RHC-15 de janeiro 2002 (English) Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Note: We have only an English RHC news report for January 15. RHC did not post any news in French, Portuguese or Spanish tonight, so we are forwarding our English news digest to some lists that would ordinarily receive another language. We apologize for any inconvenience. NY Transfer News Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 15 January 2002 . *FIDEL CASTRO URGES LARGER ROLE FOR FAMILY DOCTORS IN DENGUE CAMPAIGN *DELEGATION FROM MASSACHUSETTS VISITS CENTERS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN *INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CAYO COCO RESORT BEGINS OPERATIONS *CUBA FOCUSES ON REFORESTATION TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES *DANISH THEATER GROUP TO PERFORM IN CUBA *COLOMBIAN REBELS AND GOVERNMENT AGREE TO REVIVE PEACE TALKS *ARGENTINE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE *WHITE HOUSE ROLLS BACK ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RULES *THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN REFUGEES HUDDLE ON BORDER WITH PAKISTAN *US HANDLING OF AFGHANISTAN POWs MAY VIOLATE GENEVA CONVENTION - RED CROSS . *FIDEL CASTRO URGES LARGER ROLE FOR FAMILY DOCTORS IN DENGUE CAMPAIGN Havana, January 15 (RHC)- Cuban President Fidel Castro urged an increase in the role of family doctors in the campaign against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. During a meeting on Monday at the headquarters of the Communist Party's provincial committee in Havana, Fidel Castro insisted on family doctors playing a more decisive role in the efforts to eliminate the aedes aegypti mosquito -carrier of dengue, as well as the early detection of the disease. During the meeting, it was revealed that over the last three days since the launching of the campaign, on Saturday morning, 800 cubic meters of waste materials have been collected in the Cuban capital. It was also revealed that of the 4,500 water leaks reported in Havana, 239 have been classified as actual mosquito breeding areas. The Cuban leader recommended the creation of new brigades to concentrate on solutions to eliminate the water leaks. On hand were various ministers, government and party leaders, health officials and representatives of grassroots organizations in Havana. *DELEGATION FROM MASSACHUSETTS VISITS CENTERS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN Havana, January 15 (RHC)- A delegation from the U.S. State of Massachusetts visited centers for disabled children in the Cuban capital. The delegation, comprised of 30 activists from the Massachusetts Access Project, donated books on different subjects and some materials in Braille, as well as medical products and equipment. During a meeting at the Bejucal library located on the outskirts of Havana, the visitors praised the attention and treatment given to disabled children in Cuba. The Access Project includes people from different religious groups and professional occupations. Their aim is to help build bridges of friendship between the United States and Cuba. The U.S. visitors toured, among other places, the Abel Santamaría special school for visually impaired children. *INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CAYO COCO RESORT BEGINS OPERATIONS Ciego de Avila, January 15 (RHC)- With the arrival of a flight from Argentina, Cubana Airlines began international service to the island's Jardines del Rey airport on Tuesday. The airport is located on the Cayo Coco tourist resort, a key in the northern province of Ciego de Avila. The start of operations at the Jardines del Rey international airport adds to the attractiveness of that tourist resort, while also reducing by some 110 kilometers the distance to the area of exceptionally beautiful beaches. Most visitors to the keys on the northern coast of Ciego de Avila -Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo - arrive on the island through the Máximo Gómez airport, centrally located in the province. When the final construction phase is completed by October this year, the terminal will have a capacity to welcome more than 1 million visitors a year. *CUBA FOCUSES ON REFORESTATION TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES Camagüey, January 15 (RHC)- Over the next four years, Cuba will undergo a reforestation process, aimed at protecting its water systems. Fidel Ramos Perera, President of the National Reforestation Commission, stated that most Cuban provinces have focused work in this area as a result of the current low levels of the country's reservoirs. Today, the island's has 246 dams, only 17 of them in wooded areas. There are also a total of 747 micro-dams, which are mainly used to supply water for agriculture and livestock. The organizations in charge of making these investments will concentrate on planting seedling trees and making sure that they grow correctly. Ramos Perera added that several practical and research tasks would be carried out as part of Cuba's program of activities for the 2002 United Nations international Mountain Year. A research team, made up of representatives from students' institutions and forest-related entities, is interested in learning about water contamination and its repercussions in the area, indigenous fauna and the current state of the island's water resources. *DANISH THEATER GROUP TO PERFORM IN CUBA Havana, January 15 (RHC)- The prestigious Danish Theater group, Odin Teatret and its director Eugenio Barba will put on their first performance in the Cuban capital this week. The prominent Danish company, which arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, will perform several theatre pieces and shows as well as holding workshops and exchanging experiences with their Cuban counterparts. The Danish company is