Radio Havana Cuba-15 October 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 15 October 2001 . *CHICAGO SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATION HONORS TWO CUBAN-AMERICAN SISTERS *CONFEDERATION OF CUBAN WORKERS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN JAMAICA *YOUNG PIONEERS ELECT STUDENT LEADERS *CUBAN TRADE MINISTER WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO CHINA *FIRST CONGRESS OF YOUNG ARTISTS SET FOR THIS WEEK *FOR THE FIRST TIME, SAUDIS VOICE OPPOSITION TO BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN *UN CALLS SILENT GENOCIDE OF HUNGER A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY *ARGENTINE ELECTIONS: NULL AND BLANK PROTEST BALLOTS IN THE LIMELIGHT *BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN: CIVILIAN TOLL RISING *MORE PROTESTS IN PAKISTAN AS COLIN POWELL ARRIVES FOR SHORT VISIT *LONDON: IMMENSE TURNOUT AT WEEKEND'S PEACE DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON *Viewpoint: POWELL'S PROVOCATIVE VISIT TO PAKISTAN IGNORES HISTORY . *CHICAGO SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATION HONORS TWO CUBAN-AMERICAN SISTERS Chicago, October 15 (RHC)-- Cuba solidarity organizations in the U.S. city of Chicago paid a special tribute to two longtime activists on Sunday evening. More than 200 people gathered to hear speeches, poetry readings and music dedicated to Gisela and Gilda Lopez. The two sisters have lived in the U.S. since the early 50's -- before the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. Their mother was a staunch supporter of the struggle against the Batista dictatorship, not only in Cuba but also in the United States. Gisela and Gilda sold "freedom bonds" to help raise money for the guerrilla movement led by Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Several friends of the two sisters noted that they publicly supported Cuba when it wasn't popular to do so, risking their jobs and relations with other family members because of their politics. Over the years, Gisela and Gilda Lopez have helped to organize hundreds of solidarity events for Cuba in the Chicago area. They have been active in the Venceremos Brigade and, more recently, with Pastors for Peace -- sending material aid to Cuba. As part of Sunday evening's special tribute in Chicago to honor their untiring solidarity work, a letter was read from Sergio Corrieri, the president of the Cuban Institute for Friendship Among the Peoples (ICAP) and a special message was sent from Reverend Raul Suarez, director of the Martin Luther King Memorial Center in Havana. *CONFEDERATION OF CUBAN WORKERS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN JAMAICA Kingston, October 15 (RHC)-- A delegation from the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC) arrived in the Jamaican capital on Sunday. The group, headed by CTC Secretary General Pedro Ross Leal, will take part in meetings with the aim of increasing friendship and solidarity among regional trade union organizations. Among the topics of discussion are the so-called Free Trade Area of the Americas and the effects of neo-liberal globalization on workers around the world. Later this week, on Thursday and Friday, the Cuban delegation will participate in a special trade union congress in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. *YOUNG PIONEERS ELECT STUDENT LEADERS Havana, October 15 (RHC)-- Nearly one million grade school students cast their ballots on Monday for their fellow classmates, choosing the most capable among them to lead their schools this year. Made up of students from the fourth through ninth grades, the Young Pioneers Organization holds elections every year to select student leaders during the current term. Organizers of the annual elections emphasized that Cuba is unique -- beginning the practice of democratic processes at an early age. *CUBAN TRADE MINISTER WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO CHINA Beijing, October 15 (RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Trade Minister Raul de la Nuez has wrapped up an official visit to China, describing it as "very productive." During his stay, the Cuban official took part in the opening of the International Fair of Canton. Speaking with reporters shortly before his departure from Beijing, the Cuban foreign trade minister stated that he was very pleased with the way in which bilateral relations are developing between Cuba and China. Raul de la Nuez said that during his six-day visit, he toured a number of economic and social places of interest. The Cuban official also met with business leaders and executives from Chinese firms already trading with Cuba, as well as firms interested in doing business with the island. *FIRST CONGRESS OF YOUNG ARTISTS SET FOR THIS WEEK Havana, October 15 (RHC)-- The First Congress of the Hermanos Saiz Association will get underway tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Cuban capital. The gathering -- which runs through Friday, the 19th -- will bring together dozens of the island's best cultural workers. According to the president of the Organizing Committee for the Congress, Alpidio Alonso, the primary objective of the four-day meeting will be to examine and promote cultural projects that conserve national identity and independence. He pointed out that there is a new generation of Cuban artists working in theatrical productions and musical presentations. The leader of the Havana-based cultural organization also noted