[NYTr] Cuban Radar Newsbriefs - Oct 18, 2007 Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:58:26 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Progreso Weekly - Oct 18, 2007 http://progreso-weekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=1 Cuban Radar Newsbriefs - October 18, 2007 A service of the Radio Progreso Alternativa Havana bureau * RaC:l Castro and Hugo ChC!vez sign new agreements - The Camilo Cienfuegos refinery - Petrochemical complex * Zelaya and Castro on the phone * Heavy rains in Cubabs east * Dozens injured in traffic accident * RaC:l Castro and Hugo ChC!vez sign new agreements Interim President Army General Raul Castro Ruz and Venezuelan President Commander Hugo Chavez Frias were present during the signing of 13 new accords which, according to Raul Castro, signify a significant addition bto the growing process of union and integrationb between Cuban and Venezuela. Both governments, who promote the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA), have already established 19 economic associations which the recent agreements must now be added to the count. They also are pushing 352 projects in 28 important sectors for the development of both countries. The agreements signed on Monday, October 15, include an array of things from partnerships for petroleum prospecting and exploitation on behalf of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) in Cubabs Gulf of Mexico exclusion zone, to the construction of a hotel in a highly sought after key in the Cuban archipelago. Relations and interchanges between both countries touch almost every sector of the production and service industries. During his brief speech, Raul Castro reiterated that the fundamental principles of the ALBA define commerce and investment as binstruments to reach a just and sustainable developmentb and not as ban end in itself.b The same text, reminded the Second Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, states, by definition, that in the integrationist process that statebs role would be of bregulator and coordinator of the economic activityb since the integration bcannot be the blind sister of the market, nor a simple strategy to grow the external markets or stimulate commerce.b For his part the Venezuelan president in his speech repeated the idea of a Confederation of United Nations. The leader of the Venezuelan process reminded that the Latin American forefathers never spoke of integration, but of unity b a more profound concept. bIt does not deal with illusion, no. It does not deal with delusion, nob& only the union makes the force necessary to be free.b The idea of a Confederation of Nations is recurrent in speeches by the Bolivarian president, who together with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, gave life to the ALBA and have been the motors behind this integrationist movement which puts cooperation, complementation and the social factor in the front lines. The signed agreements occurred in Havanabs Convention Center. - The Camilo Cienfuegos refinery The afternoon of Sunday, October 14, Venezuelan President Hugo ChC!vez, during a work-visit to Cuba, stopped by the Camilo Cienfuegos oil refinery in Cienfuegos, a city in the south-central region of the island. The refinery is the result of an investment and joint project between PDVSA and CUPET. This installation almost ready to begin working was first started by the Soviet government but became paralyzed after the disbanding of the USSR. The refinery has the capacity to process 65,000 tons of crude daily and its official inauguration is slate for this coming December. During the visits to the installation, the Venezuelan leader was accompanied by Vice President Carlos Lage Davila, the Minister of Basic Industries Yadira Garcia, and Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque along with other Communist Party local government dignitaries. - Petrochemical complex bThis province will become a real example of Cuban and Latin American industrial development,b said Venezuelan president Hugo ChC!vez FrC-as during a visit to the Camilo Cienfuegos refinery, 250 kms southeast of Havana. According to Granma newspaper, as soon as this facility is inaugurated in December, a gas-processing plant, likely to function with Venezuelan raw materials, will start to be built. In this respect, the official daily reported that ChC!vez made emphasis of the potential of gas as a source of electricity, either for homes, industries or agriculture. In fact, the program to generate more electricity out of gas is to be fostered in Cuba with the construction of several plants, and ChC!vez also foresees the production, in Cuba, of plastics and fertilizers. * Zelaya and Castro on the phone Honduran President Manuel Zelaya told the media of his conversation with Fidel Castro during his recent visit to Cuba. The conversation, according to AFP, lasted 30 minutes and was held through the phone. Castro bsounded very firm and lucid,b Zelaya remarked, adding, bthe exchange of questions and answers between us was especially telling. I can attest to this personbs full capacity.b Zelaya did it bwith pleasure,b he said, since bit was a dialogue between two heads of state.b As to the topics, he said they dealt with issues specifically relevant to both countries. The Honduran presidentbs visit was criticized in certain political sectors of his country. * Heavy rains in Cubabs east The last three weeks have witnessed intense rain in six of Cubabs eastern provinces. No human losses have been reported but agriculture and hundreds of houses are the victims. The whole of the economic damage is yet to be ascertained. Nevertheless, Radio Rebelde reported that only in the Santiago de Cuba province, 500 houses have partially or totally collapsed. Also, highway communications between this province and GuantC!namo, in the islandbs farthest eastern sector, have been affected by landslides. In order to avoid accidents, fatal or not, the authorities proceeded to evacuate more than 20,000 persons in the oriental region. They were accommodated in ad hoc shelters as well as in the house of friends or relatives. * Dozens injured in traffic accident The National Information Agency (AIN), reported that last Thursday, October 11, 48 people were injured when a truck carrying personnel overturned in the GuantC!namo province, 900 kilometers from Havana. The truck, covering the trajectory between the cities of GuantC!namo and Baracoa, bunlawfully passed another vehicle only to find a third one coming head on.b According to AIN, the 48 injured received medical attention at the Agostinho Neto hospital, in GuantC!namo city. No one is reported to be in critical condition. In Cubabs countryside, plenty of trucks have been transformed to be used as passenger carriers, but more often than not without the right conditions. To make things worse, there is a tendency to carry more than reasonable amounts of personnel. Last year, traffic accidents were the cause of death for more than 800 people. * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================