Radio Havana Cuba-12 October 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 12 October 2001 . *LATIN AMERICAN, CARIBBEAN JOURNALISTS' CONGRESS CONCLUDES IN HAVANA *TWO IMPORTANT CUBAN OIL PROJECTS OPENED BY VICE PRESIDENT *US COINAGE NO LONGER VALID IN CUBA AS OF THE 15TH OCTOBER *HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR PAUSE IN BOMBARDMENT OF AFGHANISTAN TO GET RELIEF AID INTO THE COUNTRY *NUMEROUS ANTI-US DEMONSTRATIONS IN ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST *CHRISTOPHER DODD PUBLICLY DEFENDS OPPOSITION TO OTTO REICH NOMINATION *PRESIDENT BUSH "SURPRISED" BY ANTI-US SENTIMENTS AMONG SOME ISLAMIC GROUPS *US SENATE APPROVES ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION, ALARMING CIVIL LIBERTARIANS *RIGHT-WING PARAMILITARIES IN COLOMBIA STEP UP DEATH SQUAD ACTIVITY *SOME QUESTION UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Viewpoint: *ARGENTINES LIKELY TO SEEK REVENGE AT THE POLLS THIS WEEKEND *HURRICANE IRIS SLAMS INTO CARIBBEAN . *LATIN AMERICAN, CARIBBEAN JOURNALISTS' CONGRESS CONCLUDES IN HAVANA Havana, October 12 (RHC)--In closing the Congress of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists, Cuban president, Fidel Castro, Thursday said that there was little doubt that he had spent the week in the company of journalists of great talent and values. During the closing ceremony, the leader of the Cuban Revolution reflected on the current world situation, which, he said, it far more serious than we can possibly imagine. The Cuban president also handed over certificates to 20 students who graduated in journalism from the University of Havana and the University of Oriente, who traveled to 11 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa as part of their practical experience, to cover the work of the Cuban medical brigades serving in these nations. The Final Declaration of the congress included a condemnation of terrorism after the criminal attacks that occurred in the U.S. last September 11th, and expressed their support and solidarity with the people of the United States. The document also notes that the September 20th declaration of war by the U.S. president seeks to eliminate the independence of other nations, and transform free-market domination into a world condition, formed by a new political, economic and military domination. The journalists present expressed their complete rejection of the free-market neoliberal economic model, which they said supplants local economies by a unilateral and globalized one that brings misery to the poorer nations of the world. They showed concern that the current war will become a vicious circle that will spread terror across the entire planet. The delegates also ratified their commitment to defend the right to access true information in order to develop a more critical conscience in our societies in line with the times. *TWO IMPORTANT CUBAN OIL PROJECTS OPENED BY VICE PRESIDENT Havana, October 12 (RHC)--Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage, Thursday inaugurated two important advances in the country's oil industry, which are expected to increase production to 60 percent of the island's needs in oil and gas in the coming years. Lage pointed out that recent research demonstrates that with these new oil projects the production of both oil and gas are scheduled to reach some six million tons year. They will include a special pipeline to transport aviation fuel from the Nico Lopez refinery in Havana to the city's International Airport as well as an oil pipeline to transport crude from the northern coast oil fields to the city of Matanzas harbor for loading onto super-tankers. Among the major benefits of these projects are the elimination of oil transportation by highway and railway, the stability of oil processing and the protection of the environment through a hermetic system of transportation. *US COINAGE NO LONGER VALID IN CUBA AS OF THE 15TH OCTOBER Las Tunas, October 12 (RHC)--As of the 15th October US coins will no longer be accepted as legal tender in Cuba, although US paper currency will continue to be negotiable in the double economy that exists on the island. The withdrawal of US coins is designed to simplify the complicated system of coinage that the population and visitors to Cuba have to contend with. Currently there are four types of coins. Those that are denominations of the Cuban peso. Those that are denominations of the US dollar. Those that are old denominations of the Cuban convertible peso equivalent to the dollar, and those that are new denominations of the Cuban convertible peso. The US 10 cent coin and its Cuban equivalent are very different in size and look, although they both have the same value. The Cuban 5 cent convertible coin is, however, roughly the same size as the US 10 cent coin. The old denominations of