HAVANA, June 30

     CONCERNED ABOUT HIS OWN FUTURE, THE CUBAN DICTATOR BRANDS MILOSEVIC DETENTION ñILLEGAL"

      Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, one of the few world leaders to back ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's government during the 1999 Kosovo crisis, said on Friday his handover to a U.N. war crimes court broke international law. Reflecting on his thoughts of what might happen to him one day, the communist leader told reporters that "the sending of Milosevic over there is illegal, it does not correspond with international laws."

      Castro, who fiercely opposed NATO-led bombing of Yugoslavia two years ago, added that it was "madness to concede the right of extra-territorial action for their penal laws and judicial authorities to NATO and the powerful nations." Castro said Milosevic was "paying the price for not having resisted three or four weeks longer" during the NATO bombing "because that war was planned for seven days ... NATO didn't have plans or calculations for a longer resistance."

      In the United States there have been moves to indict Castro for "genocide" and rights' abuses on the island. But the 74-year-old communist leader has laughed that off as ridiculous, and warned he will fight to the death if there is ever any attempt to arrest him.  He also warns U.S. President George W. Bush's administration that Cuba will not bow to pressure to reform its socialist system and would resist any military aggression. "Cuba will never surrender if the country is invaded. Cuba would negotiate only the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the aggressors," he said. "Cuba would have resisted not just four weeks more, but 40 years more," he said, supposing it found itself in a similar situation as the air strikes on Yugoslavia in 1999. 


HABANA, June 30

     CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO HEADS ANOTHER PROTEST MARCH TO SHOW HE IS IN GOOD HEALTH

     Unbowed by his collapse at a rally in the town of Cotorro just days ago, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was back on Friday leading Cuba's masses in an anti-U.S. protest and proclaiming his state of health "better than ever." "I promise you I won't faint again, I won't get over-tired again," the dictator said in a lengthy chat with reporters at the end of his first open-air appearance since his dramatic collapse last Saturday.

     "I'm better than ever, I didn't realize what good form I was in, but I'm watching the limits, really," he said, laughing with reporters after a rally of some 30,000 Cubans to demand freedom for five spies jailed in the United States.

     Sporting his trademark military fatigues, Castro strode confidently on Friday morning into the "anti-imperialist" square opposite the U.S. diplomatic mission, waving a Cuban flag before taking his seat at the head of the crowd. Having pledged to be more "prudent" in the future, Castro sipped water at various points during Friday's rally.


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29

     CASTRO SAYS AGAIN RAÚL WILL SUCCEED HIM

     Cuban president Fidel Castro shrugged off a fainting spell as nothing serious in an interview aired on Thursday, and said his brother Raúl was well placed to succeed him if something did happen. "If instead of fainting it had been a heart attack, or a stroke, which is not very likely," the Communist leader told NBC television network in the interview taped in Havana on Wednesday.

     Castro, who will turn 75 in August, said in Spanish, he may have passed out for 15 seconds on Saturday when, under a broiling sun, he fell against the lectern during a speech at a Communist Party rally and was whisked off the stage by bodyguards and aides. "I did not realize what was happening. Perhaps I was sweating too much. I was really drenched in sweat. All of a sudden I don't remember what happened. I did realize I was being carried away," he said.  It was like going to sleep. Like falling asleep, like sometimes when you are watching TV," he added.

     In the clearest indication to date that his brother is his chosen political heir, Castro referred to Raúl when asked if he planned on having a younger generation carry on his legacy. "Raúl is very healthy. Undoubtedly, he is the comrade who has the most authority after me, and has the most experience," he said. "Therefore I think he has the capacity to succeed me." The Cuban dictator, who has been in power since the revolution he lead in 1959, did not miss the opportunity to take a swipe at President George W. Bush. "He was not elected. He was appointed president of the United States," he said, alluding to the controversial election in Florida that was settled by the Supreme Court.


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29

     ELLIOTT ABRAMS APPOINTED TO A SENIOR POSITION AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

    President George W. Bush on Thursday named Elliott Abrams to a senior position at the White House National Security Council. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice announced that Abrams had been appointed to the position of senior director for democracy, human rights and international operations. The position does not require Senate confirmation.

     "Mr. Abrams is eminently qualified for his new position. He is the best person for the job," said White House spokesman Sean McCormack. AbramsÍ appointment followed Bush's nomination of two highly respected and competent conservatives to work on Latin American policy. One of those was Cuban-born Otto Reich, Bush's nominee to head Latin American policy at the State Department as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

     President Bush also picked Roger Noriega, an aide to North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, the hemispheric forum of 34 nations. Bush has made a point of emphasizing the importance of good North-South relations.


FORT WASHINGTON, June 28

     CAMCO MEMBERSHIP IMPORTANT NOTICE

     As of today, we recommend our membership to regularly visit our ñCLASSIFIED AREA."  Critical  and important updates on our ACTIVITIES / PROJECTS and CUBA will be posted regularly in the section: "INSTRUCCIONES / ACTUALIZACIONES."


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 28

     CASTRO SUCCESSION A DILEMA FOR THE U.S.

     U.S. troops and the Coast Guard will be put on a heightened state of alert when Cuban dictator Fidel Castro of Cuba dies. However, the most immediate concern in Washington would be an immigration crisis -- a massive outflow of rafters similar to the Mariel boatlift in 1980 or the rafter crisis in 1994 .

    Castro's slumping over a lectern Saturday as he gave a speech in the town of Cotorro, raised dozens of questions about the succession to a totalitarian ruler in power since President Eisenhower was in the White House.