expected to perform some of their most important pieces in various Cuban provinces including Villa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and Matanzas. The visit winds up on February 21st. *COLOMBIAN REBELS AND GOVERNMENT AGREE TO REVIVE PEACE TALKS Bogota, January 15 (RHC)-- The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces and the government of Andres Pastrana have agreed to return to the peace table. The announcement was made after last-minute diplomatic efforts removed obstacles to negotiations that had brought the country to the brink of a broader war. With Colombian army and paramilitary troops massed just outside the 16,000-square-mile demilitarized zone, rebel negotiators dropped security demands that the government refused to consider. The decision came following a tense day of talks with ambassadors from ten facilitating countries and a United Nations representative. Ambassadors from Cuba, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Norway, Italy, France -- and others -- joined UN special envoy James LeMoyne in meetings with rebel commanders. Colombian President Andres Pastrana had given the Revolutionary Armed Forces until 9:30 p.m. Monday to agree to drop their demands or face an order for the army to enter the demilitarized area, created in late 1998 as a venue for talks toward ending Colombia's four-decade civil war. Until last night, the rebels had demanded that the government end surveillance overflights and special patrols just outside the zone. The government imposed these measures last October to pressure the rebels, who responded by refusing to talk until the security measures were lifted. The rebels have also demanded that Pastrana crack down on paramilitary forces who have committed numerous massacres of civilians. Government and rebel negotiators are scheduled to sit down tomorrow, Wednesday, to renew talks. According to observers, a cease-fire will be top on the agenda. The Colombian president, in an address to the nation late Monday night, said he would give the Revolutionary Armed Forces until Sunday, January 20th, to show that -- in his words -- "they intend to return to the peace process." The demilitarized zone is slated to expire on that day, unless Pastrana extends it. He has extended the life of the area nine times -- the last time in October, when he fixed the January 20th date. Many observers agree that the rebels had no choice but to drop their demands and begin talks with the government -- given the fact that the military and paramilitary forces were poised to attack. Pastrana's military command has long criticized the existence of the demilitarized zone and many publicly continue to push for an end to the peace process. *ARGENTINE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE Buenos Aires, January 15 (RHC)-- Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde has announced plans for a national dialogue on the country's economic situation. During a national television address Monday night, the Argentine president said the dialogue would bring together political, business, labor and church leaders to confront joblessness, government spending, corruption and other key issues. Duhalde -- Argentina's fifth president in less than one month -- said that the dialogue is essential in order to confront the situation that put the country -- in his words -- "on the brink of anarchy and violence." An International Monetary Fund delegation arrived in Buenos Aires on Monday, with the stated intention of working with Argentine leaders to gather information about the country's finances. Upon their arrival, the IMF representatives said they would offer technical assistance on efforts to rebuild the economy. Officials from the international lending agency say they will consider fresh bailout funds only if the government develops what they call "a sustainable economic program." The IMF withheld 1.2 billion dollars in aid last month as the Argentine economy careened out of control, saying the government wasn't doing enough to slow down spending. The agency had lent Argentina more than 40 billion dollars. Analysts say the IMF wants Argentina to drastically cut spending and suspend its dual currency exchange rate. The government has set an official rate of 1.4 pesos to the U.S. dollar, but it applies mainly to foreign trade. For ordinary citizens, the peso on the open market free floats and is now hovering at 1.7 to the dollar. Economic insiders say the IMF wants Argentina to free float the peso on all markets. Over the weekend, Deputy Economy Minister Jorge Todesca was quoted as saying: "we don't need the IMF to be telling us every two minutes what course we should take." Argentina's banking crisis began in early December, when then President Fernando de la Rua partially froze accounts after panicked depositors withdrew two billion dollars from the country's banks in a single day. The freeze contributed to a social explosion -- which had long been predicted -- and drove de la Rua from office later that month. Twenty-eight people were killed in the unrest. Last Thursday, Duhalde's government announced measures that put a tighter grip on the financial system, freezing more than a third of Argentina's 67 billion dollars in bank deposits. Today, the Buenos Aires stock exchange remained closed for a seventh straight day due to the government freeze on banking and finance. A spokesman said it was unclear when the stock exchange might reopen. In the northern Argentine province of Jujuy, hundreds of demonstrators blockaded highways to demand that the government fulfill pledges of assistance to the unemployed, while in central Cordoba, more than 2000 people banged pots and pans to oppose the banking restrictions. Also Monday, hundreds of state workers marched to the Labor Ministry in Buenos