11-9-05,9:26am
Cuba Hopes for Victory over US Blockade at UN
United Nations, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said Tuesday´s vote at the 60th UN General Assembly against the US on the 45-year blockade of his country will be a sound and smashing victory for the Cubans. We expect this 14th consecutive vote will give a clear and
determined sign in favor of the rights of the Cuban people with support for Cuba´s Resolution on the Need to End the Economic, Financial and Commercial Blockade the US imposes on Cuba. Perez Roque arrived this morning in New York to submit this
resolution to the UN. We expect an overwhelming victory, he said. mh/ccs/emw/tgj -----------------
Brazilians Foster Cuban Five Release
Sao Paulo, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) The Brazilian Committee to Free The Five has collected 1,544 signatures calling for a fair trial and the prompt liberation of the Cuban patriots imprisoned in the US since 1998 for fighting terrorism. On-line Vermilion daily sponsored the collection of signatures in favor of releasing the Five, as they are internationally known. The paper recalled the Atlanta Court of Appeals had reversed on August 9 the convictions against Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Libation, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez. mh/ecq/as/mf ---------------
Americas Summit Marked a Change, Alarcon Affirms
Havana, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) The Speaker of the Cuban
Congress, Ricardo Alarcon, stressed that the recently-closed Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, marked a new direction in history and showed the distinct changes in Latin America. 'The meeting was a reflection that America is alert and will never be defeated,' Alarcon told Prensa Latina on his return from Argentina. 'It was resounding victory over the United States,' he added, 'this is a time of total independence'. hr/ccs/rcm/crc --------------
Famous Cuban Public Health Institution Reaches 40 Years
Holguin, Cuba, Nov 7 (Prensa Latina) Cuba´s Vladimir Ilich Lenin Hospital has arrived at its 40th anniversary since foundation with an infant mortality rate of 2.3 for each 1,000 babies born alive, the lowest in its history, quite below many developed countries in the world. The date was celebrated in this eastern Cuban city, where the hospital, which also has the greatest number of births in Cuba (332,000 in its history), is located. This public health institution was the first to perform a cornea transplant in Cuba and its attributes cause it to be one of the most advanced in the entire Cuban public health system. hr/ccs/tac/yp
NEWS --LATIN AMERICA-- NEWS
Fox, Mouthpiece for Bush, Say Mexicans
Mexico, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) President Vicente Fox acted as puppet for US ventriloquist President George W Bush at the Summit of the Americas, according to 75 percent of Mexicans interviewed by ¿El cristal con que se mira¿ newspaper. In the phone survey of 3,500 people, ten percent said that Fox was out of place, a similar number believed he participated with great success, and the last five percent described the Fox summit stance as that of a misunderstood mediator. His behavior at the Mar del Plata Summit was also slammed by legislators of the Institutional Revolutionary (PRI) and Democratic Revolution (PRD) parties, who vowed to be more careful in evaluating and approving Fox visits abroad. hr/ccs/ecq/mpm ---------------
Bush Sours Panama
Panama, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Although he was there hardly 19 hours and departed without signing anything, US President George W. Bush left some big issues in Panama for Martin Torrijos´ government. Not without fissures and internal divisions, Panamanian society managed to close ranks and show its rejection of Bush in massive demonstrations. Unlike most of its Latin American brothers and sisters, the Torrijos´ administration supported Bush´s sweeping FTAA proposal in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and was rewarded by promises of a bilateral free trade agreement and help widening the Panama canal. mh/ymr/ft/mf -------------
UN Pleads World for Help in Guatemala
Geneva, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) The United Nations World Food
Program (WFP) called for the world Tuesday to increase
assistance to the 285,000 victims of hurricane Stan in Guatemala. WFP Spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume recalled at a press
conference at the UN headquarters that out of the 14 million dollars requested to ease the havoc caused by Stan it has only received 4.4 m. She even termed the situation in Guatemala as still 'an emergency.'