    Under Cuban law, Castro will be succeeded by his brother Raúl, four years younger than the 74-year-old Fidel and now commander of the armed forces and second in command of the government and the Cuban Communist Party. Yet under the U.S. Helms-Burton Law, the United States cannot establish full diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba until the island achieves full democracy and frees all political prisoners -- and both Fidel and Raúl are out of the picture.


WASHINGTON, June 27

     CUBAN EXILE LEADERS SEEK INDICTMENT AGAINST THE CUBAN DICTATOR

     Cuban exile leaders want the Bush administration to convene a federal grand jury to determine whether murder indictments should be handed down against Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in the shooting down of two American planes north of Cuba in February 1996.

     Attorney General John Ashcroft discussed the issue this week during a luncheon meeting in the popular Cuban restaurant Versalles in Miami with Cuban-American leaders who urged that Castro be indicted. Ashcroft asked a number of questions during the meeting but participants said he remained noncommittal.

     The recent trial in Miami of five Cuban agents has given the Cuban exile encouragement that an indictment of Castro may be within reach. All were convicted on spy charges.


MIAMI, June 26

     ASHCROFT SAYS ñDELIGHTED" AT CUBAN SPY VERDICT

     The recent conviction of Cuban agents in Miami for spying and conspiring to shoot down two Cuban exile planes was a victory for the rights of American citizens, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Monday. "We are very serious about defending the rights of the United States of America against espionage and the rights of American citizens against being shot down, our right to remain free from conspiracies that are carried out to murder us," Ashcroft told a news conference in Miami.

     A federal jury convicted five Cubans on June 8 of working as agents for a Cuban espionage ring that infiltrated military installations and Cuban exile groups in Florida. One of the five, Gerardo Hernandez, was also convicted of conspiracy to murder in the Cuban fighter attack on the two planes flown by the Miami exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

     Ashcroft was scheduled to meet in Miami on Tuesday with Cuban exiles who want the United States to indict Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in connection with the February 1996 downing of the civilian planes by Cuban MiG fighters, which killed four Cuban exiles. Ashcroft said he would be "very pleased to listen" but declined to say whether the U.S. Justice Department would pursue further indictments in the case.  


HAVANA, June 25

     THE CUBAN DICTATOR DEMANDS FREEDOM FOR HIS SPIES

     The 74-year-old Cuban dictator, who had to be helped from the stage on Saturday two hours into a speech, was in the audience of a public affairs television program Monday evening.

     Castro, dressed in his traditional olive-green military uniform, was in the studio audience for Monday's program, part of a six-part series called "In the Belly of the Beast," which has focused on the plight of five Cuban agents recently found guilty of spying related charges in the United States. 

     Cuba's "Maximum Leader" is giving a great deal of attention to the just-launched campaign to free the five spies behind bars in the United States, much as he did with the successful effort over a year ago to win the return of shipwreck victim Elián Gonzalez to the Caribbean island.


HAVANA, June 23

     THE CUBAN DICTATOR FAINTS DURING A SPEECH TODAY

     Cuban dictator Fidel Castro fainted before a crowd of thousands and had to be helped off the stage by body guards during a televised speech Saturday. The dictator returned to the podium after a few minutes and said he was fine but needed some rest. He said he would get some sleep and resume his speech later in the day.

     The 74-year-old dictator, wearing his traditional long-sleeved uniform and heavy black boots, was about two hours into a speech under the bright sun with temperatures in the mid-80s when his body began listing to the side. Government cameras suddenly pulled away and focused on the crowd, filled with surprised and concerned faces. Some people gasped and some cried.

     ñCalmness and courage, we lift our flag,'' Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said, taking the microphone immediately after Castro appeared to faint. ñCompanero Fidel obviously has had in the middle of the heat ... a momentary fall.'' It was the first time Castro appeared to faint in public and the first time in recent memory that he has been too weak to finish a speech.


HAVANA, June 22

     CUBA PROMISES NEW BATTLE OVER U.S.-JAILED AGENTS

     Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's government pledged on Thursday a new "battle for justice" in the case of five Cuban agents facing lengthy jail sentences in the United States after their conviction on spying-related charges. "I think this is a new battle by our people for justice, for our rights," Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told media at Havana airport before leaving on a trip to Jamaica.

     "I am sure our comrades unjustly jailed there today, their relatives and their colleagues, will receive all the support and solidarity of our people, and our diplomats," Perez added. "We will do everything we can to ensure justice triumphs." Those words evoked memories of Cuba's last major political campaign -- the biggest in the Castro government's four-decade-old government -- during the custody dispute over 6-year-old shipwreck survivor Elián Gonzalez.

     One of the agents, Gerardo Hernandez, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder in connection with the shooting down of two exile planes by Cuban jets in 1996. He faces a life sentence. Hernandez and two others were also convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, a crime that also carries a possible life sentence. Those three and the two other defendants were also found guilty of working as agents for a foreign government, a charge carrying a possible prison sentence of 10 years.


HAVANA, June 2 1

     AGAIN, ARAFAT THANKS THE CUBAN DICTATOR FOR PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY

     Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has sent a message of thanks to Cuban President Fidel Castro after a week of solidarity meetings in Havana that denounced alleged Israeli "genocide" in the Middle East conflict. "With deep emotion, we saw the image of your excellency with the Palestinian shawl on your shoulders, at the head of a popular demonstration of solidarity with our heroic people's struggle," Arafat wrote to Castro in a letter made public Thursday by Cuban authorities.

     The Cuban dictator led thousands of Cubans in a political rally last Thursday at the "anti-imperialist" square opposite the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. That culminated a week of official acts in Cuba to show solidarity with Palestinians' fight for an independent homeland and to accuse Israel of a policy of "genocide" backed by the United States.

