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Cuba intensifies recoveryefforts following Hurricane Irma

Weekly on Cuba and Latin America

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ENGLISH

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(More information on pages 3-7)

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Council of State modifiesmunicipal election schedule

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Raúl recognizes hard work done acrossthe country following Hurricane Irma

Cuba intensifies recoveryefforts following Hurricane Irma• Hard work is underway in all places hit by the devastating storm • Efforts to reestablish electrical service continue dayand night. Fifteen major transmission lines were damaged, along with over 3,600 utility poles and 2,039 kilometers of

power lines. The provinces of Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila face the most complex situations • Over 20,400 constructionworkers and 855 heavy-duty vehicles are devoted to debris collection, and the repair of roads, bridges, and drains, as well

as housing and public buildings • Damaged tourism infrastructure is being reconditioned, and will be ready for theupcoming high season, to begin mid-November.

FREDDY PÉREZ CABRERA

Weekly on Cuba and Latin America

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FRENCH PORTUGUESE ITALIAN GERMAN www.granma.cuSPANISH ENGLISH

HAVANASEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Year 52 / Number 38 Price in Cuba

$0.50 CUC

YEAR 59 OF THE REVOLUTION

Trump administration has nomoral authority to criticize Cuba

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NATIONAL2 GRANMA INTERNATIONALSEPT.22.2017 |

Ronald Suárez Rivas

• PINAR DEL RÍO.– Cueva de LosPortales, October 1962. In his commandheadquarters, Comandante ErnestoGuevara analyzed with various officers thecomposition of the enemy force threat-ening to attack the country.

Lieutenant Luis González Pardo, head ofthe information section, read data on the82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, which would reportedly beresponsible for the attacks.

After mentioning the enormous amount ofaircraft, Luis commented: “Comandante,they are going to cover our sky.”

Che, however, was not fazed. Followingthe abrupt defeat of the dictatorship andthe mercenary attack on Playa Girón, hehad no doubts about the courage of theCuban people, thus he assertivelyresponded to his intelligence officer: “Evenbetter, kid, we’ll fight in the shadows.”

Recounting the anecdote is Oscar ValdésBuergo, then adjunct sergeant to themilitary chief of Pinar del Río, andtherefore a man close to the HeroicGuerrilla on the oc-casions when heassumed command of the province, duringthe invasion of Playa Girón and theOctober Crisis (Cuban Missile Crisis).

Supported by a folder full of notes, news-paper clippings, sketches and photo-graphs, the veteran combatant of the under-ground struggle in Vueltabajo speaks withnostalgia of those “whirlwind days” when hehad the opportunity to work alongside Che.

Now aged 80, Valdés remembers himclearly in his fatigues, a pistol at his waist,and his black beret with a star.

“During Girón, the shot that escaped himand injured him in the face made hispresence very brief, but during the OctoberCrisis he stayed with us for several weeks,leading the province,” Oscar recalls.

“At that time, Che established his com-mand in Cueva de los Portales (a cave in the municipality of La Palma). He wouldleave at dawn almost every day to tour theterritory and return at night.”

Among the anecdotes that speak for thelegendary guerrilla’s personality, Oscarnotes that since they never knew what timeChe would return, it was proposed thatthey place a wood stove inside the cave, tokeep food warm for of all those who workedlate into the night, as the unit’s main kitchenwas located at some distance.

“Che at first did not agree, because hethought they were doing it with theintention of preparing a better meal for himthan the rest of the troop, and although hefinally agreed, when he walked around healways checked with the soldiers thateveryone had been served the same.”

Regarding those tense days, in which theworld was on the verge of a nuclear conflict,Oscar recalls that on one occasion Chearrived very annoyed, as a group of militiaand soldiers who were digging trenches hadasked him how long the exercise would last.

“That same day he ordered the principalleaders to go and update them, man toman, regarding the situation of greatdanger in the country.

“On October 26, after hearing theComandante en Jefe say that any aircraftthat violated our airspace would be shotdown, he ordered the air defense to bereinforced.

“In addition, he gave the order to dis-assemble a 12.7 millimeter machine gun,and with ropes and the help of a group ofcampesinos from the area, they carried itup piece by piece to the top of the hill andpositioned it there.”

A radio antenna was also placed up there,in order to tune into foreign stations, andseveral compañeros who spoke otherlanguages listened to them constantly, sothat they could keep him informed.