Damages to agriculture have been assessed at 207 million dollars, with most arable land flooded and the lost crops aggravating malnutrition. mh/emw/mh/mf -----------------
CentAm Closing Ranks on AIDS
San Salvador, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Central American presidents, health ministers and experts are meeting in El Salvador this week to seek a common strategy against AIDS, a disease that has so far killed more than 25 million people all over the world. The 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS and the 4th Central American Meeting of People living with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is being held from November 7-11. Parallel to the meetings, the presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador will participate in an AIDS summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA). mh/jg/rgc/car/mf ------------------
Argentina to Call for Mexican Explanation of Fox Statements
Buenos Aires, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa announced an interview with his Mexican counterpart, Luis Ernesto Derbez, 'to explain the official statement (by President Vicente Fox) and not a media version.' According to media, Fox said Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, host of the recent fourth Summit of the Americas, 'was more oriented to pleasing the public than holding an auspicious Summit for Latin American integration.' Bielsa termed the statements 'contradictory' because 'if regional unity would mean letting the people down... then we do not share President Fox' views on Latin American unity.' hr/ccs/emw/edu ----------------
Fujimori could Walk Free on Bail
Santiago de Chile, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Peruvian ex President, Alberto Fujimori, could walk free on bail if Chilean Supreme Court Judge Orlando Alvarez accepts a petition submitted by the defense. The ex-President made the appeal after being notified by Supreme Court Secretary Carlos Meneses of the charges that motivated his arrest upon his unexpected arrival to Santiago on Sunday. The event toppled the sea border conflict as leading news both in Chile and Peru, where the ex president enjoys a love-hate popularity. mh/emw/apr/mf -----------------
Lula Optimistic amid Crisis
Rio de Janeiro, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated this Tuesday support for all investigation into his country´s political crisis and showed optimism for Brazil´s present and future situation. Interviewed by TV program 'Roda Viva,' the Brazilian statesman praised his Labor Party (PT) and said there is no proof it paid monthly salaries to deputies from other forces in order to support the government. So far, the only parliamentarian who lost his mandate was Roberto Jefferson, because he could not prove accusations, although he recognized PT leaders used illegal finances in electoral campaigns, stated Lula. mh/iff/as/mf ------------
Venezuela Grounds Conspiracy Suspects
Caracas, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) A court has prohibited four leaders of Sumate opposition party from leaving Venezuela, after being accused of conspiracy against the government for receiving funds from the United States, official sources reported on Monday. The seventh Court of Caracas ordered the measure against Maria Corina, Alejandro Plaz, Luis Enrique Palacios, and Ricardo Estevez. A Venezuelan court began a trial against those people, who were accused of receiving money from the National Fund for Democracy, an institution that depends on the US government. mh/iom/rob/mf ----------------
Chilean FM Breaks FTA Date with Japan
Santiago de Chile, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker suspended Tuesday a visit to Japan to discuss a free trade agreement as a result of Peruvian ex-President Alberto Fujimori´s arrival in the country, local media said on Tuesday. The ex-president, who has Japanese nationality, arrived in Santiago surprisingly from Tokyo, where he had been a refugee since he resigned from his country´s government in 2000, after a notorious corruption scandal. Fujimori arrived in Chile amid a serious sea-border conflict between this country and Peru, which has put president Ricardo Lagos´ government in an awkward situation and the occurrence is considered an 'unfriendly' gesture from Japan. mh/iom/apr/mf ----------------
Bolivian Lawmakers Work amid Concerns
La Paz, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Bolivia´s House of Representatives has resumed Tuesday its working-sessions, amid expectations that legislators finally ratify the December 18 elections. The most important issues on the table are to legalize the election date and redistribute seats, which has been impossible to attain by the chamber for weeks. The government verdict defining elections is backed by social organizations and main candidates although three parliamentarians will present annulations before the Constitutional Court today. mh/ymr/mrs/mf ----------------
Venezuela Purging Border Drug Plots
Caracas, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan authorities are
launching Tuesday an operation code-named Sierra 2005, to
eradicate two plantations of coca and poppy discovered in the Sierra de Perija, in the Venezuelan state of Zulia, close to the border with Colombia. The action was jointly announced Monday by the Venezuelan
ministries of Interior and Justice, and stems from investigations carried out by the National Armed Forces Unified Command in Zulia. The National Commission against Illegal Drug Use, the Army, the National Guard and the Air Force are also taking part in the operation. mh/tac/vc/mf -------------
Colombia-DR Pacting Cooperation
Bogota, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) Presidents of Colombia Alvaro
Uribe and the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez are meeting Tuesday on energy, security, and the struggle against drug trafficking and related crimes. Fernandez will be officially welcomed by Uribe on the last day of his three-day visit, and the Colombian Foreign Ministry says issues on the table include the possibility of implementing alternative sources for power generation. They will also discuss trade expansion, control of drug-trafficking and data exchange between both nations to fight that scourge. mh/iom/ale/mf