the convertible peso are also being phased out, leaving the regular Cuban peso and the convertible peso as the only two currencies. Cuba also circulates convertible paper currency in colorful notes that are very easily identified as different from the greenback. Only certain stores will accept the Cuban peso whereas most places accept the convertible peso and its US dollar equivalent. *HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR PAUSE IN BOMBARDMENT OF AFGHANISTAN TO GET RELIEF AID INTO THE COUNTRY Geneva, October 12 (RHC)--Humanitarian organizations are calling for a pause in the bombardment of Afghanistan so that humanitarian aid can arrive in the country. The World Food Program, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights are warning that the situation in Afghanistan is worsening by the day. UNICEF stated that the urgency is clear, that when winter arrives next month humanitarian workers won't have access to certain regions in Afghanistan where 100 thousand people live. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, said that right now close to 2 million Afghans are wandering around looking for food. *NUMEROUS ANTI-US DEMONSTRATIONS IN ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST Islamabad, Jakarta, Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, October 12 (RHC)--Massive and at times violent anti-US demonstrations erupted Friday in Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon Malaysia, the Philippines and Pakistan, among others, in on-going protests against the US-led bombardment of Afghanistan. Following traditional Friday prayers, some 10 thousand Islamic activists in the Pakistani city of Karachi attacked government offices and banks, torched automobiles and stoned two Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurants. In the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, police used water-tank trucks to douse numerous American and British flags that had been set on fire by some one thousand demonstrators, while protests were also reported in other regions of the Indonesian archipelago. In the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, police dispersed close to 3 thousand demonstrators protesting in front of the US embassy. Several hundred thousand people took to the streets of Tehran, capital of Iran, to march in front of the US embassy. Thousands also took to the streets of the Lebanese city Tripoli and in the capital of the part of Kashmir administrated by India, while hundreds demonstrated in Bangladesh and Turkey. *CHRISTOPHER DODD PUBLICLY DEFENDS OPPOSITION TO OTTO REICH NOMINATION Washington, October 12 (RHC)--US Senator Christopher Dodd has publicly defended his opposition to the nomination of right-wing Cuban-American Otto Reich to an important State Department post. Dodd and two other Senators have come under pressure for blocking the nomination, which included a recent "Wall Street Journal" editorial entitled "Divisive Dodd." In an October 11 response to the news daily's editor, Dodd said he took strong exception to the editorial, calling it a misrepresentation of his position and of his attitude toward Bush nominees generally. Stating for the record that Democrats have confirmed, and he has supported, 83 Bush nominations to foreign affairs positions, the Senator said they have done so because the president should be given the benefit of the doubt in putting together his foreign policy team - but that this does not mean being a rubber stamp when a nominee is unqualified. He said his opposition to Otto Reich is not, as the "Wall Street Journal" alleges, an effort to settle "leftover Cold War grudges" with the Reagan administration. To the contrary, wrote Dodd, he believes that Mr. Reich lacks good management skills, sound judgment, appropriate sensitivity to potential conflicts of interest, the confidence of other governments in the region, and the ability to bridge partisan divisions in the Congress so that the United States can speak with one voice on urgent matters related to Latin America. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere subcommittee questioned Reich's records on issues such as terrorism and narcotrafficking, recalling that as ambassador to Venezuela he supported entry into the United States of a notorious anti-Castro terrorist with 30 documented terrorist offenses - including inside the US. Senator Dodd also recalled that in 1988 Reich prevented deployment of a US law-enforcement team authorized to travel to Venezuela in an effort to apprehend Colombian drug lord Jorge Ochoa. He said Reich also appears to have a tin ear when it comes to ethical considerations, noting that he is unwilling to sever all his business relationships that would constitute a conflict of interests. Dodd asserted that hemispheric leaders have expressed strong