“Once, in a meeting, he asked the unitheads who listened to foreign radiostations. There was total silence, and onlyFirst Lieutenant Narciso Ceballos, head ofthe Guane division, raised his hand andsaid, ‘I do, Comandante, because they toldme you did it.’

“People thought that Che would rep-rimand him, but he congratulated him, andhe told the others that they had to beinformed and know the enemy.”

Although Che was a very strict man,Oscar says he spoke very softly and verypolitely. “During the time he was the chiefpolitical and military leader of Pinar delRío, he toured the entire province,including the Guanahacabibes peninsula,but above all the north coast, near thecapital of the country.

“In the cave, leaders of units and theprincipal entities of the province went tosee him and to check in. The hustle andbustle was tremendous,” he recalls.

However, Oscar explains that there wasalso free time during the evening, in whichChe would go out and talk to people, read,play a game of chess or stop to watch others do so, and he would comment aloudwhen there was a bad move, to irritate them.

“One night I was reading a book aboutLatinos’ lives in New York City, and hestopped by my side and said, ‘Lend it to mewhen you’re done.’

“A little later he came back and said, ‘I’ve come to get the request.’ He took thebook and I never saw it again.”

The outcome of the October Crisis isknown. Oscar states that after returning from a meeting in Havana, Che met with the political and military authorities of the province, and explained that behind Cuba’s back, the Soviet Union hadreached an agreement with the UnitedStates to withdraw the nuclear missilesfrom the country, and he had very strongwords to say regarding this solution.

Today, 55 years later, Oscar notes thathaving had the opportunity to be close to the Heroic Guerrilla at a crucial moment inthe history of the Revolution, was one of themost extraordinary experiences of his life.

“I am honored by the confidence he hadin me for this important mission,” he says.

“Che was a man who always led byexample, and he did not order us to doanything that he was not willing and able ofdoing himself.

“People liked talking to him. We admiredhim a lot. It was a very big thing for all of us.” •

Alongside Che during the October Crisis

Oscar shows a photo of the Los Portales Cave, where Che established his command during theOctober Crisis.

RONALD SUÁREZ RIVAS

50 TH

OF CHE AND HIS COMPAÑEROS’DEATH IN COMBAT

RY

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ANNIVERSARY

NATIONAL 3SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Raúl recognizes hard work done across the country following Hurricane Irma

Leticia Martínez Hernández

• THE President of the National Defense Council, ArmyGeneral Raúl Castro Ruz, led a meeting with Party, state andgovernment leaders on Wednesday, September 13, duringwhich the damages caused by Hurricane Irma were evaluated,and the actions to be undertaken during the recovery phaseoutlined.

Raúl recognized the hard work in each of the areas affectedby the devastating meteorological event, which struck virtually the entire island. He noted that if any benefit can be obtained from this difficult situation, it is to immediatelycollect experiences to better prepare for future events of thisnature.

The President warned that the present hurricane season, which has been described as intense, extends untilNovember 30, an evident product of climate change and towhich we must adapt.

The Army General called to continue working tirelessly to calmly resolve problems and to keep the people informedby all possible means on the situation facing the country.

During the meeting it was highlighted that given Irma’s pathacross several provinces, authorities were forced to evacuateto 1,738,000 people, of them 86% were sheltered in thehomes of neighbors and relatives. The head of the NationalCivil Defense General Staff, Major General Ramón PardoGuerra, reported that more than 26,000 people remain inevacuation centers.

As he noted, the National Office of Statistics and Infor-mation is working to assess the damages, and preliminaryfigures are expected to be released in the coming days.

Alfredo López Valdés, minister of Energy and Mines, statedthat the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power station inMatanzas had suffered the strongest and most difficultimpact to be solved in this sector, as its sea water supplysystem, a key element in the cooling process, was destroyedby huge storm surges.

Highly specialized staff are working to compensate fordamages and to ensure the plant is back in operation in thenext few days.

In addition, 15 transmission lines suffered damages, andmore than 3,600 posts and 2,039 kilometers of power lineswere affected. Work is ongoing day and night to restoreservice, the minister stressed, emphasizing that this was thefirst time the power system had ceased to operate through-out the entire country.

Around 90 oil wells, located on the north coast of thewestern and central regions, were also damaged by thestorm surges caused by the hurricane.

