CUBA NEWS
March 1, 2004

CUBA NEWS
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Wife defends UNESCO prize winner, Cuban dissident Raul Rivero

HAVANA, 24 (AFP) - The wife of dissident poet and jou7rnalist Raul Rivero, held in a Cuban prison on treason charges, defended her husband after UNESCO awarded him its 25,000 dollar press-freedom prize.

"Raul is a journalist and a poet unjustly imprisoned and not a mercenary at the service of imperialism" as the Cuban state accuses, Blanca Reyes said in an interview at her central Havana apartment.

Rivero, 58, accused of having assailed Cuba's "independence and integrity", is a renowned writer and one of 75 Cuban dissidents jailed in March in the worst crackdown by the regime of President Fidel Castro in recent years.

Sentenced to 20 years' jail, he is being held at the high security prison in Canaleta, Ciego de Avila province, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Havana.

Reyes, his wife, has embarked on a high-profile campaign to get him freed. Several groups have recently been set up to support Rivero, a number of them in Europe.

Rivero has lost more than 30 kilos (66 pounds) in weight since his arrest, and is currently staying at Ciego de Avila provincial hospital where he has tested negative for tuberculosis, according to Reyes.

Forbes estimates Cuban President Fidel Castro worth 150 million dollars

NEW YORK, 27 (AFP) - Fidel Castro is worth 150 million dollars, according to Forbes magazine, which included the Cuban president in its annual compilation of the planet's richest people.

Although Castro was not one of the 587 people on the Forbes billionaires list, he was included in a special box for kings and governing classes.

The weekly financial magazine's description of the communist leader and the sources of his wealth was less than flattering.

"The fatigues-fitted Cuban leader has lorded over an impoverished nation of 11 million people for the last 45 years," said the Forbes website.

"El Lider is believed to have several lavish homes throughout Cuba. He travels exclusively in a convoy of black Mercedes-Benzes.

"Deals struck with European companies - such as the reported 50-million-dollar sale of Havana Club rum to French liquor company Pernod Ricard in 1993 - line Castro's coffers with some 20 million dollars a year.

"Concerns about his health persist," Forbes said of Castro. "He has reportedly named brother Raul as his successor."

Bush seeks to place more restrictions on vessels in Cuban waters

WASHINGTON, 27 (AFP) - President George W. Bush announced he intends to toughen controls on vessels heading to Cuba, citing moves by Havana in the past year to increase tension with the United States.

Bush instructed Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to apply even stricter measures to those decreed in 1996 by his predecessor Bill Clinton on controls over shipping heading toward Cuban territorial waters.

The measure was passed after two planes flown by leaders of opponents to the Fidel Castro (news - web sites) regime were shot down by Cuban fighters in February 1996.

In his proclamation, Bush said his decision was taken "in light of steps taken over the past year by the Cuban government to worsen the threat to United States international relations."

Bush cited Cuba's threats to repeal migration accords, close the US Interests Section in Havana, as well as statements by Cuban officials that the United States was preparing to invade Cuba.

US and foreign shipping found in US territorial waters heading towards Cuba may also be boarded and checked by the US Navy and Coast Guard if their activities are deemed contrary to US security.

U.S. Coast Guard Returns 36 Cubans

MIAMI. 27 - Thirty-six Cubans - including 22 in a speedboat racing toward Florida - were returned to Cuba this week after separate interdictions at sea, the Coast Guard said Friday.

The larger group was spotted in the speedboat Sunday about 10 miles east of Key Largo by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement aircraft, according to a Coast Guard news release.

Twenty-one were repatriated and one, a suspected smuggler, was turned over to federal law enforcement.

Under U.S. immigration law, Cubans intercepted at sea are generally returned to the island nation, while those who reach shore are usually allowed to remain in the United States.

On Feb. 16, another 20 Cubans were rescued by a Good Samaritan from a sinking vessel 273 miles west of Key West, according to the news release.

That group was transferred to a Coast Guard cutter, where a 6-year-old diabetic girl was treated at sea and then transferred with her parents to a hospital. Two more migrants from the group of 20 were transferred to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The other 15 were repatriated.

Cubans found at sea who demonstrate a credible fear of persecution are taken to Guantanamo for additional processing.

Cuban scientist slams US barring of scientific articles from countries under embargo

HAVANA, 27 (AFP) - Cuban scientist Agustin Lage Davila said the US ban on scientific articles from Cuba, Iran, Libya and Sudan is "medieval and fascist" and violates the US right to free speech.

"We thought mankind had left behind eras like Hitler's when only Aryan science was recognized as valid, and everything else was disregarded. It is a medieval and fascist measure," Lage, the chief of the Molecular Immunology Center and brother of Vice President Carlos Lage, told the Communist Party weekly Granma Internacional.

The US Treasury Department banned US publication of scientific articles from the four countries under US sanctions regimes.

"We know the US scientific community will not allow it to be implemented and will fight it legally," Lage added.

The United States has had a full sanctions regime clamped on Cuba, the only one-party Communist regime in the Americas, for four decades.