reservations, surprise and disappointment over Reich's nomination. *PRESIDENT BUSH "SURPRISED" BY ANTI-US SENTIMENTS AMONG SOME ISLAMIC GROUPS Washington, October 12 (RHC)--US President George W. Bush has affirmed that he's astonished by the hate that some Islamic groups feel towards the United States. In Washington's first reference to an issue widely debated around the world, Bush said in a press conference late Thursday that he was surprised that among those who hate the United States there exists such an erroneous interpretation of his country, asserting that - in his words - America is good. Besides a virtual explosion of articles and pieces in alternative media outlets concerning the hate of the US that has been simmering in the Arab world for decades, even mainstream publications like Newsweek have recently asked the same question. During another moment of the press conference, the US President said the September 11th attacks have convinced him of the necessity of Star Wars, despite numerous affirmations to the effect that the attacks have demonstrated that terrorism is not going to come from an inter-continental ballistic missile. Regarding the bombardment of Afghanistan, he said that it's going according to plan - while reiterating that he doesn't know how long the campaign will last or whether Osama Bin Laden is dead or alive. *US SENATE APPROVES ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION, ALARMING CIVIL LIBERTARIANS Washington, October 12 (RHC)--The US Senate Thursday evening approved anti-terrorism legislation that has caused alarm among civil rights organizations. Legislators were able to overcome several days of opposition from the only Senator, Russ Feingold, who didn't want to let the bill go through without debate or amendments. Feingold's was the only opposing vote in a 96 to one approval. The package considerably extends police powers in domestic spying - specifically, tapping telephones and computers. The House of Representatives is expected to approve a similar measure today. Differences between the two versions must still be resolved before the final initiative becomes law, which some observers believe could occur sometime next week. *RIGHT-WING PARAMILITARIES IN COLOMBIA STEP UP DEATH SQUAD ACTIVITY Bogotá, October 12 (RHC)--Right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia have stepped up death squad activity as the country's military has again come under suspicion of aiding them. During the first 12 days of this month alone, the death squads have murdered at least 140 civilians in more than 20 incursions into towns whose residents are suspected of helping leftist guerrillas. Colombia's governmental Human Rights Commissioner, Eduardo Cifuentes, has called for an investigation of an army battalion following this week's massacre of 30 campesinos in the country's southwest. The request sparked an angry reaction from General Rafael Horacio Ruiz, commander of the army's 3rd Division. Cifuentes said information gathered by his office indicates that the battalion in question had been informed that the death squad was going to enter the area where the massacre took place last Wednesday. According to observers, the paramilitaries have stepped up their death squad activity as a result of Colombian President Andres Pastrana's decision to maintain until next January the vast demilitarized zone in the south established for the rebel-government peace process. *SOME QUESTION UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Moscow, Kigali, October 12 (RHC)--While numerous governments and international agencies are applauding UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Nobel Peace Prize, some voices are criticizing the decision. In Moscow, the widow of Nobel Peace laureate Andrei Sajarov - Elena Bonner - said that in today's world the award should not be granted to anyone. Bonner said the Nobel Peace Prize should reward real success and not just a desire for peace - a peace, she added, that does not exist. In Ruanda, the association gathering most of the survivors of the Hutu massacres of members of the Tutsi ethnic group has also called the decision a mistake. The president of the association, Antoine Mugesera, said that on Annan's initiative United Nations peace-keeping troops were withdrawn from that central African nation when the genocide began. The websites of a number of anti-war groups are recalling the United Nations' abiding attitude during the US-led bombardment of Yugoslavia, and now the attacks against Afghanistan - arguing that the world body should more strongly insist on playing a greater role in such conflicts. Viewpoint: *ARGENTINES LIKELY TO SEEK REVENGE AT THE POLLS THIS WEEKEND This Sunday, Argentineans will have the opportunity to replace the entire Senate and half of the House of Representatives. However, in