López Valdés praised the work of the mixed brigadeswhich, on orders of the Army General, were created in theaffected territories for debris clearing, tree pruning, and thetransportation of utility poles.

Finally, he explained that the major efforts to restoreelectricity are concentrated in the provinces of Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila, territories with the most compleximpacts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction is participating inthe recovery efforts with more than 20,400 constructionworkers and 855 engineering machines, devoted to debriscollection, the repair of roads, bridges and drains, as well asthe repair of housing and public buildings.

Sector Minister René Mesa Villafaña noted that the majorimpacts of the hurricane were concentrated on housing,especially damage to roofing. Although the exact figuresregarding the damage are not yet available, efforts arealready underway to help those whose homes weredestroyed, for which cement and roof tile factories areproducing at full capacity. The Camagüey tile factory is alsoexpected to begin operations in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the most serious damages to agriculture wereseen in the poultry sector, as dozens of egg productionsheds lost their roofs. Julio A. García Pérez, first deputyminister of Agriculture, explained that the production of feed,plantain and corn crops, as well as fruit trees, have also beenaffected.

Work is now intensifying in the reactivation of the variedcrops campaign, for which, he said, seeds, fertilizers andpesticides are available.

On this point, José Ramón Machado Ventura, a vicepresident of the Councils of State and Ministers, consideredthat, despite the damages, the agricultural sector is in betterconditions than in previous situations to recover from Irma’simpact.

Public Health Minister Roberto Morales Ojeda reported that the health system maintained services during thepassage of the hurricane, and that to date there have been

no outbreaks of communicable diseases in evacuationcenters or any territory. Regarding Cuban collaboratorsworking in the Caribbean countries hit by the cyclone, henoted that they are well and have joined the recovery effortsin these islands.

Ojeda revealed that 516 health units were damaged, andwork is underway to restore them in the shortest possibletime. He added that the current priority is environmentalsanitation and vector control, for which all necessaryresources are available.

Finally, regarding the effects on tourism, sector MinisterManuel Marrero Cruz explained that more than 51,000vacationers were on the island when the hurricane hit, ofthese some 45,000 were located on the northern coast.About 10,000 tourists were evacuated from the Santa María, Coco and Guillermo keys.

He noted that the damaged infrastructure is being re-paired, to ensure it is ready for the upcoming high seasonbeginning in the first half of November.

On closing the meeting, President Raúl reiterated the need to deal with problems intelligently, taking into accountthe best experiences put into practice in the face of sim-ilar events, especially at the local level. In this regard, hementioned the efforts deployed in Santiago de Cuba andGuantánamo, following the impact of hurricanes Sandy in2012, and Matthew in 2016, respectively.

This time the impact has been very strong and spreadthroughout most of the country, he said, but with the hard work that is being done, we’ll come through this onceagain. •

The President of the National Defense Council led a meeting to assess damage caused by Hurricane Irma and actions to be undertaken during the recovery phase

ESTUDIOS REVOLUCIÓN

Council of State modifies election schedule

• AS was duly published this past June 13, the Councilof State indicated that elections to choose delegatesto Municipal Assemblies of People's Power were to beheld, with a first round on October 22, 2017, and asecond round the following Sunday, October 29.

Given the severe damage caused by Hurricane Irmain a large part of the nation and the necessity that our state institutions, mass and social organizations

concentrate their efforts on the recovery, and with theobjective of guaranteeing a high level of participationby electors and the quality of the electoral process, inparticular the direct nomination of candidates toMunicipal Assemblies of People's Power, the Councilof State has agreed to establish November 26, 2017,as the new date for elections of delegates toMunicipal Assemblies of People's Power, for two and

a half year terms, with a second round election, inthose constituencies where no candidate receivesmore than 50% of the valid votes cast, on December3, 2017.

Additionally, the National Electoral Commission wasinstructed to adjust the timeline projected for thecompletion of different activities as part of the firststage of the electoral process. •

Camagüey’s antidote to pessimism

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NATIONAL4 SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Text & photos: Miguel Febles Hernández

• CAMAGÜEY.–Throughout the vast geography of thisCuban province, especially in the agricultural sector, acategorical and exemplary concept is gaining momen-tum: beyond talking about Irma, its destruction and thelosses everywhere, another hurricane is apace - that ofthe huge efforts underway to recover.