that his Association is working with young people who are making new recordings of rap and rock music. The Hermanos Saiz or Saiz Brothers Association takes its name from Luis and Sergio Saiz, two Cuban teenagers who were killed in 1958 by Batista's police forces. The two brothers were writers and poets and were involved in the struggle against the dictatorship. *FOR THE FIRST TIME, SAUDIS VOICE OPPOSITION TO BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN Riyadh, October 15 (RHC) -- Saudi Arabia has for the first time officially expressed concern over the US-led bombardment of Afghanistan, denoting the beginning of a rift in the so-called international coalition against terrorism. Washington's principle ally in the Persian Gulf region Sunday broke its silence, with Interior Minister - Prince Nayef Ben Abdel Aziz - stating that his country opposes terrorism but does not approve of the military strikes. The Saudi Interior Minister said US actions are killing innocent people. The statements were also in response to charges in the United States that funds gathered by some Saudi charity organizations are being used to finance terrorism. In a Sunday editorial, the "New York Times" affirmed that Saudi Arabia contributed to the creation of the terrorist organization Al Qaida. Observers are noting that for the first time there's a conflict of interests in the 50 year alliance between the world's leading industrial power and the world's leading supplier of oil. According to one western diplomat quoted by Reuters news agency in the capital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is only willing to support an anti-terrorism campaign that does not alienate its own population. *UN CALLS SILENT GENOCIDE OF HUNGER A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY Geneva, October 15 (RHC) -- Special United Nations representative Jean Ziegler has affirmed that the silent genocide of hunger is a crime against humanity in a world wealthier than ever and that could easily feed the planet's entire population. At a press conference Monday in Geneva on the occasion of tomorrow's World Food Day, Ziegler recalled that more than 800 million people are on the brink of starvation. He recalled that every 7 seconds a child under 10 years of age dies from the direct or indirect effects of hunger when the planet has sufficient capacity to provide a daily diet of 2,700 calories to 12 billion people - double the current world population. Member of the UN Human Rights Commission, Ziegler said each victim of hunger constitutes an assassination. He said that on World Food Day Tuesday there will be nothing to celebrate. The UN official also took the opportunity to criticize Washington's air drops of food packages in Afghanistan without taking into account the immense number of anti-personnel mines in that country, placing in jeopardy the civilian population. He said the operations also do not favor an equitable distribution of the aid, stating that whoever has a rifle gets the food. Zeigler called the food package air drops total cynicism because humanitarian aid should be radically separated from military actions and should never respond to geopolitical strategies. *ARGENTINE ELECTIONS: NULL AND BLANK PROTEST BALLOTS IN THE LIMELIGHT Buenos Aires, October 15 (RHC) -- Null and blank ballots were the major tonic of legislative elections Sunday in Argentina. In the capital, what's being called the protest vote was larger than those obtained by the winner. In Buenos Aires, where the ruling coalition Alliance won with 21.4 percent of the votes, null and blank ballots were to the tune of 23.3 percent. Local media outlets are affirming that the elections reflected an unprecedented distrust of and disgust with the country's political leaders. Instead of ballots, numerous Argentineans put the photos of Latin American independence leaders, comic strip personalities and even the picture of Osama Bin Laden into the envelope to be deposited in the ballot boxes. Voter abstention in the capital, 28 percent, is also considered high in a country where voting is obligatory. Buenos Aires was one of the few triumphs for the ruling coalition Alliance in elections in which the opposition Justicialista Party maintained is Senate majority and became the first minority in the House of Deputies, which means that for the first time in Argentinean history President Fernando de la Rua will have a Congress controlled by the opposition. The Justicialistas will have 41 Senators compared to the Alliance's 25. In the House, the opposition will have 113 seats, 14 more than before elections, to the Alliance's 91, 11 less than before Sunday's vote. De la Rua, in recognizing this major defeat, said that he and his administration will have to make many changes and listen to the voices of the people. It was not clear, however, if the Argentinean president is willing to abandon International Monetary Fund economic shock programs like the 7 he adopted during the first 20 months of his mandate, and that have not put the economy back on track. *BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN: CIVILIAN TOLL RISING Islamabad, October 15 (RHC) -- Civilian victims in the US-led bombardment of Afghanistan are on the rise. Following last Friday's United Nations confirmation of 5 people killed by a bomb that exploded near a market in the northern city of Mazar-I-Sharif, and the Pentagon's admittance on Saturday that a 2,000 pound bomb missed its Taliban military target