     "I consider this show of strength and unbreakable friendship in Havana as a strong and effective message from a dear world leader who enjoys great international prestige," Arafat added in his June 16 letter. "From the depth of my heart and that of every Palestinian, I thank you for this brave position against the Israeli aggression towards our people ... It is irrefutable evidence of the justice of our cause and the magnitude of the injustice committed by the aggressors," he said.


KEY WEST, June 20

     SHOTS END CHASE AT SEA OFF CUBA, MARIHUANA SEIZED

     U.S. Coast Guard crewmen fired dozens of shots across the bows of a speedboat suspected of smuggling drugs during a high-speed chase on the seas between Cuba and the Bahamas, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday. Finally, the boat heeded the warning and stopped. When a boarding party from a Coast Guard cutter went on board, they discovered 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg) of marihuana.

     The five people on board the speedboat were handed over to U.S. authorities in Key West on Tuesday along with the drugs. The incident started on Saturday when a Coast Guard helicopter from the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, spotted the boat. A second aircraft joined the hunt and monitored the boat as it sped round the eastern tip of Cuba and along the island's north coast. There is no information on the drug traffickersÍ nationality.


HAVANA, June 19

     CUBAN SUGAR HARVEST ENDS IN A FAILURE

     Cuba's eastern Holguín province met its sugar plan Monday, only the sixth of 13 sugar-producing provinces to do so, as the 2000-01 harvest drew to a close and efforts to lift the industry out of crisis faltered. Holguín met its 384,000-tonne goal Monday morning, with plans for two of its mills, the only ones still operating in the country, to grind on for a few more days, the media said.

     Of the 12 provinces that have ceased grinding, seven fell short of their output targets, according to the Sugar Ministry. While the ministry has yet to announce national results of the harvest, various sources indicated it was around 150,000 tonnes less than the 3.7 million tonnes of raw sugar planned, of which 3 million tonnes was for export.

    Only twice in the last 50 years, in 1994-95 and 1997-98, has the CubaÍs crop weighed in at less than 3.7 million tonnes. The Sugar Ministry announced when the 2000-01 harvest began in December that output would be less than the 4.06 million tonnes produced in 1999-2000, blaming drought.


HAVANA, June 18

     ARAFAT SENDS MESSAGE OF THANKS TO CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO

     Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat send a message of thanks to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro for supporting the Palestinian people in their conflict with Israel. The message was read late Thursday by the Palestinian Ambassador to Havana during a support rally attended by several thousand people and headed by Castro.

    ñIn the name of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, I feel honored to thank you and Fidel Castro for all the support you have given,'' said the note. The evening demonstration was held outside the U.S. Interests Section, the American mission here.

     The declaration also called for Israeli immediate withdrawal from Palestine. Cuba has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has long supported the Palestinians in their territorial fight.


HAVANA, June 17

     THE CUBAN DICTATOR DENOUNCES CYBERATTACK AGAINST THE UNITED STATES

     An irritated Fidel Castro on Thursday dismissed concerns about Cuban cyberterrorism against the United States as ñcraziness,'' saying his country doesn't have the technology to launch such attacks even if it wanted to. U.S. officials who believe that Cuba could and would attack the country's computer networks are "orphans, and bereft of ideas,'' the Cuban dictator said in a speech shown on state television. He called the United States ``an empire that only knows lies.'' ñIt is craziness ... it would be against our principles,'' Castro said at the inauguration of a new solar energy system for a school in the western province of Pinar del Rio.

    Castro's comments were a response to testimony by Rear Adm. Thomas Wilson at a Senate hearing in February. Wilson, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, at the time said Cuba has the potential to use "information warfare or computer network attack,'' enabling the country "to disrupt our access or flow of forces to the region.''

    Castro's government is spearheading a move to enhance technological access across the Caribbean island of 11 million inhabitants, particularly for young people. The government has been criticized by some, however, for allegedly restricting Internet access for political reasons.


HAVANA, June 15

     CUBA SEEKS HEAVY SENTENCES FOR MILITARY DESERTERS

     A group of Cuban soldiers who sought to leave the communist-run Caribbean island illegally were tried earlier this week and face possible jail sentences of up to 27 years, dissident sources said on Wednesday. A military court in Havana heard charges against the five soldiers and five civilians during a one-day trial Tuesday, and a verdict is expected in coming days, the sources said.  The men were charged with desertion, piracy, illegal possession of weapons and robbery.

     The state prosecution requested 27 years' jail for one of the soldiers, Douglas Faxas Rosabal, 25 years for his colleague Hector Larroque, and 20 years for fellow soldiers Tonieski Bernalde and Fidel Díaz. It was not known what sentences were sought for the other soldier, or the five civilians, of whom two were women.


MIAMI, June 14

     HERMINIO SAN ROMÁN RESIGNS POST: SALVADOR LEW AND ULISES CARBÓ ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE POST

     Lawyer Herminio San Román, who directed Radio and TV Martí's move to Miami, has submitted his resignation from the U.S. government operation that beams broadcasts to Cuba. Several celebrated Miami personalities are being considered for the post. Included on the short-list to become director of the U.S. Office of Cuban Broadcasting are two veteran Spanish radio commentators and great Cuban patriots, Salvador Lew and Ulises Carbó.

    Salvador Lew, 72, is an Independent. Born in Las Villas province in Cuba, he was educated as a lawyer and twice exiled -- from 1957 to 1959 after he was jailed for distributing literature against the Fulgencio Batista regime, then again in 1961 after his disillusionment with Fidel Castro. He has been aligned with previous Republican administrations, notably that of the president's father, George Bush, who appointed Lew to the Radio Martí governing board in 1992. President Clinton renewed his appointment. In 1984, Lew visited Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office to deliver 100,000 letters of support of U.S. Central American policy.

