg Air Force Base was intercepted by another fired from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. It was the first time that the controversial system has proved to be anything other than a hypothesis. Three other tests made over the past two years were spectacular failures. Naturally, President George W. Bush is now armed with more "ammunition" to turn the United States into an anti-missile bunker. Many analysts are predicting that Congress will approve the billions of dollars necessary to fund the project. So we seem to be approaching the end of the Post-Cold War, because this supposed space shield directly challenges the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed in l972 with the former Soviet Union, and inherited by Russia, and is the first step in an arms race more dangerous and costly than when the world was divided into two political camps. "We must go beyond the obligations imposed by the 30-year-old ABM Treaty," said Bush when presenting his anti-missile plan, which is nothing more than a revamped version of the Star Wars project proposed by Ronald Reagan in l983. Russian president Vladimir Putin declared on Monday that if Washington unilaterally scraps the ABM Treaty, which limits anti-missile systems, "Russia will be ready to re-arm." In an interview in the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera," Putin said that there is no urgent reason for the United States to build such a missile shield, contradicting the U.S. argument of "pariah states" which must be confronted. If the United States abandons the ABM Treaty, Russia "would have the right to ignore the Start-1 and Start-2 agreements," warned Putin, and he said that his country would install more nuclear warheads and that other nations would certainly do the same. China also considers the "new strategic vision" that Bush wishes to impose to be erroneous. According to the Chinese government, the anti-missile system does not favor strategic global stability. What is it that Washington really hopes to achieve with this new aggressive move? It can only be that it is trying to arm to the teeth and proclaim itself policeman of the world as the globe's only universal superpower. (c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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