This is the philosophy gaining ground across theseplains, to shake off any lament, pessimism, or inaction,which can be as harmful, or more so, than the deadly ravages of the tropical cyclone itself, in its destructiveautumnal “excursion” along the entire northern coast ofCuba.

Such was the view expressed by Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, president of the Provincial Defense Council,who, although aware of the considerable damage to theagricultural sector, is certain that the province is capableof responding, and makes clear that none of its produc-tive commitments have been altered.

The strategy going ahead is well defined: after the hugeblow of seeing months of efforts in the creation of newroot vegetable crops lost, all human and material re-sources are now destined to the recovery and an urgentfood production program.

HARVEST, RESTORE, AND PUSH AHEAD

Each of Camagüey’s productive units is aware that accelerating (rather than getting held up with secondarymatters) the collection of as many fruits and vegetablesthat remain and can be consumed, either by humans orlivestock, is the immediate and crucial task.

“This has to be done, especially in the case of plan-tains, with a lot of agility, as every second of delay in therehabilitation work can be detrimental to the plantation,”warned Odelio Rojas Gómez, machete in hand, a workerat the Las Flores plantation, in Nuevitas.

Carlos Hidalgo Rodríguez, president of the NicetoPérez cooperative, located in the same area, agrees withthis view. He has transmitted to his fellow members the

need to be ready to work hard, taking advantage of thecurrent soil moisture to prepare the land and restart thesowing tasks.

“Today, this is what each campesino must do,” henoted, “in the sense of also using resources optimally,striving to do things well, without any carelessness, andcontributing all that we can to minimize, as far as pos-sible, the shortfall that will occur in some types of rootvegetable.”

Meanwhile, Hernando Gutiérrez Rodríguez, director ofthe Nuevitas Agricultural Enterprise, explained that tothis end, the winter sowing plan has been readjusted, to grow a greater number of varieties over a greater number of hectares, staggering crops, and applying alternatives that will result in more food for the people.

WE WILL RESOLVE THIS OURSELVES

Clear that there will be no miracles, other than the fruitsof their own efforts, Camagüey’s cattle ranchers are taking advantage of the increased water and improve-ment of pastures to ensure that the last four months ofthe year contribute to the planned milk campaign of 88million liters of sales to the dairy industry.

Pig farmers are not far behind, determined to recoup assoon as possible the damages in their specialized units,individual producers’ facilities, and in the province’s feedfactory, in order to restart the breeding and raising of pigsand not jeopardize planned growth in meat production.

Workers of the Camagüey Apicultural Unit likewise remain committed to producing 700 tons of honey, withthe center and south of the province having committed to making up the production shortfall of the four munici-palities in the north, as practically all coastal flowerswere lost.

“We will resolve this ourselves,” stated Yoandri Abad Escobar, director of the provincial Poultry Enterprise, referring to the work being carried out, with the supportof two brigades of roofers from Santiago de Cuba andGuantánamo, to protect birds and gradually increase eggproduction.

“Not a minute was wasted here: while all roofing sheetsthat flew off were collected and straightened for reuse,the women were responsible for ensuring food and waterfor the chickens,” added Santiago Sierra Pupo, adminis-trator of the Antonio Suárez farm, in the municipality ofMinas.

With more than 314,000 layers, this territory is respon-sible for the distribution of eggs to the entire northern circuit of Camagüey. As such, in addition to repairs, theunits are being cleaned to avoid any hygiene or epide-miological complications and reduce animal deaths.

CUBITAS WILL NOT LOSE ITS SYMBOL

Waking up the day after the hurricane passed to seethe ground covered with grapefruit and oranges they hadgrown with such care, in the lead up to the new harvest,still moves the workers of the Sola Agricultural and Citrus Enterprise, in Sierra de Cubitas.

“This is the symbol of this municipality and, therefore,we must give our all so that it isn’t lost,” stated Raúl Bárcenas González, director of the entity, while closelyfollowing the collecting of grapefruit in the Cuba-ArgentinaFriendship basic unit of cooperative production.

“A batch can be saved and is already being sent to theprocessing plants, or other market destinations, but alarge volume was impossible to recover, because thefruit is either badly damaged or fell when still not readyfor harvest,” explained José Antonio Ibáñez Soria, headof the Antonio Maceo comprehensive farm.

