Radio Havana Cuba-21 March 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 21 March 2002 . *FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON UN, NOT LENDING AGENCIES, TO LEAD DEVELOPMENT EFFORT *COLOMBIA PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TO ONCE AGAIN TAKE PLACE IN CUBA *CZECH REPUBLIC DECIDES NOT TO PROPOSE MOTION AGAINST CUBA IN GENEVA *CUBA AIDS BRAZIL IN COMBATING DENGUE FEVER EPIDEMIC *BRITAIN WARNS IRAQ OF NUCLEAR RETALIATION IF ITS TROOPS ARE ATTACKED *ISRAEL CALLS OFF CEASE-FIRE TALKS AS VIOLENCE CONTINUES *CAR BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE U.S. EMBASSY IN LIMA . *FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON UN, NOT LENDING AGENCIES, TO LEAD DEVELOPMENT EFFORT Monterrey, March 21 (RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro delivered Thursday a stinging denunciation of the current world economic order. Addressing the International Conference on Funding for Development, underway in Monterrey, Mexico, Fidel Castro called on the United Nations, not discredited international lending agencies like the IMF, to lead efforts to fund the development of poor countries around the world. In a six-minute speech, the Cuban leader said the present economic world order was "a system of looting and exploitation" that had plunged 75 percent of the earth's population into underdevelopment. He cautioned that people believed ever less in statements and promises and noted that international finance institutions totally lacked prestige. Fidel Castro said in the year 2001, the number of people in the world who suffered from starvation stood at 826 million while, in the developed world, people lived 30 years longer than in Africa south of the Sahara. The Cuban leader called on rich nations to write off the foreign debt of the poor and provide soft loans for development. He described the consensus that was presently being imposed as tantamount to "being resigned to insufficient, conditional, interventionist charity." President Fidel Castro stressed the need to "re-think everything from Breton Woods to today," noting that rather than a vision of the future, what had prevailed then were the privileges and interests of the powerful. He said now was a time for serene reflection by politicians and statesmen alike so that the world could be saved. The Cuban leader then apologized for having to leave the UN-sponsored meeting following his speech, announcing that due to a "special situation" created by his presence at the Conference, he had to immediately return to Havana. Fidel Castro said that Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon would take over in his place at the Monterrey meeting, asking that he be accorded all formal considerations as official head of the Cuban delegation. *COLOMBIA PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TO ONCE AGAIN TAKE PLACE IN CUBA Bogotá, March 21 (RHC)--The National Liberation Army guerilla movement in Colombia -- known by its Spanish acronym ELN -- has presented the government in Bogotá with six conditions for a truce in one of Latin America's oldest civil conflicts. Delegates from the ELN and the Colombian government of Andres Pastrana will begin a new round of peace negotiations in Cuba next week in an attempt to agree to a cease-fire. One of the most important demands of the opposition ELN is that Pastrana freeze price hikes on basic food commodities. The guerilla group has suggested that instead of pumping money into its war against the ELN, Bogotá should use the money toward the refurbishing of public hospital, improve the conditions of the nation's teachers, and lower gas/water and electricity prices. Another condition is the suspension of the anti-drug fumigation campaign that has wreaked havoc with the health and agriculture of local populations. Negotiations with the other major guerilla group in Colombia, the FARC, broke down completely on the 20th February and hostilities have been resumed. Money for Pastrana's war against the guerillas is being furnished through the United States' Plan Colombia - a complex, supposedly ant-narcotics package worth $1.3 billion. Both President Pastrana and the ELN commander, Pablo Beltrán, expressed optimism that the truce can become a reality. The Havana meeting will include Bogotá's peace commissioner, Camilo Gómez and the Colombian ambassador to Cuba, Julio Londono Paredes along with Beltrán, Ramiro Vargas and Oscar Santos for the ELN. Cuba has long supported a negotiated peace to the civil war in Colombia and has actively taken a part in trying to bring about a cease-fire by providing a neutral place for meetings between both sides to take place. *CZECH REPUBLIC DECIDES NOT TO PROPOSE MOTION AGAINST CUBA IN GENEVA Prague, March 21 (RHC)--Following an outcry from many sectors of Czech society, Prague will not be proposing a motion to condemn Cuba for alleged human rights violations this year. The United Nations Human Rights Commission will be meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in early April to vote on various resolutions among which is the annual one lobbied by Washington against Cuba. The Czech government has in recent years been happy to make the motion in Washington's name. However, this year there are different circumstances from other years. First, the United States is no longer on the Commission, having been voted off last year following what many diplomats felt was a disgraceful slander campaign against Cuba. Second, the Czech authorities have softened their stance in light of domestic opposition and now say they seek dialogue with Cuba rather than condemnation. *CUBA AIDS BRAZIL IN COMBATING DENGUE FEVER EPIDEMIC Rio de Janeiro, March 21 (RHC)--Cuban expertise in combating the dengue virus is being employed in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where there has been a serious outbreak. Cuban medical specialist, Eric Martínez Torres, who is a consultant with the Pan-American Health Organization, is in Brazil at the invitation of the city's mayor to help the authorities successfully fight dengue fever, reported local press. The Cuban doctor said that the most important way to attack the virus is through early detection. So far this year, 40 people have died in Brazil from dengue fever. Martínez said that one of the problems occurring in Brazil is that dengue is often treated as other illnesses before being finally diagnosed. He added that detection within the first three days of infection is absolutely vital in avoiding further health complications. The Cuban expert commented that in his country, where dengue was not a health problem for 16 years, one of the most powerful weapons against the mosquito is the improvement of sanitation habits among the population. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro reported that the number of recorded cases of dengue fever infection in the city had risen to 53,477, of which 428 were of the deadly hemorrhagic strain, 29 of whom had died. *BRITAIN WARNS IRAQ OF NUCLEAR RETALIATION IF ITS TROOPS ARE ATTACKED London, March 21 (RHC)--Britain would be ready to launch a nuclear strike against states such as Iraq if they used weapons of mass destruction against British forces. Britain's Defense Secretary, Geoff Hoon, told parliamentarians in London that people such as Iraq's President Saddam Hussein -- in the defense secretary's words -- "can be absolutely confident that under the right conditions, we would be willing to use our nuclear weapons." The British official issued his warning as anonymous sources in Washington and London predicted that military action against Iraq was likely to be launched at the end of the year. London's defense secretary was briefing the Commons defense select committee on the alleged threat posed by four countries Britain had identified as "states of concern": Iraq, Iran, Libya and North Korea. Although Defense Secretary Hoon later denied in the Commons that any decision had been taken on military action against Iraq, his comments about the so-called nuclear deterrent will add to the Labor Party's concern that such preparations are being actively considered. Many Labour MPs are opposed to retaining nuclear weapons. Even during the 1980's, British Prime Minister Tony Blair was briefly a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, although as party leader he has backed the use of nuclear weapons. The British announcement follows similar reports from the United States. Two weeks ago, a leaked Pentagon policy document laid out the possibility of what it called a "devastating response" to the use of biological or chemical weapons against U.S. troops. Britain deployed some 1700 troops to Afghanistan and political observers say that Prime Minister Tony Blair's apparently unconditional support of U.S. military plans to continue the so-called "war on terrorism" will mean even more British forces will be mobilized. Blair is slated to visit Washington and talk with his U.S. counterpart early next month. *ISRAEL CALLS OFF CEASE-FIRE TALKS AS VIOLENCE CONTINUES Jerusalem, March 21 (RHC)--The Israeli government has called off sessions of U.S.-brokered cease-fire negotiations following another suicide bombing in downtown Jerusalem on Thursday. Two people were killed in the second suicide bombing in two days. The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack, and observers say that Tel Aviv used this second suicide bombing in as many days as an excuse to break off Thursday's talks, scheduled with U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni. Talks at been expected to resume with Israel, but analysts say that now it appears everything is on hold. Palestinian officials said they had been informed of the cancellation of the talks. An aide to Palestine National Authority President Yasser Arafat said the Palestinian leader had reiterated his commitment to cease-fire efforts in a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The United States is trying to secure a quick agreement on a cease-fire deal outlined earlier this year by CIA Director George Tenet. *CAR BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE U.S. EMBASSY IN LIMA Lima, March 21 (RHC)--A car bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Lima, Peru -- killing at least nine people and injuring nearly 40 others. The explosion, which occurred Wednesday night, comes just three days ahead of a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush. The bomb ripped through a district of shops and restaurants at about 10:45 p.m., damaging buildings and cars, but not harming the fortress-like embassy, which is set far back from the street. Authorities say that all those killed were Peruvians and the U.S. embassy confirmed that no U.S. citizens were killed or injured in the car bombing. In Washington, the White House said that the U.S. president's visit -- slated for Saturday -- is still on. But observers said that security, which is already tight for Bush's meeting with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, would certainly be increased. Toledo, who was in Monterrey for the UN-sponsored International Conference on Funding for Development, cut short his visit and returned to the Peruvian capital. Authorities in Lima called the security situation a "Triple Red Alert" -- but wouldn't comment on additional measures that will be taken to provide extra protection for the U.S. president when he arrives on Saturday. Even before last night's car bomb explosion, Peru had been planning to deploy 7000 police to guard the capital and announced that it would ban flights over Lima and shoot down any unauthorized air traffic during Bush's visit. Peru's Vice President Raul Diez Canseco told reporters early Thursday morning that Lima's historic center would be sealed off and police patrols stepped up. The Peruvian vice president appealed to protesters who have announced they will stage demonstrations during Bush's visit to stay home. But wall posters have appeared in downtown Lima saying: "Bush, go away" and "Yankee Go Home." (c) 2002 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-28594 2002-Mar-24 22:33:53