File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1997/marxism-general.9711, message 234


Subject: M-G: Fw: Re: CubaNews...
From: companiero-AT-gbso.net
Date: 21 Nov 1997 17:31:01




Forwarded by Liam R.Flynn <trinity-AT-hot-shot.com>
---------------- Original message follows ----------------
 From: companiero-AT-gbso.net
 To: Recipients of conference <iww-news-AT-igc.apc.org>
 Date: 21 Nov 1997 17:31:01
 Subject: Re: CubaNews...
--

CUBA SAYS INCREASINGLY BROAD SECTORS OF US SOCIETY ARE
RECOGNIZING  CRUEL AND INHUMANE NATURE OF WASHINGTON'S
BLOCKADE OF CUBA

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry has
termed as interesting a proposal by the US Chamber of
Commerce to lift Washington's embargo of food and 
medicine to Cuba.  The proposal has resulted in a draft
bill  presented recently on the floor of the US Congress
entitled "Cuban  Women and Children Humanitarian Relief
Act of 1997", and is expected to be debated early next
year.  

Besides the Chamber of Commerce, the measure is supported
by humanitarian organizations like Oxfam International and
the Washington Office on Latin America, by Cuban  exile
groups like the Cuban Committee for Democracy and the
Cuban-American Alliance Education Fund Incorporated, has 
received editorial backing from The Washington Post daily,
is being sponsored by 7 Democratic and Republican Senators
and co-sponsored by more than 100 members of the House of
Representatives. Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman
Alejandro Gonzalez said the initiative demonstrates that 
increasingly broad sectors of US society are understanding
the cruel  and inhumane character of Washington's blockade
against Cuba.  

In another part of his press conference, Gonzalez also
confirmed that the Cuban government has authorized entry
visas to Cuba of 57 Catholic nuns and priests from
Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Haiti.   The Foreign Ministry
spokesman said that this is not the first group  to
receive authorization to carry out their religious
activities in  Cuba, and also termed as good relations
between Cuba and the Vatican. 

SLATE-MAKING COMMISSIONS GATHER FOR FINAL PROPOSALS O
REPRESENTATIVES TO PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- Preparations for general
elections continue on the island. People's Power Municipal
Assemblies will gather in an extraordinary session on
November 28, to nominate candidates for delegates to the
provincial assemblies and deputies for the national
parliament. Delegates of the municipal assemblies will
vote for their area's final ballot for provincial and
national polls, based on proposals brought to them by
slate-making commissions. Prior to the extraordinary
session, municipal delegates will receive biographies of
candidates so that they have ample information upon which
to make their proposals.

Slate-making commissions island-wide are preparing the
proposals they will submit to each of the municipal
assemblies. Before reaching this stage, provincial slate-
making commissions considered thousands of proposals made
by grassroots organizations. In the province of
Cienfuegos, in central Cuba 2 thousand 109 proposals were
raised for the selection of 23 candidates for the national
parliament and 73 for delegates for the provincial
assembly. Commission members visited some 450 work places
to hear workers, trade union and political organizations
representatives opinions on the pre-candidates.

The Cuban National Parliament currently has 589 members.
During the upcoming general elections slated for January
21st, the legislature will be expanded by 12 seats, in
accordance with redistricting and population increase in
several municipalities. According to the island's
electoral law,  50% of the national parliament must
originate from among members of the municipal assemblies,
and the others, are to be elected from among citizens
representing all sectors of the island's society, who are
proposed by trade union representatives, students,
campesino, and women's organizations that make up the
slate-making commission. The Cuban Communist party does
not nominate candidates for the elections.


CYSTIC FIBROSIS RANKS NUMBER TWO AMONG HEREDITARY DISEASES
IN CUBA

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- After sickle cell anemia,
cystic fibrosis is the most common hereditary disease in
Cuba, say Public Health Ministry officials. Research shows
that between 50 and 100 Cuban children are born every year
with the disease, which is frequently detected before the
child's 5th year. 

The disease, which destabilizes the functioning of various
glands, principally in the respiratory system and in the
digestion tract, mostly affects caucasians.

Specialists say that so far there is no reliable method
for the pre-natal detection of the disease for persons who
carry the disease.

BIOTECHNOLOGY EXPERTS WILL GATHER IN HAVANA NEXT WEEK

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- Cuba will be exchanging
information and experience with scientists from all over
the world on the development and testing of vaccines
against hepatitis b and c, various types of cancer,
hemorrhagic dengue and Aids. The opportunity will be
provided by Biotechnoly Havana 97, sponsored by the 
Havana-Based Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology.   

Manuel Limonta, Director of the Institute, said that 
advancements in molecular biotechnology and genetic
engineering will also be topping the event's agenda. More
than 500 foreign experts from Chile, Spain, Italy,
Germany, France, the United States and Mexico, among other
nations, are expected to travel to Havana for the event
which will run from December 1 through the 6.

EXCESS LIQUIDITY REDUCED IN CUBA 

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- Specialists from Cuba's
Ministry of Finances and Prices say that as of October,
the island's excess liquidity had been shrinking at a
faster rate than for the same period last year. Economists
describe the tendency as confirming the curbing of the
island's financial imbalance. The statements were made at
a Havana meeting sponsored by the Cuban Association of
Economists and Havana University, entitled "Cuban
Socialism, Transformations and Recovery". 

The specialists said that the increase in spending was
higher than the income increase of the Cuban population.
Taxation and contributions to the national budget grew 10%
over 1996, and the slight increase in  availability on the
Cuban peso market, were cited as some of the factors that
have contributed to the spending increase.

CUBA OFFERS MORE SCHOLARSHIPS TO CARIBBEAN STUDENTS

Havana, November 21(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry
announced today that the island will up the  number of
scholarships for Caribbean students during the 1998 school 
year.  Upon making the announcement, Foreign Ministry
official  Orlando Lancis Suarez said that though the
number of scholarships  will increase, unfortunately Cuba
is unable to grant all the requests from its neighbor due
to the island's economic situation.  

For the  1997 school year, Cuba granted 35 scholarship
university and high school scholarships to Caribbean
students, as well as scholarships for courses in diverse
fields.  In all, 4, 500 foreign  students are currently
studying here despite the economic crunch.  

Cuban universities and high schools have graduated a total
of more than one thousand Caribbean students, with Jamaica
in the lead with  206, followed by Guyana with 191 and
Grenada with 141. Petitions from the region for Cuban
scholarships stepped up after the 1972 Chaguaramas Accord
establishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and
Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

[c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba
          All rights reserved

Postal Address:  Radio Havana Cuba
                 P.O.Box 6240
                 Havana, Cuba

     Telephone:  (53) (7) 814243
           Fax:  (53) (7) 812927

        E-mail:  rhc-AT-radiohc.org
           WWW:  http://www.radiohc.org
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