Accustomed to overcoming adversity, citrus growersare also immersed in clearing the ground, fertilizing, andpruning, to rehabilitate old plantations and protect the260 hectares of developing plants that will guarantee thepermanence of citrus fruits in the red earth of Cubitas.

“We have a lot of work to do, but the important thing isnot to let ourselves be traumatized and to impose our willto succeed,” Bárcenas González stated, determined tomaintain unchanged, with his feet firmly on the ground,the entity’s development program, in the best interests ofthe country. •

Camagüey’s antidote to pessimism

Workers immediately set about collecting for reuse the roofing sheets that the winds ripped off sheds. Despite damage to roofs, hens were well cared for in Camagüey’s poultry farms.

In the fields of Camagüey, the gathering of all fruit and vegetablesstill fit for consumption is ongoing. Much of the citrus fruit blown down in Sierra de Cubitas has been sent to processing plants or other markets.

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The Guiteras comeback

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NATIONAL 5SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Ventura de Jesús (Text & photos)

• MATANZAS.–The full length of the waterfront in the city ofMatanzas, along the island's northern coast, was one ofthe prime victims of the hurricane. In this stretch, known asthe industrial zone, many of the facilities closest to thewater were wiped out. It is here where the Antonio Guiterasthermoelectric plant is to be found.

The sea water circulation station fell like a house ofcards. Structures that served as breakwaters, made ofseven rings of cement weighing close to 70 tons, wereswept forward, landing on top of the station, indispensableto the plant's operation.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of men and pieces ofequipment arrived, moving rapidly as if the plant were onfire. Operators and combined forces began a long effort toreestablish the plant's generating power, in a whirlwind ofactivity that has lasted over more than a week.

Capturing a sense of the mood there was easy. It couldbe read on the faces of workers.

COUNTING THE HOURS

Any time the Guiteras suffers a breakdown or some rareaccident, the most highly trained specialists are called in.Always among the members of this select group is AlcidesMeana, a lead engineer, now retired, who worked on theplant's foundation. No one knows the Guiteras like hedoes; he can describe its smallest detail.

This electrical engineer, a calm man in appearance,barely slept for days. Along with the plant's managers, hewas intent upon getting through the bad moment. Granmaspoke with him during the week following Irma, whichstruck this area September 8.

He recalled that he first arrived here in January of 1982,"This was scrub, coastline, cliffs, with a few vacationhouses around. At that time, they were conducting thegeological investigations needed to begin the project.

"The country had decided to invest in a thermoelectricpower plant, given the increased demand for electricity.This area was chosen because of the bay and the pos-sibility of capturing sea water to cool the system - a singlemachine with the capacity to generate 330 Mwh.

"It was constructed in six and a half years. One of the big stumbling blocks was the appearance of a crack rightbeneath where the turbine was to be. It was an opening ofsome 30 meters straight down below sea level, evennavigable for a kilometer and a half in the direction of thecity of Matanzas.

"It was disconcerting and delayed the project. After therelevant studies were done, we proceeded filling it withrock and following that, cement. Then a slab bridge wascast, placed from one side of the crack to the other, and ontop of it we laid the turbine's foundation. Another significant

setback was Hurricane Kate, which destroyed all thetemporary structures at the work site.

"We finally finished in 1988, and it was synchronized withthe national grid beginning in March that year. Fidel washere with us; he toured the plant, and talked with theworkers."

Alcides, why is so much importance placed on theMatanzas thermoelectric plant?

Because it is a unit with a single plant capable ofgenerating 330 Mwh, and does so at a low rate of fuelconsumption. It provides great stability to the national grid,one of its principal bulwarks.

Could you describe the extent of the disaster causedby Hurricane Irma?

The worst consequence of the hurricane was thecollapse of the building housing the circulation station,responsible for extracting sea water to cool the thermalsystem. Without it, the plant cannot function.

The wave breaking protective system along the coast-line collapsed. The power of the waves moved blocks ofincredible weight and they struck the pumping station. Thehypochlorite plant also suffered damage. The machineroom was flooded almost a meter, and of course we haveto disassemble the equipment, take out the motors, cleanthem, and give them some maintenance, remove thehumidity, reconnect them, and test them. These arecollateral tasks.

What was the strategy taken to resolve the problem,to organize this comeback?