     Ulises Carbó, 73 years, a Cuban attorney, participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion. He was born in Havana, Cuba. In 1952, he graduated as Juris Doctor and immediately started his work as a journalist. As a writer, he was awarded two times the ñPremio Juan Gualberto Gómez", CubaÍs highest citation for journalism. ñFor the defense of Freedom of the Press", the Interamerican Press Association, S.I.P., awarded him, his father and Humberto Medrano, the ñMerghentaler Journalistic Price". After his newspaper ñPrensa Libre" was confiscated by the communist, he requested asylum at the Embassy of Panamá and  left Cuba. Carbó is a member of the Interamerican Press Association, S.I.P., collaborates as a writer in ñDiario Las Américas" and participates in a political radio show at ñRadio Mambí".


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14

     U.S. DISAVOWS COMMENTS ON CHINA, CUBA

     The State Department pulled back Wednesday from a statement by a senior department official who told a House subcommittee that China has transferred military equipment and explosives to Cuba. Spokesman Philip Reeker said Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly testified only that the Bush administration ñwould take seriously'' Chinese military transfers to Cuba.

     According to a transcript of Kelly's remarks, however, the assistant secretary said: ñWe are very much concerned with this PLA (People's Liberation Army) cooperation and movement of military equipment in Cuba.'' A department official, speaking privately, said Kelly had misspoken.


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14

     CHINA INCREASING ITS TIES WITH COMMUNIST CUBA
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     China has been increasing its ties to Cuba in recent months. In April, Chinese President Jiang Zemin traveled to Havana and signed agreements worth about $400 million in loans to Cuba. Other Chinese activities in Cuba include electronic eavesdropping on the United States and Chinese government radio broadcasting. China also recently agreed to modernize CubaÇs telecommunications network.

     The secret shipments of arms and explosives to Cuba reported Tuesday are made aboard the state-owned Ocean Shipping Co., or COSCO. COSCOÇs only shareholder is the Chinese government. COSCO officials were recently in the United States to meet port officials in Massachusetts, where they had reached an agreement with the Massachusetts Port Authority to begin a weekly shipping service between Shanghai and Boston beginning next year. COSCO has been linked in the past by U.S. intelligence agencies to illegal smuggling and international arms trafficking.

     James Mulvenon, a China analyst with the RAND Corp., said that the Chinese Communist PartyÇs military organ approved establishment of COSCO as an arm of the Chinese navy in 1985.  Mr. Mulvenon stated earlier this year, in his book "Soldiers of Fortune," that COSCO Çs establishment "legitimized the use of navy ships for civilian shipping and thus provided a legal cover for the navyÍs smuggling."  The arms transfers by COSCO ships contradict statements to Congress made in 1997 by National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger who told senators there was no credible evidence linking COSCO to illegal activity, including arms smuggling. Edward Timperlake, a former House committee investigator, said, "If the Chinese military ever mobilized troops for action against Taiwan, COSCO would be part of the operation."


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 13

     SECRET ARMS SHIPMENTS FROM CHINA TO CUBA REPORTED

     On Tuesday, a U.S. official confirmed reports that China has made several secret shipments of arms and explosives to Cuba. Obviously, China is trying to get into the same position that Russia wanted in Latin America and it is using Cuba to achieve its goal. This is one of the many threats that Cuba represents to the U.S. national security, as CAMCO leadership has repeatedly mentioned. (Please, Visit CAMCO's Monthly News Archive). 

     At least three arms shipments were traced from China to the Cuban port of Mariel during the past several months, according to an article Tuesday in the Washington Times. The explosives were said to be ñmilitary-grade'' material, the newspaper said. All the arms were aboard vessels belonging to the state-owned China Ocean Shipping Co., or COSCO.

     The U.S. officials said that the subject of arms trafficking between China and Cuba is a worrisome one, though he stopped short of confirming the Washington Times account. ñWe are very much concerned with this PLA [People's Liberation Army] cooperation and movement of military equipment to Cuba,'' said James Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, when questioned during a hearing of the House International Relations subcommittee.  ñThere is a U.S. law that prohibits providing various types of assistance to foreign governments that have provided 'lethal military equipment' to a country whose government is a state sponsor of terrorism.'' Cuba is among the nine countries on the State Department's list of nations designated as supporters of international terrorism


HAVANA, June 13

     CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO PLEDGES CONTINUED SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIANS

    Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's communist government, which broke relations with Israel three decades ago, pledged continued solidarity on Tuesday with the Palestinians at a conference to discuss the Middle East conflict. "There will be no fair and lasting peace in the region until an independent Palestinian state is proclaimed, with eastern Jerusalem recognized as its capital," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque told the regional forum. Perez also blasted Cuba's political archenemy, the United States, for supporting Israel in the long-running conflict. "Israel's killing machinery has been developed and perfected for years thanks to the financial, military and technological aid of the United States, its unconditional ally, which shares responsibility for the grave violations of the Palestinian people's basic human rights," Pérez said.

     The head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's political department, Farouk Kaddoumi, responded with praise. "Cuba has been the Palestinian people's best friend in our fight for the peace and stability of the Middle East," said Kaddoumi. Delegates from governments and other organizations from 45 countries were attending the two-day United Nations regional conference, which was due to wind up on Tuesday.


PINAR DEL RIO, June 12

     ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE REPRESSED AND ARRESTED FOR PLANNING EXCURSION TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY (The source of this information is Cubanet)

     State Security officers from the Pinar del Rio province arrested eight activists from the environmental group Naturpaz who were planning an excursion to celebrate World Environmental Day. The arrests occurred in the towns of Sandino, Manuel Lazo, and Babineyes, which all belong to the Sandino Municipality in the province of Pinar del Rio.

