By Andrew Cawthorne
HAVANA, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Communist-run Cuba, which rejects Jan. 1 as the start of the new millennium, ushered in the New Year with exhortations of revolutionary fervor instead of the fireworks and street-parties seen elsewhere around the world.
State television began the first day of 2000 -- also the anniversary of President Fidel Castro's Jan. 1, 1959 Cuban Revolution -- with a special midnight message to the people.
``Comrades, our socialist revolution celebrates its 41st anniversary stronger than ever,'' began the short address, narrated after the national anthem and against a backdrop of patriotic images of huge mobilisations here in the ongoing U.S.-Cuba custody dispute over a 6-year-old boy.
``We will keep aloft the torch of independence, revolution and socialism, the torch of the fatherland of (independence hero Jose) Marti and Fidel,'' it continued.
The address singled out for praise the recent mass participation in a government-led campaign to bring back young shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez from Miami. ``Long live free Cuba! Long live Fidel! Save Elian! Socialism or Death! Like 40 years' ago, Fatherland or Death! We Will Conquer!'' it
ended.
Castro backs the view of some historians and experts that the new millennium does not begin until Jan. 1, 2001, because the Christian era did not use the digit zero and therefore started with the year one.
Cuba's National Assembly has officially designated 2000 as ``the 40th anniversary of the decision of 'Fatherland or Death''' in reference to Castro's first pronunciation of his now traditional rallying cry.
Away from the official rhetoric, Cubans spent a relatively subdued end of 1999, gathering quietly in their homes for family dinners. Those who could afford it prepared a traditional end-of-year dinner of pork with rice and beans.
As midnight passed, the streets of Havana seemed generally deserted and quiet, except for a few, isolated whoops of joy from apartment blocks and some couples sitting out on the sea- front Malecon boulevard.
Following the government's formal rejection of Jan. 1, 2000 as the start of the new millennium, there were no official celebrations like in other nations. Foreign residents and tourists in Havana, however, attended some special private dinners and shows in popular spots like the Tropicana
nightclub or Old Havana's picturesque Cathedral Square.
Taking their lead from Castro, the Caribbean island's entirely state-run news media gave scant space to the worldwide millennium celebrations.
The main TV news, for example, led on New Year's Eve with a congratulatory message from Castro's brother and Defence Minister, Raul Castro, to the armed forces on the 41st anniversary of the revolution.
That was followed by coverage of the street-protests in the Elian Gonzalez case, and then an item on nickel production.
Communist Party daily Granma wished its readers a Happy New Year in a brief, front-page message. Inside the newspaper's New Year's Eve edition, a columnist picked out some quotes from Castro earlier in the year reminding his people that celebrations of the new millennium in 2000 were nothing but
a ``self-deception'' and ``great lie.''
The much-feared millennium bug, which Cuba had said it was well prepared for, did not materialise on the Caribbean island, according to early reports. ``Up to now, there has been no incidence of Y2K. All the sectors are working normally,'' Eduardo Leyva, vice-coordinator of the National
Commission for the 2000 Effect in Cuba, told Reuters at 1 a.m. (0600 GMT).
01:55 01-01-00
Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited. |