The essential goal was to determine how, in the first

place, we could get one of the two pumps going, thatwould allow for the generation of up to 230 Mwh. In asecond stage we would repair the second pump and builda provisional shed to protect the equipment, while thepermanent building for the pumping station was con-structed, which wouldn't interfere with the plant's funct-ioning, and could be designed taking into account whathappened.

It's clear that the tasks are not cursory. Thus far, some5,000 cubic meters of rubble has been removed from the affected area. The most serious challenge at this timeis cleaning the four aqueducts to the still water pool. Amaritime dredge, with the help of several divers, areworking to remove rubble and allow access to the sea - anextremely complex task.

Who is participating in the recovery work and whatequipment is available?

Mostly forces from the Varadero Ministry of Constructionbrigade, and that in Matanzas, as well as Maritime Works,and the Thermoelectric Plant Maintenance Enterprise. We have not been short-handed. Everyone has come to-gether as a single man. The powerful hydraulic hammersfor the large demolitions are impressive. Among the piecesof equipment, we have bulldozers, front loaders, andcranes that can lift from 30 to 100 tons.

Is there some situation that could delay the work oraggravate the damage?

The arrival of another hurricane would be very un-fortunate. Of concern technically is the work underwater toclear the aqueducts from the sea to the pool, one of whichhas been 50% opened.

Can any lessons be drawn from this lamentableexperience?

Everything gives us some kind of learning. In this case,for example, it can be seen that the circulation stationneeds a different design, something more resistant, to facestronger weather events. The wave breaker wall could besimilar, but with another, more reinforced structure.

It is no exaggeration that all of Cuba is following thedevelopments here at the Guiteras. More than a weekafter the storm, a ray of hope can be seen. How closeare we to the start up?

The entire area around the circulation pumping stationand the hypochlorite plant has been cleared of rubble. The necessary demolition of some wave breaker wallblocks has been completed. The discharge canal ispractically cleared, and progress continues on collateralissues, like the bailing of wells and the extraction of motorsto again reestablish plant operations.

Things are now seen with more clarity. By the end of thisweek, we should start up the first pump.

What does the Guiteras mean to you?A great deal. The first large project I participated in from

start to finish. •

The Guiteras comeback

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The workers' response at this Matanzas thermoelectric power plant, also seen in many other locations across the country hitby Hurricane Irma, is an example of the heroism a people can exhibit when faced with great challenges

Electrical engineer Alcides Meana, a man closely tied to thehistory of the Matanzas power plant.

A combined workforce is laboring around the clock to reestablish the plant's operations.Powerful waves moved giant cement blocks.

NATIONAL6 GRANMA INTERNATIONALSEPT.22.2017 |

Alejandra García

• WHEN it became evident that HurricaneIrma would impact the island's northerncoast, steps were taken not only to protect Cuban families but also the thousands of tourists who had chosenCuba as their vacation destination.

The country's tourism poles - the majoritylocated along the northern coastline -guests, and workers there immediatelybecame a priority in preparedness anddisaster mitigation efforts.

Alexis Trujillo Morejón, first deputy minister of Tourism in Cuba, told GranmaInternational that as a priority, amongthe measures adopted by the Ministry,along with Civil Defense authorities, wasthe protection of the 45,827 tourists staying in hotels along the country's northern coast, a figure that represented88% of all the international vacationers inthe country (51,807), on September 5.

There were additionally 2,216 Cubansat Campismo Popular facilities in the region, who were also evacuated.

The transfer of tourists to more securefacilities began in the province of Cama-güey and the northern keys of Ciego deÁvila and Villa Clara, including the barrierislands of Cayo Coco, Guillermo andSanta María, areas where the eye of thestorm was forecast to make landfall.

Staying on the keys were 10,625 visitors, 5,134 of whom were evacuatedto Havana and Varadero, a process thatdemanded greater organization and discipline than during such events in thepast. The remaining 5,491 were Canadians,whose tour operators returned them to their country before the hurricane arrived.

A tense moment came when Irma's ex-pected turn to the north toward Floridawas delayed, and the hurricane remained

practically at a standstill very close to Varadero for several hours.

On the peninsula, as Irma approached,were 16,784 tourists - including thoseevacuated from the northern keys - aswell as 4,179 workers.

Nonetheless, not one person was hurt,given the preparation, organization, and dis-cipline achieved, Trujillo reported with pride.