     In the evening of June 4^th, State Security arrested Jose Anacleto Aragon, Luis Reyes Babeiro, Lázaro Romero Solis, Mateo Romeu Ramos, Hector de la Caridad Cruz Santovenia, Ican Miranda Torres, and Antonio Alvarez Reyes. All were presumably taken to the headquarters of the political police in Sandino. Also Abdubel Borrego Manganelles, who had been detained for various hours on the prior Saturday, was arrested again and taken to an unknown location. As of the writing of this article, his whereabouts was unknown.

    Sources close to Naturpaz confirmed that the excursion had not taken place as a result of the repressive actions taken against the organization by State Security. In spite of this, the members of Naturpaz who were not arrested held a conference at the "Irene" ranch in the town of Manuel Lazo. (The remains of aboriginal villages have been discovered at this location.) In spite of the fact that State Security officers surrounded the area of the "Irene" ranch and attempted to repress the activists, twenty of the dissidents were still able to carry out the activity.

FORT WASHINGTON, June 12      LETÍS MAKE SURE THAT THE ORDEAL OF AMERICAN SERVICEMEN IN VIETNAM AT THE HANDS OF CASTR0ÍS THUGS IS NOT SWEPT UNDER THE RUG

Learn about a book published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press that has not received the attention that it deserves Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in  Southeast Asia„1961-1973, and read the letter sent to hundreds of  distinguished Americans by our Chairman, Erneido A. Oliva, Major General (DC) Retired and former Second-in-Command of the Bay of  Pigs Invasion, asking them to write to their Congressman and two Senators to make sure that the ordeal of American servicemen in Vietnam tortured at the hands of Cuban dictator Fidel CastroÍs thugs is not swept under the rug. (Click here to read the letter)

WASHINGTON, D.C.,  June 12

     US CUTS INTELLIGENCE TIES WITH VENEZUELAN AGENCY

     The United States has cut intelligence ties with Venezuela's elite security agency amidst growing fears in Washington that the oil-rich South America nation will become another Cuba. Venezuela's secret police, DISIP, which historically has worked with AmericaÍs CIA and FBI, has been excluded from US intelligence information.

     Chávez returned last week from a world tour including, Russia and China, declaring himself a Maoist and is now reaching out to the Venezuelan Communist Party.

     With his Justice Minister describing the opposition as "human excrement", Chávez has urged the communists to form a new political movement to "defend the anti-imperialist revolution" and "smash the conspiracy". 


CARACAS, June 11

     CHÁVEZ ORGANIZES NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO DEFEND HIS REVOLUTION

     Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez on Sunday called on his supporters to form Cuban-style neighborhood groups in a move to bolster his controversial left-leaning reform effort.  Chavez unveiled plans for "Bolivarian Circles" in streets and workplaces.

     "The people united like a fist ... in every neighborhood block, let's organize Bolivarian Circles," he said in his weekly Sunday TV and radio address "Hello President." Chávez said the purpose of these grass-roots, pro-government groups -- encompassing "neighbors, fishermen, women, peasants, young people" -- was to "dedicate ourselves to the defense and support of the revolution."

    Chávez said the Bolivarian Circles would be coordinated from the presidential palace in Caracas. He also says he admires Castro and the two countries have strengthened political and economic ties despite opposition from the United States, which maintains a long-standing economic embargo against Havana.


CARACAS, June 10

      CHÁVEZ FOLLOWS CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTROÍS STEPS

     Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on Saturday he would adopt emergency powers if necessary, and urged supporters to unite behind him in a ñjustice-seeking, anti-imperialist revolution". Speaking as guest of honor at a meeting organized by Venezuela's tiny Communist Party, Chávez threatened confiscation of properties of big business tax-evaders and absentee land-owners. The Communist Party holds no seats in the National Assembly. It had called the meeting to declare its support for the president.

     During his aggressive speech, Chávez announced "revolutionary laws" were being prepared and praised Russia, China and Cuba. He said he still considers declaring a "state of exception" under the constitution to bolster his government's powers. "It's on the horizon as a possibility... and if we have to use it, we won't have any problem doing soƒThis is the moment to unite, to fight, to go on the offensive," he said.

     The president accused his opponents of spreading false alarmist rumors in a bid to stir up discontent in the armed forces and damage Venezuela's image abroad. "Hugo Chávez , as a person, as the commander-in-chief, as a soldier, and with me the people and the revolution, are supported by the armed forces," he said. His choice of language closely echoed that habitually used by Cuba's veteran dictator Fidel Castro, for whom Chavez has repeatedly expressed friendship and admiration.


HAVANA, June 10

     RICARDO ALARCÓN SAYS: NO U.S. TRADE UNLESS SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ARE ADOPTED

     Unless there are substantial changes to current U.S. sanctions against Cuba, there will be no trade between the two countries, Ricardo Alarcón, President of the Cuban Assembly, told Americans at a business conference Friday. Under current U.S. laws and regulations, ñthere will be no trade with our country,'' he said. ñI wish that every American could understand that.''

     ñIt will not require a total ending of the blockade for trade to occur,'' Alarcón told several dozen Americans in town for the 5th annual U.S.-Cuba Business Summit. ñBut it would require some fundamental changes.'' Alarcón and other Cuban officials remain irritated by the perception among some Americans that legislation passed last year opened the door for the first U.S. food sales to Cuba in 40 years. Not only do financing restrictions make such sales impossible, the legislation has not taken effect because regulations for the law have not been written, Alarcón said.

     More importantly, he said, a clause in the legislation specifies that it cannot override earlier sanctions laid out in laws that strengthened the U.S. trade embargo during the 1990s. For American business to sell anything to Cuba ñyou will have to modify the entire embargo policy,'' Alarcón added. Because of U.S. Treasury Department regulations that restrict Americans from spending money in Cuba, the gathering was sponsored by an Italian firm, Cristóbal.