Aires, demanding back pay from the new government. *WHITE HOUSE ROLLS BACK ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RULES Washington, January 15 (RHC)-- In the USA, the Bush administration has announced that it will cut back on some of Clinton's environmental protection rules covering wetlands and streams. The move, which the White House claims is designed to reduce unnecessary paperwork, met with immediate criticism from environmental activists. They say the Bush administration, under pressure from developers and mining companies, is reducing its oversight role in the name of slashing bureaucracy. According to reports from the U.S. capital, the Clinton administration increased restrictions in March 2000 under a general permit program affecting wetlands -- limiting the amount of stream bed that may be disrupted without closer review and demanding closer scrutiny of activities in flood plains. Those revisions are rolled back under the new Bush plan. The Army Corps of Engineers will now make a new distinction between perennial and intermittent streams and will relax rules on filling streams that do not flow year-round. The new plan eliminates some restrictions on flood-plain development and gives local officials greater authority to approve surface mining projects. And environmental activists are upset. Howard Fox, an attorney with Earthfirst, an environmental law firm, said: "It seems like the folks who are dredging and filling in the wetlands have more friends than they used to." Julie Sibbing, an environmental lobbyist for the National Wildlife Federation, called Bush's move "arrogant" and "another example of how this administration is turning its back on protecting our nation's wetlands." *THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN REFUGEES HUDDLE ON BORDER WITH PAKISTAN Kabul, January 15 (RHC)-- According to the United Nations, some 7000 Afghan refugees have reached the Pakistani border in the past several weeks, begging for relief. But Pakistani authorities will not allow them to enter established UN camps, which already house more than 70,000 refugees from the three-month old bombing campaign, led by the United States. UN officials report that many of the refugees are suffering from cold and hunger. They have issued an urgent call for governments and international aid organizations to help the refugees, who are facing a harsh winter without adequate food or water supplies. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has appealed to Pakistan to allow those gathered on the border to cross over into UN camps, but only extremely sick refugees have been allowed to enter the country. In other news, the reconstruction of Afghanistan will reportedly cost $15 billion over the next 10 years. According to an assessment issued Tuesday by the UN Development Program, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the money is needed to rebuild the country following more than two decades of war and destruction. The big dollar figure was released in advance of next week's donor's conference in Tokyo. The meeting is aimed at securing funds for what is being called a new Afghanistan, after the Taliban were ousted from power. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and representatives from Japan, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and other countries are expected to attend the gathering. *US HANDLING OF AFGHANISTAN POWs MAY VIOLATE GENEVA CONVENTION - RED CROSS Kabul, January 15 (RHC)-- The treatment of Taliban prisoners held in Afghanistan by U.S. authorities and the methods used in transporting them to the Guantánamo Naval Base in Cuba may be in breach of the United Nations' Geneva Convention. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that those being held by U.S. military forces must be counted as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention, and are, therefore, entitled to the full protection offered by the UN convention. According to the International Red Cross, attempts to get Washington to spell out the exact status of its Afghan prisoners has resulted in a variety of often contradictory responses from different departments in the Bush administration. Some of the terms used by the United States to describe the prisoners -- such as "battlefield detainees" -- have no legal meaning, according to the Red Cross. The Independent Digital in London reported on Monday that the conditions under which the prisoners are being held at the Kandahar air base before they are shipped to Cuba, as well as the forcible shaving of beards and mustaches for the journey, could be in breach of articles of the Geneva Convention. The International Red Cross states that Afghan and foreign fighters of the Taliban qualify for prisoner-of-war status and should be treated as such until a properly constituted court, in the United States or elsewhere, decides otherwise. A legal advisor for the Red Cross, Catherine Deman, has reportedly arrived in Afghanistan to prepare an official report on the situation. According to the humanitarian aid organization, many prisoners held in Kandahar are being kept in unsheltered stockades in the bitterly cold winter, without any privacy. These conditions, according to the International Red Cross, would be a breach the Geneva Convention. The forcible shaving of Muslim prisoners before their flight to Guantánamo could also be a breach of the convention, which stipulates that the religious beliefs of prisoners of war must be respected. The Red Cross added that the United States is within its rights, under the Geneva Convention, to remove prisoners from Afghanistan to U.S. territory even though there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. (c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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