spite of all the social and political problems there is no doubt that the electoral struggle will degenerate into a vote in favor or against the nation's highly questionable free-market economic program. Introduced by the presently imprisoned Carlos Menem and continued by his successor, President Fernando de la Rua, the government's official economic platform is being attacked from all political and social angles, including a coalition that nominally backs the government. Argentina is coming to the elections after a 40-month economic recession, which has brought the country into the economic indices known as a risk country, illustrated by the lack of confidence of investors. Foreign investments fell by nearly 45% in the first months of this year, and taxes on food went up by between two and eight percent, including basic foods. The Argentine stock market - one of the most important in Latin America - had lost by the close of the year half its value. Meanwhile the country continues to increase its external debt, which has reached 46% of its Gross Domestic Product. This year the domestic economy fell between one and two percent, in spite of the formulas incorporated by the Minister of Economy, Domingo Cavalo, urgently demanded by the President, to stop payment to creditors. All the political parties propose different solutions to the grave problem of external debt, from not paying to renegotiating the amount. But the proposals in this sense are diluted by a complete lack of confidence, as the economy is not generating enough money and is only working at half its capacity. To obtain sympathy from the International Monetary Fund and obtain financial loans, the government cut public salaries and pensions by 13%, with a view to qualifying for a zero deficit plan demanded by the institution. With feelings of great indignation, the Argentineans will vote on Sunday, possibly in the majority against the official candidates. More than 91% of Argentineans believe that the country's serious economic problems are due to mistakes committed by the government, while more than 70% affirm that regardless who wins, the future of the economy will remain gloomy. *HURRICANE IRIS SLAMS INTO CARIBBEAN A vicious storm, with a deceptively sweet name has wrecked havoc in the Caribbean. Hurricane Iris, before it slowed to a tropical depression, hit Belize hard leaving a swath of material damages and least 18 deaths throughout the region. According to official reports, Iris killed 13 people in Belize, two in Guatemala, where five have been reported as missing, and finally the deadly storm was responsible for the deaths of a mother and her two children in the Dominican Republic. In addition to the tragic loss of human life, the storm also destroyed the Belizian locality of Monkey River of 2500 inhabitants. It damaged practically all the homes in the town of Independence where raging winds ripped off roofs and knocked over houses. Among the worst accidents to occur in the course of the Hurricane was on the Wave Dancer, a boat anchored in Mango Creek filled with passengers who chose to stay on board during the storm. Only eight of the 28 people were rescued and 11 bodies were recovered. When the skies cleared the damages were tallied: tourist areas (a principal source of income for the Caribbean) were destroyed and between 90 and 95 per cent of the banana crop was devastated. Wind generated by Iris churned up waves of four to five meters high and sent them crashing against the coast along with torrents of rain. Belize's authorities have put out a call for assistance for desperately needed construction materials, clothes, food and medicines for the thousands of homeless. Iris hit Belize especially hard considering that just a few years ago the tiny country was battered by killer Hurricane Mitch. At this moment there is a contingent of some one hundred Cuban doctors which has been working for several years in the most remote areas of Belize. The Cuban medical professionals immediately took on the task of caring for the victims of this latest storm. A natural disaster like this is especially devastating to small nations whose shaky economies are dependent on tourism for survival. The Caribbean and Central American region was already suffering from the sudden drop in tourism sparked by the events of September 11 in the United States. Now is the time that Belize most needs support from its neighbors. However, the majority of them are supporting the US-British actions against Afghanistan. Solidarity with those who are suffering must come first and foremost, because in the difficult conditions in which Central Americans find themselves any element that breaks the fragile equilibrium of life could well cause a major human disaster. (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-10973 2001-Oct-13 07:54:22