MIAMI, June 9

     MIAMI JURY CONVICTS FIVE CUBAN SPIES
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|     Five Cubans were convicted Friday of conspiring to spy on the United States for Fidel Castro's communist regime. The leader of the group faces up to life in prison for his role in a Cuban air force attack that killed four Cuban-American fliers in February 1996. The jury deliberated five days.

     All five defendants were convicted of operating as foreign agents without notifying the U.S. government and conspiracy. Three of the group were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for their efforts to penetrate U.S. military bases. The men will be sentenced between Sept. 24 and Oct. 2.

      Five other indicted members of the group pleaded guilty in exchange for their cooperation and were given reduced sentences. Four others are fugitives believed to be in Cuba.


MIAMI, June 9

     THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION REPATRIATES 46 CUBANS

     Implementing a policy established by the Clinton Administration that has been adopted by President Bush, the Coast Guard Friday repatriated 46 Cubans who were intercepted trying to illegally reach the United States. The Cubans were caught in four attempts to reach U.S. shores since the beginning of the month.

     A group of seven aboard a 16-foot boat was intercepted last Friday in waters off the Florida Keys. The next day, a Coast Guard cutter spotted 33 Cubans about 15 miles south of Anguilla Cay, the Bahamas, aboard a U.S.-registered 25-foot boat. Two men aboard the vessel were arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling. On Monday, another cutter found a raft with six men aboard, and three people were spotted Tuesday off the Keys.

     After interviews with immigration officials, the Cubans were dropped off in Bahía de Cabanas, Cuba. Three were to be transferred to the U.S. Naval Station in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.


HAVANA, June 8

      FAMILIES DEMAND RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

      A group of about 20 former Cuban political prisoners and relatives of current prisoners demanded on Thursday the release of 428 inmates being held in Cuba for political reasons. "We want the world to know the suffering that we, the mothers and families of political prisoners rotting behind bars go through," said Noris Durán, the mother of Lázaro Constantín, sentenced to four years in prison for the crimes of "enemy propaganda" and being "a danger to society."

      "They haven't done anything. They simply think in a different way than the system," added Duran, who said her son was arrested for reading the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights aloud in a public park.

     According to the National Coordinating Group of Political Prisoners and Former Political Prisoners, there are currently 428 political prisoners in Cuba. A total of 169 are jailed for trying to leave the country without authorization. The rights organization Amnesty International said in a May report on Cuba that "hundreds of people remain imprisoned for political crimes."


HAVANA, June 8

      AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN, AGAIN, TRYING TO  HELP THE CUBAN DICTATOR

     Executives from some 40 U.S. companies began a two-day meeting in Cuba on Thursday in search of future business, despite President George W. Bush's pledge to keep Washington's embargo on the Caribbean island in place. Cuban Foreign Investment Minister Marta Lomas welcomed the group and expressed her government's pleasure at the increasing number of businessmen from the north visiting her country.

     Representatives from such well-known companies as Archer Daniels Midland Co. and William Wrigley Jr. Co. were among the executives gathered at Havana's Havana Libre Hotel for the conference. Most other participants were from smaller, relatively unknown firms eager to learn about Cuba's economy and make contacts with future business partners.

     This year's meeting is the first to be held entirely in Cuba. Previously, they took place in Cancun, Mexico, with participants flying into Havana for a day. In 1999 the summit was held entirely in Mexico after the Clinton administration threatened legal action if the businessmen went to Cuba. However, this year, the Bush administration took no action on the meeting. United States law forbids U.S. citizens from spending money in Cuba, unless they receive a license from the government.


PORT-AU-PRINCE, June 8

     RESCUED CUBANS SEEK ASYLUM IN HAITI

      Twelve Cubans whose sailboat sank on the way to Florida and were rescued by a Haitian freighter asked Wednesday for political asylum in Haiti. The freighter picked the men out of the Old Bahama Channel on May 31. Their boat sank in international waters about 250 miles from the United States.

     The group included doctors and other professionals. The Cubans were examined at a Hospital and found to be in good health. They were jailed in the Cap-Haitien police station pending a government decision on their asylum request.


VENEZUELA, June 7

     ñVENEZUELA OPPOSITION WANTS THE OVERTHROWN OF CHAVEZ VIA U.S. INTERVENTION"

    Venezuelan Defense Minister José Vicente Rangel has confirmed that sectors of the internal opposition are hoping for and would applaud U.S. military intervention in that nation. They are dreaming of a repeat performance of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion because "their idea is to hang onto the petticoats of the United States," Rangel commented. The minister noted that those who are ñfueling this illusion" are at a remove from reality, lack rationality, have lost their heads and, ñnow that all their plans have failed, are relying on that desperate dream".

     The Defense Minister identified the promoters of that idea as the same people interested in talking of a ñalleged Cubanization" of Venezuela, restoring cold war terminology, and mechanically transferring Miami to Caracas." They are trying to introduce into the country the same style of individuals in that U.S. city who are opposed to Fidel CastroÍs government," he commented.

     "We have normal relations with Havana but it would appear that the opposition is aspiring to unleash hatred and falsify the truth, by introducing the Cuban element and transplanting the atypical attitude of the extreme right exile movement," he stated. The minister also announced that the government is processing information and has very good leads concerning the identity of the authors of anonymous messages published in U.S. newspapers demanding ChávezÍ resignation.


HAVANA, June 6

     ONE OF THE LOWEST HARVEST IN 50 YEARS

     Less than 10 of Cuba's 154 sugar mills remained in operation this week as communist Cuba struggles to add a few thousand tonnes to a disappointing 2000-01 harvest, the third lowest in 50 years.