at the Kabul airport and hit a village killing more than 100 people, the World Food Program reported today that one of its workers was wounded in Afsotar, on the northern outskirts of Kabul, as he was driving a truck loaded with sacks of wheat. A Reuters news correspondent in Pakistan, meanwhile, has reported that civilian victims in the bombing are increasingly turning Afghan public opinion in favor of the Taliban regime. Reporting Monday from Quetta, Pakistan, Reuters correspondent John Fullerton quoted Afghan shop keeper Abuld Wali, who recently fled his country and said he's seen the bodies of women and children dug out from under their bombarded homes. Wali said he's gone to funerals where people are expressing not only anger, but increasing belief in the Taliban's affirmation that this is a war against all Muslims. *MORE PROTESTS IN PAKISTAN AS COLIN POWELL ARRIVES FOR SHORT VISIT Islamabad, October 15 (RHC) -- Tens of thousands again took to the streets of Pakistan's major cities, on this occasion not only to protest the bombardment of Afghanistan but also the visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Thousands of business establishments closed their doors as people protested in cities like Quetta, Jacobabad, Karachi and Peshawar. In Quetta alone, 15 thousand Islamic militants demonstrated. The US's "Newsweek" magazine Monday published the results of a survey indicating that 83 percent of Pakistan's population supports the Taliban regime. Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar has admitted that concern over the war against Afghanistan among the country's people is on the rise. *LONDON: IMMENSE TURNOUT AT WEEKEND'S PEACE DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON London, October 15 (RHC) -- Saturday's immense turnout at a peace demonstration in London has surprised not only observers, but also organizers of the event. The "Independent" news daily reported Sunday that the demonstration was the first major public show of strength for a diverse coalition of people opposed to war which has grown up by website and e-mail faster than in any previous conflict. Police reportedly expected 10,000 people, but officially estimated the turnout to be double that, while activists stated that the number was closer to 50 thousand. The march from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square was called noisy and unruly, but without violence. Muslims and Christians reportedly marched side by side in what has been called one of the most socially diverse protests ever. Carol Naughton, a protest organizer from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said they were there because thousands of people across Britain know that the bombing of Afghanistan is not going to put an end to terrorism. London's Stop The War Coalition announced that it intends to hold another national rally on November 18. *Viewpoint: POWELL'S PROVOCATIVE VISIT TO PAKISTAN IGNORES HISTORY On September 28 the Second Palestinian Intifada was a year old. The popular uprising was provoked by a visit to Palestine's most sacred shrine in Jerusalem by the current Israeli prime minister, ultra rightwing politician, Ariel Sharon who was accompanied by armed soldiers.The ensuing clashes once again drew the Mideast into violence which has cost both sides loss of human life and property , though the Palestinian people have by far, paid the highest price.Ignoring this history lesson, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has begun a visit to Pakistan and India, an area that is experiencing a particularly precarious situation as a result of White House pressures on the those two nations to join in Washington's war against neighboring Afghanistan. Officially, Powell's visit is aimed at mediating between Pakistan and India to try and avoid a split in the so-called anti-terrorism front.However, the region is so volatile that rather than avoiding problems, the US diplomat is inflaming even more the already unstable region. In Pakistan, for example, fundamentalist groups are a serious threat to the de facto government and have taken their anger to the streets across that nation. The White House should also remember that Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons and any change in the fragile internal political situation could leave that arsenal in dangerous hands which would be a significant threat to world peace. If Colin Powell weren't such an astute statesman, one would think that the visit was simply motivated by the arrogance and vengeance the United States has demonstrated in its current actions. However, perhaps the United States wants to stir up the coals in Central Asia for other reasons: perhaps to create a situation that would "require" a large scale military intervention.Whatever the true reason, the visit of the high-ranking US official has sparked strong reactions throughout Pakistan. This weekend saw a wave of massive demonstrations across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa against what Washington is doing in Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest nations, as people watch with horror at what the so-called "intelligent" bombs are doing to the country and civilians. The hope is that this wave of protest will continue to swell and eventually sweeps away this useless and cruel aggression against a nation that has been battered by war for the past 20 years. (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-19389 2001-Oct-16 00:38:51