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June 4, 2001



Cuba News

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Yahoo! June 4, 2001.

Priest Killed in Cuba Was on Leave

PITTSBURGH, 2 (AP) - A Roman Catholic clergyman found dead in Cuba had been on administrative leave from his diocese for five years, meaning he could not celebrate Mass or identify himself as a priest in good standing, a church spokesman said.

George Zirwas, 47, whose body was found in his home in Havana late last Sunday or early Monday, had a 15-year career as a priest that included work at several parishes. The Roman Catholic church said after Zirwas' death that it had been unaware of his visits to Cuba, which it characterized as "private.''

It had been reported that Zirwas was on a personal leave of absence at the time of his death.

The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, said Zirwas had taken leaves of absence twice before being placed on administrative leave in 1996. Lengwin said he could not discuss the reason for the administrative leave.

"When a priest is placed on administrative leave, the conditions are that he can no longer present himself as a priest in good standing,'' Lengwin told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He can no longer wear the clerical collar and is not permitted to celebrate the sacraments publicly.''

The administrative leave, however, does not mean that Zirwas had been defrocked. He was still considered a priest and could have applied to rejoin the diocese but had not, Lengwin said.

Zirwas' brother, Frank Zirwas, has said his brother had medical problems but declined to say what they were. Administrative leave is never imposed due to illness, Lengwin said.

Zirwas lived in Cuba on and off for the past three years, bringing toothbrushes, clothing and other items to people there.

Cuban authorities have listed the cause of death as asphyxiation and are investigating it as a crime. The motive for the killing was not known.

A State Department official said the U.S. Interests Section was working with the family and Cuba to have Zirwas' body sent to Pennsylvania.

Update On The Bay Of Havana And The Isle Of Youth Evidence of Shipwrecks Found in The Bay of Havana

Monday June 4, 10:32 am Eastern Time. Press Release.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 2001--Visa Gold Explorations Inc. (CDNX: YVL - news) is pleased to report on its two exploration projects.

Bay of Havana
April 4 - May 31, 2001

On March 27th, 2001 our two-person submersible began its exploration at the entrance to the Bay of Havana. To date, a total of 30 dives have been performed at depths ranging from 120 - 500 feet. We've observed 1 cannon, approximately 40 anchors, scattered ballast stones and clay jars. We also found approximately 10 boilers of which 2 pairs could well be from 19th century steam driven vessels that sunk at the entrance of the harbour. A fully intact wooden ship was spotted; however, it is too new to hold any archaeological value. Additionally, an ancient olive oil jar, completely intact, was retrieved and brought to the surface by the submersible.

"We are pleased with the evidence we've found in the territory covered by the submersible. Many of the items may hold archaeological significance. Our observations so far suggest evidence of multi-layered shipwrecks,'' stated Paramjit Chhatwal, Operations Manager. Video footage collected to date is being reviewed by our historical staff to assist in piecing together the clues in the location of a promising shipwreck. The submersible will continue its prospection work in this area.

Exploration of the entrance of the Bay of Havana is ongoing. The limited joint venture agreement between Ocean Technologies and Visa Gold Explorations has recently expired; however, Visa Gold has directly contracted the submersible with its operator.

Isle of Youth

Campaign I, March 24 - April 15, 2001 Campaign 2, April 28 - May 21, 2001

On March 24th, our crew headed to the Isle of Youth to investigate a number of promising targets. During the first campaign the dive team investigated 12 different areas around the western half of the island. The remains of several shipwrecks were found along with a number of artefacts in poor condition. At the sites with evidence of a wreck, very little was intact and available, and it appeared that the sites had been picked over. The dive team began Campaign 2 on April 28th and continued to investigate a few remaining targets in the area. During the last week of the campaign a couple of interesting sites were located on the eastern coast of the Isle of Youth; however, there was nothing significant enough to warrant the crew extending the campaign beyond the previously announced 60 days. Poor weather conditions have also made further investigation unviable.

"We will return to the Isle of Youth next winter to resume further investigation of these targets,'' stated Paul Frustaglio, President, Visa Gold Explorations Inc.

Our crew has begun preparation to return to the Santa Clara area on the north side of the island. This is where the Palemon was discovered last summer and we had to leave the site unfinished due to unfavourable weather conditions. "We have many promising targets in the Santa Clara region that require further investigation and we are excited to be returning to this area,'' stated Paul Frustaglio, President, Visa Gold Explorations Inc.

ABOUT VISA GOLD EXPLORATIONS INC.

Visa Gold Explorations Inc. is party to a joint venture agreement with its Cuban partner, Geomar S.A., to search for shipwrecks in the coastal waters of Cuba. In August 2000, Visa Gold announced the discovery of the Palemon, a Spanish Brigantine ship from the 1800's. To date, over 7,000 artifacts have been recovered.

The Canadian Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

Visa Gold Explorations Inc.
Paul Frustaglio, 416/740-4014
info@visagoldexplorations.com
www.visagoldexplorations.com
or
The Investor Relations Group
1-800-444-9214
visagold@invrel.com

Second Cuban Athlete Reported Missing

Local - WYFF. WYFF TheCarolinaChannel.com . Monday June 04 12:22 PM EDT

A second Cuban athlete is reported missing after an international sporting event in Spartanburg County.

School officials told News 4 that 23-year-old Daniel Peedroso competed in the Pan American Games for this Blind this past weekend in Spartanburg.

He was not with the team when they left for the airport Sunday. The Cuban team reported the disappearance to the sheriff's office.

Officials believe that another missing 18-year-old Cuban swimmer who came to Pan American Games for the Blind also defected.

The Cuban coach said that he came to Spartanburg with eight athletes but may go home with only seven.

He said that swimmer Alain Frometa disappeared Thursday in the middle of competition and suspects that Frometa has defected.

Frometa's father lives in Florida. His coach belives that his family picked him up in Spartanburg.

The teenage athlete had just finished his race and had about a half hour before he had to compete again.

He told his coach that he needed to dry off and use the restroom.

But his coach said that when Frometa didn't show up for his second event, he started to get suspicious.

"After he competed he said he wanted to change, and then he was gone," Cuban delegation head Amado Landa said.

Frometa is in the 11th grade. His coach said that he's one of Cuba's best swimmers.

"He won second place. When he was not there to receive his medal, that's when they realized he had disappeared," Landa's interpreter said.

The coach suspects that Frometa left the building through a back door to the locker room.

"He doesn't know what the guy was thinking. All he knows is he's guessing he doesn't want to continue with the competition. It's his free life. He can do whatever he wants with it," the interpreter said.

The coach said that many of his athletes have family in the United States. He said that fear of defection would not keep an athlete from competing.

"All he knows is that as far as they are concerned, he just abandoned the team. They are guessing that he is asking for political asylum here," the interpreter said.

News 4 contacted U.S. 5th District Rep. Jim DeMint (news - bio - voting record)'s office and the Immigration and Naturalization Services, the two most likely places Frometa's family would contact when seeking asylum.

Both said that they had not heard from him.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Department officials said that they are not looking for Frometa.

They said that he is in the country legally because of the Pan Am games and can stay indefinitely because of a law called the Cuban Adjustment Act.

The act gives all Cubans asylum, without a formal hearing.

News 4 has also learned that the Cuban police have been contacted about Frometa's disappearance.

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Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press.
Copyright @ 2000 PRNewswire.

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