[NYTr] Cuban Radar Newsbriefs - Oct 25, 2007
 
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:12:41 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Progreso Weekly - Oct 25, 2007
http://progreso-weekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=1

Cuban Radar Newsbriefs - Oct 25, 2007
A news service from Radio Progreso Alternativa's Havana bureau.

* First results of the elections
* Campaign against dengue
* Counterrevolutionaries Bestow "Tolerance Plus" Award
* Colombian foreign minister is grateful
* Cuban scientists "endanger the security of the U.S."

* First results of the elections

Last Sunday, Oct. 22, 8,174,351 Cubans went to the polls to elect their
delegates to the Municipal People's Power. That figure represents 95
percent of the total number of voters.

The information was provided by MarC-a Esther Reus, who, in addition to
being Minister of Justice, heads the National Electoral Commission
(CEN). The delegates are the equivalent of councilmen in other American
countries.

The total number of delegates competing was 15,236, but only 12,265
were elected on the first round. The remaining 2,971 will be elected in
a runoff election, because none received more than 50 percent of the
votes. The runoff will be held Oct. 28. 

According to official information, of the 12,265 elected delegates:

b" 5,776 (47.09 percent) are incumbents, that is, they were ratified in
their posts; 3,288 are women (26.81 percent) and 2,053 are young people
(16.74 percent).

The low number of young people elected so far is remarkable. 

* Campaign against dengue

Cubans have resumed the battle against the Aedes aegypti mosquito,
transmitter of dengue, one of whose variants is hemorrhagic. 

This new offensive, which began on Oct. 22 and will last until Oct. 28,
is necessary because "many of the measures for water purification, such
as the use of abate (a product that kills mosquito larvae), are not
accomplished," said Ileana Urrusuno, member of the National Secretariat
of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), a mass
organization that will carry much of the weight in this new effort
against a disease that has often caused death.

This failure to purify the water "has propitiated the increase in the
rate of infestation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in some provinces,
such as Santiago de Cuba, GuantC!namo and Ciego de Cvila, principally
due to the constant rainfall," she said.

A news item from World Data Service says that "last March, Cuban health
sources publicly warned that 'a dangerous step back' could take place
in the fight against the mosquito 'if [the authorities] lower their
guard.'" An official news agency said that "if the system of vigilance
and control in the area of health does not work properly and bad
environmental hygiene prevails, we would be exposed to new increases in
the indices of infestation."

Environmental hygiene in Havana is deficient; sewers are common in the
streets, as well as the pileups of garbage and other rubbish.

Cuban public health doctors contacted by Progreso Weekly say that,
while there are isolated foci and cases in Havana, there is no epidemic
of dengue. According to them, the foci and cases detected are in the
municipality of La Lisa and some barrios of the Revolution Square
municipality. No one has died of the disease, so far, they say.

* The Tolerance Plus Award

Different groups in the fragmented opposition presented the Tolerance
Plus Award to Dagoberto ValdC)s, former director of Vitral magazine.
ValdC)s, a Catholic layman and engineer by profession, directed -- until
a few months ago -- the magazine Vitral, which he edited under the
umbrella of the Bishopric of Pinar del RC-o province, in the island's
western end. He also was host of the Center for Civic and Religious
Education in that province.

ValdC)s is the first recipient of the Tolerance Plus Award, which,
according to its promoters, is presented to national or foreign persons
or institutions that advocate "respect for differences, the promotion
of tolerance, the struggle against violence and the protection of, and
search for, tolerance toward and among minorities in Cuba."

* Colombian foreign minister is grateful

After a two-day visit to Cuba, Colombian Foreign Minister Fernando
Araujo Perdomo thanked the Cuban government for its efforts in the
search for a peaceful understanding with the National Liberation Army
(ELN).

"We are grateful for the cooperation [...] for the process that seeks
to define the framework for the achievement of peace with the ELN.
Cuba's participation in this endeavor has been very valuable, even if
we have not been able to agree with the ELN on the necessary bases on
which to proceed," Araujo told reporters. 

During his brief visit, Araujo met with Vice President Carlos Lage;
Ricardo AlarcC3n, president of the National Assembly of the People's
Power, and with the Minister of Foreign Trade, RaC:l de la Nuez.

For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe PC)rez Roque said the visit
opens perspectives for an increase in trade relations between the two
countries. Last year's trade reached US$65 million.

According to official data from the Cuban government, 445 young
Colombians are studying at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM)
and about 780 Colombians have had eye surgery during the course of the
well-known Operation Miracle.

* Cuban scientists "endanger the security of the U.S."

United States authorities denied visas to 12 Cuban scientists during
the first six months of this year, according to the daily Granma on
Oct. 24.

Jorge Luis FernC!ndez Chamero, director of International Relations for
the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), told
Granma that the U.S. authorities refused to issue the visas, claiming
that the scientists represented a danger to "the national security of
the United States." 

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