US says human rights get worse in China, Cuba, Iran and Myanmar

WASHINGTON, 26 (AFP) - Human rights conditions worsened last year in China, Cuba, Iran and Myanmar according to a keynote annual US government report released Wednesday which also cast an unfavourable spotlight on some Washington allies.

The annual US State Department human rights report also criticised Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin's consolidation of power, and rebuked Haiti's President Jean Bertrand Aristide.

The report also accused the UN Commission of Human Rights (UNCHR) of delinquency in its mission, citing commission members China, Cuba, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe as having failed "to protect their own citizens' rights."

The US State Department's annual human rights report released Wednesday called for reinforcement of the presence of democratic countries on the UNCHR.

"With Libya in the Chair and such countries as Zimbabwe, Cuba, Sudan, China and Syria, which fail to protect their own citizens' rights, as members, the 2003 session of the UNCHR fell short in several respects," said the report.

"Resolutions on the human rights situations in Zimbabwe, Sudan and Chechnya were defeated," it said.

"The United States continued to emphasize the need to improve the functioning of the commission, primarily by supporting the membership of countries with positive human rights records.

"We began to discuss the formation of a democracy caucus with interested governments," said the report. "We envision this as a group of like-minded countries that would coordinate more closely in multilateral settings to advance goals consistent with democratic values."

Libya's decision to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction was applauded, but the north African state was reproached for its poor rights record, while improvements were reported in Afghanistan, despite the persistence of serious abuses.

The review of global rights for 2003 underlined that the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein last year had revealed "unimaginable" abuses carried out under his rule.

"Saddam Hussein's torture chambers have been put out of business, mass graves no longer await his victims," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in a presentation of the report.

China, the world's most populous state, drew fire for its "backsliding on key human rights issues," according to the report which cited arrests of pro-democracy activists, and religious repression in Tibet.

North Korea was labelled "one of the most inhuman regimes in the world."

The State Department said: "Rigid controls over information, which limit the extent of our report, reflect the totalitarian repression of North Korean society. Basic freedoms are unheard of, and the regime committed widespread abuses of human rights."

Elsewhere in Asia, Myanmar's "highly authoritarian regime" had overseen "numerous, serious human rights abuses."

Rights advances had been notched up in Afghanistan, but improvements were patchy, particularly outside Kabul where local security forces contined to commit abuses.

In the Middle East, the report made a bleak assessement of Iran's rights record, amid a "pursuit of numerous violations," against fundamental rights, that notably targetted government opponents in politics and the media.

In Saudi Arabia, the report cited "credible information" detailing torture, mistreatment of prisoners and arbitrary arrests citing a general lack of political and religious freedoms.

Syria and Egypt were also underlined as countries were abuses had occurred.

Israel came in for criticism, as Washington deplored "the use of excessive force," in the occupied territories, and in particular the destruction of Palestinian homes by the Israeli army.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestinian security forces were implicated and involved in offering support to individuals and extremist gorups who have attacked Israel, said the US report.

Russia was criticised for manipulating elections in Chechnya and for an aggressive clampdown in the separatist republic. Washington also cited political pressure on the country's media and the controversial use of security agents to support state power.

In Africa, Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe was highlighted. Mugabe was accused of presiding over a "concerted campaign of violence, repression and intimidation."

The government of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi meanwhile continued to preside over instances of torture and arbitrary arrests, it said.

"Libya, despite welcome cooperation in reducing weapons of mass destruction, continued to deprive citizens of the right to be secure in their home or their person."

Closer to home, the report said rights in Cuba had been "dramatically" abused, with increased arrests and jailing of dissidents.

About 75 Cuban dissidents were jailed for up to 28 years last April after being found guilty of state security offences.

In Haiti, groups linked to President Aristide were accused of murdering the political opponents and of conducting violence against protestors.

On the other side of the coin, the report said rights were improving in many parts of the world, and that progress had been noted in Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Jordan and Morocco.

It said "positive signs" of progress had also been observed in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Madagascar and Liberia.

'Havana's' hot-cha-cha

Alex Romanelli. Wed Feb 25, 7:00 PM ET

(Variety) Latin heartthrob Diego Luna avoided showing off his dirty dance moves at Lions Gate's salsa-flavored after-bash for "Havana Nights" Tuesday at the Hollywood Athletic Club.

"I'm not dancing again for 15 years!" Luna said. "Five months of dancing every day for eight hours a day is enough to last a lifetime."

Besides, he 'fessed up to remembering very few of the dance steps learned during 10 weeks of intense rehearsal with co-producer and choreographer JoAnn Jansen, on whose life story this "Dirty Dancing" sequel is based. At first glance, dance-inspired period pic seemed to rep a marked departure for producer Lawrence Bender, who made his name overseeing "Pulp Fiction." But then again, Bender used to be a ballet dancer.

"I always wanted to make a film like this," Bender told Variety. "Now I've come full circle."

Also seen cutting a rug at the preem were pic's Patrick Swayze, Sela Ward and Bender pal Arianna Huffington.

Leslie Leads U.S. Women Over Cuba

HAVANA, 25 - Lisa Leslie scored 19 points to lead the United States past the Cuban national team 73-37 in a tuneup for the Athens Olympics.

Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was backed by Swin Cash of the Detroit Shock with 12 points and seven rebounds and Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets with 11 points, seven rebounds and eight steals.

The game Tuesday night was the first of three this week between the teams.

The U.S. team, coached by Van Chancellor of the Houston Comets, shot 68 percent in taking a 44-21 halftime lead. Cuba was led by Yuliseny Soria, who finished with 10 points.

10 Cuban Migrants Make It To Shore In Key West

WPLG Click10.com. February 25, 2004.

Ten Cuban migrants swam a short distance to shore near Key West's Southernmost Point early Wednesday morning.

Key West police said nine men and one woman jumped off a homemade 15-foot boat close to shore after a rough three-day journey from Cuba.

Three of them were found at a Duval Street convenience store, one at the Southernmost Point at the foot of Duval Street and the rest were found by military police at the Southard Street gate to the Navy's Truman Annex property.

They left Pinar del Rio on Monday, the U. S. Border Patrol said.

A police aid said the immigrants all appeared to be very happy and in good health, although they told her they were seasick and dizzy much of the trip and they ran out of gas for the outboard motor the last day and had to row. They apparently were wearing life jackets when they swam in from the boat. One of them pulled the boat in and up onto the shore.

Key West police took them to the Monroe County Detention Center where the U. S. Border Patrol later picked them up for processing.

Repsol YPF to explore for oil in Cuba, Equatorial Guinea

Madrid, Feb 24, 2004 (EFE via COMTEX) -- Spanish-Argentine oil firm Repsol YPF will carry out exploration activities in Cuba and Equatorial Guinea this year and begin operations in Mexico, CEO Alfonso Cortina said Tuesday.

After presenting the company's results for 2003, Cortina said Repsol would open a gas lquefaction plant in Mexico designed to process gas imported from Bolivia.

Repsol will also begin test drilling in Spain's Canary Islands, increase explorations in Libya and begin operations in Saudi Arabia.

Oil probes in Cuba, Equatorial Guinea and the Canary Islands are 'high risk,'but have the potential of being highly profitable, Cortina said.

The first test drilling in Cuba will occur in March or April and results will be available by the end of June, he noted.

The oil giant has already conducted seismic testing in five off-shore natural gas blocks of the Caribbean country, where the company acquired exploration rights.

Repsol has also already begun seismic testing in the Canary Islands even though Morocco has questioned the sovereignty of the waters comprising the designated blocks.

Cortina said the Spanish and Moroccan governments would have to resolve the dispute.

Another project will probe Mexico's Reynosa Monterrey block, in the Burgos basin.

The new liquefaction plant is to be erected in the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, on the Pacific Coast. The plant is linked to a plan to export Bolivian natural gas that is headed by the consortium Pacific LNG.

Cortina said Repsol may seek new partners for the Lazaro Cardenas project or even sell it 'with added value'if the Bolivia project does not materialize.

Four multinationals have already contacted Repsol YPF expressing interest in the liquefaction plant project, he said.

Regarding the status of the Bolivian project, Cortina said it depended on the result of a referendum on the export of natural gas expected to be held in April, as well as the Bolivian legislature's decision on a new hydrocarbons law.

In addition, Repsol acquired the exploitation rights for a 51,400 square-kilometer (19,846 square-mile) block in Saudi Arabia, along with the Italian company ENI.

The firm is also looking at other projects, such as expanding liquefaction operations in Trinidad and Tobago, building a new plant in the Persian Gulf and investing in two new tankers.

mam/kb/mc

Copyright (c) 2004. Agencia EFE S.A.

In Havana, hundreds roll in for cigar festival

Posted on Wed, Feb. 25, 2004

HAVANA - (AP) -- With fireworks exploding over an old Spanish fort on Havana Bay, Cuba's Habanos Festival opened this week, drawing hundreds of foreigners for the annual tribute to the island's world famous cigars.

Several hundred people gathered Monday night on the grounds of La Cabana fort, where they were invited to try a special San Cristobal brand cigar made for the sixth annual Habanos Festival.

About 500 cigar merchants and other foreigners were expected at the event running through Friday, said Miguel Campoy, an executive of Habanos S.A., the Cuban-Spanish firm that markets the island's cigars abroad and the festival organizer.

Cigar smoke filled the air over the fort as diners were entertained by salsa music and tropical dancers. Classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles from the 1950s were on display.

Unlike past years, no foreign celebrities or high-ranking government officials were seen at the opening event.

Probably the most recognizable person seen Monday was President Fidel Castro's son, Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, who sat at a table close to the stage. The younger Castro plays no role in the island's communist government.

Foreigners were paying $1,200 each for the five-day program, which includes visits to tobacco fields and factories, and a final elegant ''Cigar Dinner'' Friday night, traditionally attended by Fidel Castro.

The dinner will be followed by an auction of elaborate humidors fashioned of mahogany and other hardwoods and autographed by Castro. Although the bearded revolutionary gave up cigars decades ago, he continues to champion one of Cuba's most important exports.

 


 


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