    Raw sugar output, based on various sources, was estimated at between 3.5 million and 3.55 million tonnes as of Tuesday, toward an official target of 3.7 million tonnes, 3 million tonnes for export. Cuba produced 4.06 million tonnes of sugar in 1999-2000, 3.3 million tonnes for export.

     Cuba tries normally to end its sugar harvest by May, when hot and humid weather decrease yields and make cane cutting difficult. But the sugar ministry, hard pressed to meet contracts and domestic supply requirements, has said this year some milling might continue until the end of June.


MIAMI, June 6

    RISE IN THE NUMBER OF CUBAN EXILES ARRIVING IN MIAMI

     Calmer seas and better weather have prompted a rise in the number of Cubans making the journey over the Florida Straits to the United States from the communist-run island.

     A border Patrol spokesman said about 75 Cubans had been picked up in the Florida Keys entering the United States illegally since the beginning of June, including a large group of 34 who landed in Islamorada on Saturday night and 27 others who arrived in Tavernier on Monday.

    The Coast Guard said it had intercepted 234 Cubans this year up until Monday, compared with 928 people for all of last year.


PINAR DEL RIO, June 5

     POLYCLINIC IS FALLING APART IN SPITE OF TAXES COLLECTED TO SUPPORT IT   (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

     The government takes five percent of the dollar earnings of the fishing fleet based in the small coastal town of La Coloma for the local polyclinic. Yet, the polyclinic is falling apart and residents have to go away to receive decent medical care, critics say.

     Users most often complain that the buildingÍs sewers are chronically backed-up, and that water and electrical services are periodically interrupted. In addition, users say medical equipment is badly deteriorated and the care offered to pregnant women was suspended without explanation.

     Even with the money taken from the fishermen they canÍt make the polyclinic run right. Patients have to travel dozens of miles to receive proper care. 


SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 4

     "BENEFITS" OF A DIGITAL TELEPHONE CENTRAL (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

     The telecommunications company of Cuba (ETECSA) offers multiple options to benefit its users. Call waiting, call transferring, conference calls, electronic lock, automatic alarm clock, direct line, and many other features are evidence of the advantages of having a sophisticated technological system. However, contrary to ETECSA's slogan that represents the best attention to the customer, the reality is that very often phone calls are cut short by watchful operators and there are many of what they call "restricted numbers".

    When someone complains to ETECSA of these problems, they justify with a regular "problems with the line." It's a coincidence that the so-called "problems with the line" always happen when the conversation topic is something not very gratifying to the communist government. "When they talk about the lack of medications or food, of some political abuse or other topics related to injustice or state deficiencies, that's the precise moment when the call is cut off", tells a resident of Santiago in Cuba who didn't reveal his name because of the fear of never being able to talk to their family members in the United States again.

     This details puts in evidence that the operators of the international communication system listen to what people are saying on all sides of the telephone line.
Privacy's rights in Cuba are subordinate to the interests of the state. Even the Constitution says that privacy can be violated when it means protecting the security of the state, and this could mean any topic that is not in accordance with what the Communist Party says or tell the people to do.


HAVANA. June 4

    EXPLODING CROQUETTES BURN CONSUMERS (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

    Several women have recently been admitted to the provincial hospital here with burns over the face and arms caused by croquettes that exhibit an alarming tendency to explode as they are being fried.

    The croquettes, sold by peddlers at 0.80 pesos each, are produced by the government's Food Company of the City of CamagÙey. According to residents, they explode with such force that they can lift the cover off a frying pan, scattering hot oil and burning anyone standing by. There are even reports of croquettes exploding after being taken from the pan. So far, no one has been able to explain what causes the croquettes to explode.


PINAR DEL RIO, June 4

    FIVE TOWNS IN PINAR DEL RIO WITHOUT ELECTRICITY (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

    Residents of El Jíbaro, a town in the municipality of San Juan y Martínez, province of Pinar del Río, don't have electricity. They have made several petitions to authorities for the service, but to no avail.

     The Electrical Company notified them that the towns of Marrero, Calafre, Yaguas, and Ramones find themselves in a similar situation. Further, company officials said, should financing become available, the Administration Council would have to decide which town it would extend service to first


HAVANA, June 3

     PRICES UP ON RICE AND PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION   (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

     The scarcity of rice, a staple in the Cuban diet, has driven prices up in recent weeks, from 3.50 to 15 pesos a pound. At this price, it can be obtained from private parties; customary suppliers such as the agricultural markets and stores in the "Doña Julia" chain, which used to sell it at 3.50 a pound simply don't have any. Sources at the government's Wholesale Commerce Company, which is in charge of rice distribution, said they don't know how long the scarcity will last.

     The price of private transportation, a makeshift and clandestine system whereby private citizens with cars supplement their income by picking up passengers around town, is also going up. The going rate, 10 pesos for a ride within Havana, say, has gone up by as much as 100 percent.

     Vehicle owners say the scarcity and expense of fuel (0.65 dollar per liter for gas and 0.95 dollar per liter for diesel) make the increases necessary. Nevertheless, demand for the service remains high because public transportation is undergoing the worst crisis in its history, according to some.   


PINAR DEL RIO, June 3

     HEPATITIS OUTBREAK IN WESTERN CUBA  (CAMCOÍs Department of Engineers)

     Dozens have been affected by an outbreak of hepatitis A in Viñales, Pinar del Río province caused, according to knowledgeable sources, by contaminated drinking water. Among those most affected are children between the ages of 5 and 14.
There are reports that the waste water net discharges some contaminated residuals in the drinking water supply. The reports as well mention that more than 50 septic tanks overflow because they are full or need repairs.

