Yahoo! June 5, 2001.
Visitors Hope to Invest in Cuba
HAVANA, 5 (AP) - Visiting Cuban-Americans who hope to someday invest in the
land of their birth said many other Cuban-Americans share their opposition to
the U.S. trade embargo but are afraid to speak out.
"It is difficult to quantify'' how many Cuban-Americans oppose the
embargo, said Elena Freyle of the nonprofit Cuban-American Defense League in
Miami. "There is a certain amount of fear of expression'' in Miami, home to
outspoken Cuban exiles who back the sanctions, she said.
Freyle was among 12 Cuban-Americans from Miami who on Monday wrapped up a
three-day visit to Havana and Varadero Beach to explore investment
opportunities.
Like Freyle, most participants were born in Cuba and moved with their
families to Miami as children in the first years after the 1959 revolution that
brought Fidel Castro (news - web sites) to power.
The trip was characterized as an academic look at the role of Cuban-American
capital in relations between the two countries. The group visited tourist sites,
an energy plant and a state farm.
Like other U.S. citizens, Cuban-Americans are barred from investing in Cuba,
a situation that Freyle characterized as "abnormal.''
A new law that took effect this year allows the first direct sales of
American food to Cuba in four decades, but communist authorities on the island
say they will not buy a single grain of U.S. rice under the legislation because
of financing restrictions.
"The most important thing is to lift the embargo,'' said Jose
Fernandez, a Miami Beach Real estate agent. "Without doing away with it, we
are tied, handcuffed.''
Trip participants said the number of Cuban-Americans who visit the island
each year - estimated by the Cuban government at 150,000 - and the hundreds of
millions of dollars they send relatives in Cuba each year proves that many in
the community do not truly back the sanctions.
"For many Cuban-Americans, the embargo doesn't exist because they go to
Cuba, they send money,'' said Fernandez. Those Cuban-Americans are not as "passionate''
about the embargo as the exiles who support the sanctions, he said.
Visa Gold Creates Advisory Board
Toronto, Ontario. Tuesday June 5, 9:00 am Eastern Time.
Press Release. SOURCE: Visa Gold Explorations Inc. via BCE Emergis e-News
Services
Visa Gold Explorations Inc. (CDNX: YVL) today announced the creation of an
Advisory Board that will contribute guidance to the Company on issues of
importance to its ongoing operations and development.
Visa Gold will seek out specialists with a range of experience and
backgrounds in areas such as; marine salvage and exploration, oceanic
engineering, shipwreck research, Cuban history, underwater archaeology and
business development.
The first three members to join the board are Jim Garrington, President and
Owner of Shark Marine; Ovidio Juan Ortega Pereyra, Chief of Archaeology and
History, Carisub; and Alessandro Lopez Perez, Marine Archaeologist, Carisub
(please see biographies below). Members will be asked to participate in meetings
and conference calls and provide feedback and suggestions on corporate
developments.
"The Advisory Board will be an important resource for creative ideas
and comments, and will also help us explore new avenues and business
opportunities, '' stated Paul Frustaglio, President of Visa Gold Explorations
Inc. "We're very pleased to draw upon the guidance and assistance of these
experts and look forward to their input.''
Advisory Board Member's Biographies
Jim Garrington, President and Owner, Shark Marine
Mr. Garrington has more than 15 years experience in the development and use
of equipment for underwater inspection, exploration and photography. He has
owned and operated Shark Marine since 1984, manufacturing underwater camera
systems, lighting, remote operated vehicles and other electronics. The Company
also provides research, consulting, engineering and location services. Mr.
Garrington's expertise and services have been utilized by a wide range of
private and public organizations including: Parks Canada, Ontario Power Nuclear,
Costa Cruise Lines and the Iron Ore Company of Canada. He was in charge of
underwater operations for The Heritage Foundation of Canada's Avro Arrow Model
Recovery Project and is currently completing an archaeology and documentary film
on a historic vessel located in Lake Ontario. In 1999, Mr. Garrington was
nominated Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year.
Mr. Ovidio Juan Ortega Pereyra, Chief of Archaeology and History, Carisub
Mr. Ovidio Juan Ortega Pereyra is a distinguished academic and specialist in
history and archaeology. His extensive schooling consists of a Doctorate in
History, a graduate degree in classic archaeology and a Bachelor in Arts
History. Prior to joining Carisub in 2000, he held positions at various Cuban
organizations including: Sermar, The Center of Anthropology and The Centre of
Archaeology and Ethnology. Mr. Ortega has delivered courses and seminars on
subaquatic archaeology and authored a wide collection of articles, research
papers and studies. His book, "the Real Arsenal of Havana'' (El Real
Arsenal de La Havana), was published in 1998 by Editorial Letra Cubanas. Mr.
Ortega is a founding member of the Cuban History Society and a member of the
Academic Counsel of the Archaeology Faculty of Cuba.
Mr. Alessandro Lopez Perez, Marine Archaeologist, Carisub
Mr. Alessandro Lopez Perez is a Marine Archaeologist with Carisub, the Cuban
state agency dedicated to sub-aquatic archaeology. With over 20 years experience
in the field, he has participated in professional explorations and excavations
on more than 30 shipwrecks in the waters of Cuba. Over the years he has served
in various capacities from diver to ship captain, and has also worked for Sermar
and the State Committee on Finance. Mr. Perez is a former dive instructor and
has delivered seminars on sub-aquatic archaeology.