     Sanitary authorities have not addressed residents' demands for years. Lately, they performed some repairs in the waste water network, but an outside expert called the repairs "cosmetic."


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 2

     U.S. DENIES VISA TO RICARDO ALARCON AND THREE OTHER COMMUNIST LEADERS

     Ricardo Alarcón, President of the National Assembly of Cuba, protested on Friday against Washington's decision to deny him an entry visa for a solidarity visit to Puerto Rico and called military tests on that U.S. commonwealth's Vieques Island "imperialist arrogance." Alarcón had planned to visit Puerto Rico for a week beginning next Thursday to mark the 35th anniversary of a friendship center for Puerto Ricans in Cuba. Obviously, the visit would have underlined Cuba's support both for its Caribbean neighbor's internal independence movement and for a campaign to prevent U.S. Navy tests on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.

     American officials confirmed that Alarcón 's visa had been denied, saying the decision was in keeping with an established policy of not giving senior Cuban leaders permission to visit U.S. territory. The other Cubans denied visas are: José Antonio Arbezú, the head of the Communist PartyÍs Department of Americas,  and Miguel Alvarez y Juan González, both member of the National Assembly.

     Last weekend Cuban dictator Fidel Castro led hundreds of thousands of people in a rally outside the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana to urge an end to tests on Vieques. "The U.S. Marines will return with their destruction, insolently ignoring the will of Puerto Ricans. They will return, without asking permission of anyone, to offend a dignified people, whose inalienable rights one day will have to respected," Alarcón stated.


HAVANA, June 2

     CUBA CONVICTS EX-CONSUL SAID TO BE SPY IN MEXICO

     A former Cuban consul to Mexico and possible former intelligence agent has been jailed for at least six years after being convicted for leaving the island illegally, his lawyer said on Thursday. In a case shrouded by mystery, the Cuban official, Pedro Anibal Riera Escalante, was accused at his May 18 trial in a Havana military court of falsification of documents, bribery and illegal departure stemming from a 1999 move to Mexico.

     That attempt to defect from Cuba for good, apparently after disillusionment with President Fidel Castro's government, followed a 1988-1994 stint as consul in Mexico where, according to Riera's comments to Mexican media, he in fact coordinated Cuban espionage work there, particularly against the CIA.

     His lawyer said her client, whom Cuba was trying simply for immigration crimes without reference to his alleged role as a master-spy turned would-be defector, had apparently received a six- or eight-year jail sentence. She said she would clarify the exact sentence with court officials on Friday. Riera, who had sought and was denied political asylum in Mexico, told the court at his one-day trial he was "kidnapped by force" when he was brought back to Cuba last year.


HAVANA, June 2

     AMERICAN PRIEST STRANGLED TO DEATH IN CUBA

     A U.S. Roman Catholic priest was strangled to death earlier this week in a room he was renting in a Havana house, diplomatic sources in Cuba said on Friday. The sources said George Zirwas, in his late 40s and from a town near Pittsburgh, was found dead late on Monday.

     The U.S. Interests Section in Cuba -- Washington's unofficial embassy due to the lack of formal diplomatic ties between the politically estranged nations -- said it was helping facilitate contact between local authorities and Zirwas' relatives.

     The priest had been on leave of absence from the Pittsburgh Diocese for the last four years, and was said to have lived intermittently on the Caribbean island since then. Cuba's Roman Catholic Church said it had known nothing of Zirwas' presence on the island, and expressed its regrets.


LONDON, June 1^st.

     POLITICAL REPRESSION CONTINUES IN CUBA - AMNESTY

     Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's communist government continues to repress political dissidents in Cuba, with a "serious escalation" at the end of 2000. "Individuals and groups peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly continued to face repression," human rights' group Amnesty International said on Cuba in its annual report.

     Amnesty said some conditional releases of jailed activists -- most notably three members of the so-called "Group of Four" dissidents in May 2000 -- led to hopes Cuba was easing off on opponents in the first half of last year. "But new sentences and a serious escalation in repression during the closing months of 2000 discouraged such optimism," it added. "Journalists, political opponents and human rights defenders were subjected to severe harassment." Amnesty said "several hundred" Cubans remained in jail for political offenses, while scores of dissidents were temporarily rounded up at the end of the year to prevent their participation in various events. Local rights' organizations put the current number of jailed dissidents at nearly 400, while anti-Castro Cuban American groups in Florida say there could be as many as 1,000.

     On a non-dissident issue, Amnesty said Cuba sentenced eight people to death by firing squad in 2000, and at least 20 people were under sentence of death at the end of the year. All were for common crimes, according to local sources. Prison conditions, the group added, "continued to be poor and in some cases constituted cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." Cuba does not allow outsiders into its jails.


MEXICO CITY, May 31

     MEXICO, CUBA SIGN FOREIGN INVESTMENT AGREEMENT

     Mexico  and Cuba signed agreements on Wednesday to promote bilateral investment, despite recent tension over human rights between the traditionally friendly nations. The Accord for Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (APPRI) will raise Mexico's investment profile in Cuba, where it accounts for only about 2 percent of the island nation's $5 billion annual foreign investment.

    The accord also provides guarantees against government expropriation of investments, officials said. "This ensures Mexican investors that their investments in Cuba will be respected, not just in the short term, but also in the long term,"  Mexican Economy minister Ernesto Derbez told reporters on Wednesday after signing the accords.

    Mexico, Latin America's No. 2 economy, is among the top 10 foreign investors in Cuba, whose leading trading partners are Spain, Canada, Italy, France and Great Britain. The accord comes amid continued tensions between the two countries over human rights. Last year the Mexican government denied political asylum to a former Cuban consul and tensions escalated in 2001 as each country questioned the human rights record of the other.