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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
CORPORATE INFORMATION Visa Gold Explorations Inc. Paul Frustaglio
416-740-4014 info@visagoldexplorations.com www.visagoldexplorations.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS The Investor Relations Group 1-800-444-9214
visagold@invrel.com
Cuban Children Send Letters to Bush
HAVANA, 4 (AP) - Cuban schoolchildren on Monday delivered about 10,000
letters to the American mission, hoping to explain to President Bush (news - web
sites) details of the life of Cuban independence leader Jose Marti.
Fidel Castro insists that Bush misquoted Marti during a speech in Quebec
City in April, leading to a nationwide letter-writing campaign by Cuban
schoolchildren.
About 40 children delivered the letters to the U.S. Interests Section in
Havana, diplomatic sources confirmed. The delivery was arranged between the
American mission and the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
The national letter-writing effort was announced in late May by Juventud
Rebelde, the Communist Youth newspaper. The daily said a total of 150,000
letters were being written.
The idea emerged in April after the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of
leaders of all the nations in the hemisphere - except for Cuba.
During his speech at the summit, Bush read a quote he attributed to Marti: "Liberty
is not negotiable.''
Castro says Marti, one of Cuba's most beloved heroes, never made such a
statement.
"Sir: I hope that by receiving this letter you will learn all you need
to know about our national apostle,'' read one of the letters, published last
month by Juventud Rebelde.
Marti is embraced by both Cuba's communist government and the anti-communist
exile community in Miami.
Jury Mulls Cuban Espionage Case
By Catherine Wilson, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI, 4 (AP) - Jurors began deliberating Monday in the case of three
Florida-based Cuban secret agents accused of conspiring to commit espionage by
gathering U.S. defense information.
The men, along with two other Cuban agents on trial, are also accused of
acting as foreign agents without notifying the U.S. government and of fraud
conspiracy.
Alleged ringleader Gerardo Hernandez is also accused of murder conspiracy
for allegedly helping plan an armed encounter between a Cuban MiG and two U.S.
civilian planes in which four Miami fliers died in 1996.
All five men were arrested in 1998. The agents' attorneys said the men came
to Florida to protect their country from violent Cuban exiles opposed to the
Communist government of Fidel Castro (news - web sites), not to gather U.S.
secrets.
Jurors went home for the day after about 31/2 hours of deliberations Monday.
If convicted, Hernandez faces a possible life sentence on charges of murder
conspiracy, espionage conspiracy, fraud conspiracy and failing to register as a
foreign agent.
Antonio Guerrero and Ramon Labanino, who were allegedly supervised by
Hernandez and were assigned to study U.S. military bases, could also receive
life sentences if convicted of espionage conspiracy, fraud conspiracy and
failing to register as foreign agents.
Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, who are not related, could receive up
to 10 years in prison on charges of failing to register as foreign agents and
fraud conspiracy.
None of the agents is charged with espionage because prosecutors agree they
never obtained any U.S. secrets. To win conviction on espionage conspiracy
charges, prosecutors must prove only that the defendants agreed to break the
law, not that they succeeded.
The men were among 14 members of a group called the Wasp Network that
authorities say was broken up in 1998. Five others pleaded guilty in exchange
for their cooperation and reduced sentences, and four are fugitives believed to
be in Cuba.
Cuban Pitcher Denied Free Agency
By Fred Goodall, Ap Sports Writer
TAMPA, Fla. 4 (AP) - A Cuban pitcher was denied a request for free agency
Monday by a judge who said the player will not be irreparably harmed by being
part of baseball's amateur draft.
Rolando Viera arrived in the United States in April on a visa he won in a
lottery.
He wanted the judge to block major league baseball from making him part of
Tuesday's draft.
"If drafted, he has several options, not the least of which is playing
professional baseball in the majors, an enviable opportunity for hundreds if not
thousands of aspiring baseball players around the world,'' Judge James
Whittemore said in denying the injunction.
Whittemore said if Viera wants to sue baseball to prove different rules
apply to Cuban players, he still has that option.
The judge said whatever financial damage is done in the draft does not meet
the federal standard for irreparable harm.
Joe Kehoskie, Viera's agent, said the 27-year-old left-hander will appeal
the decision to the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Atlanta and is confident
that ultimately he will win his case.
"Although we are disappointed ... we view the ruling as a split
decision and take comfort in much of the judge's opinion,'' Kehoskie said in a
statement.
The agent was encouraged by the judge's statement that Viera's lawyers
raised "substantial issues'' with baseball's rule that treats Cuban players
who defect directly to the United States as legal residents subject to being
entered in the draft.
Alan Gura, one of the attorneys for the pitcher, argued during a hearing
Friday that although the political relationship between the United States and
Cuba hinders baseball's ability to scout Cuban players, it doesn't justify
disparate treatment of Cubans on U.S. soil.
The draft covers U.S. residents who have completed high school or their
junior year in college.
To avoid being subject to the draft, most Cuban players have gone to Central
America or another Caribbean country when they have left their homeland.
Viera's lawyers argued that baseball discriminates against Cubans as they
are the only international players required to establish residency in a third
country before being declared free agents.
Gura told the judge that entering Viera in the draft would force the pitcher
to consider leaving the United States with no assurances of being allowed to
return.
The judge disagreed.
"No one is forcing plaintiff to leave the United Sates, particularly
major league baseball,'' the ruling said. "That unfortunate option, a
choice only plaintiff can make, is not an actual or imminent harm resulting from
participating in the amateur draft.''
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