In terms of the network of hotels in Havana, he recounted that the decisionwas made to evacuate all facilities loc-ated on the northern coast, from Jibacoain Mayabeque to the Hemingway Marinaon the west side of Havana, given theeminent danger of coastal flooding, addingthat on other occasions only partial evacuations were necessary.

THE RECOVERY OF TOURIST POLES WILLBE COMPLETED IN RECORD TIME

Despite the destruction caused by Hur-ricane Irma along the country's northerncoast, Trujillo said, "The tourist poles didnot experience significant damage," reporting that no installation sufferedstructural damage, although glass win-dows, ceilings, and aluminum trim wereaffected, while some lightweight cons-tructions like beach huts and outdoor eating areas succumbed to the winds.

Tourist facilities in the country's easternregion, which was not hit directly by thehurricane, are at this time operating normally,he said. Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba,and Granma did not suffer damage, whilein Las Tunas, hotel accommodationswere quickly readied. Holguín, whichfaced only light damage, recovered withina short time, and maintained services.This resort area confronted Irma with3,935 tourists safely lodged in its hotels.

The timeline established for the recoverywork indicates that facilities in Camaguey's

Santa Lucía resort area will be completelyrepaired by the end of September, while inthe case of the keys where damage wasgreater, all will be in order by the beginningof the high season.

Varadero maintained operations through-out the hurricane's passage and thecountry's most important resort began theclean-up as soon as the recovery phasewas declared, starting immediately withthe task of replacing glass and other lightelements. The international airport wasreopened, to complement the resort'soperations, and incoming and outgoingflights reestablished.

The capital will also recover in recordtime. Several hotels were barely affected,and others have begun repairs.

Likewise, the citywide clean-up is under-way, and staff members are working feverishly to ready facilities in order to receive clients immediately.

The full recovery of all tourist poles is apriority, since tourism is a strategic sectorfor the economy. It has been reaffirmedthat facilities will be ready and operatingbefore the beginning of the winter highseason. The human and material resourcesto accomplish this task are in place, Trujillo concluded. •

GERMÁN VELOZ PLACENCIA

Recovery underway in resort areas hit by IrmaGranma International spoke with Alexis Trujillo Morejón, Cuba’s first deputy minister of Tourism, who addressed the recoveryof resort areas and tourist facilities

Many tourist facilities are already offering services after the passage of Hurricane Irma.

• TAKING into consideration the severe damage caused by HurricaneIrma, and based on the positive exper-ience obtained during the recoveryfrom Hurricanes Sandy and Matthew,the government has decided that thestate budget will finance 50% of thecost of construction materials sold topersons whose homes were partiallyor totally destroyed. Toward that end,the following are stipulated:

1- Defense Councils will verify themagnitude of damage incurred on dwellings and approve resources to beassigned for repairs needed.

2- To acquire materials, those affectedmay request bank credit at low interestrates, with repayment extended over agreater number of years.

3- In cases of totally destroyed dwellings or roofs, the state budget willassume the cost of bank interest.

4- Defense Councils will evaluate theapproval of subsidies for the purchaseof construction materials for personswhose income is not sufficient to as-sume the expense.

5- Exceptionally, subsidies may beapproved for construction work on dwellings of persons who previously received this benefit, as well as thosewho remain indebted to banks as a result of previously granted credits forthis purpose.

September 17, 2017 •

Cuban government decision to aid homeowners

JUVENAL BALÁN NEYRA

Alexis Trujillo Morejón, first deputy minister of Tourism in Cuba, told Granma International that as apriority, among the measures adopted by the Ministry, along with Civil Defense authorities, was theprotection of the 45,827 tourists staying in hotels along the country's northern coast.

NATIONAL 7SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Text & photos: Nuria Barbosa León

• SPEAKING to Granma Inter-national, Lázara HernándezArias and Nayari CorralesMedina stated that they “neverfelt scared” as Hurricane Irmamade its way along Cuba’snorthern coastline.

At that time, both were at amedical facility in Havana, withtheir sons Leovany and César,respectively.

The two women noted howthankful they were to staff at the William Soler PediatricCardiology Hospital, for the carethey received during thosedifficult hours of strong windsand persistent rain. Lázara andNayari explained that the wardremained lit and the television onto receive information; food andmedicines were distributed asusual, while the director of thehospital also made several visits.

Ward nurse María IsabelRodríguez Miranda, worked adouble shift, as her colleaguewas unable to make it to the hos-pital given the weather situation.For over 24 hours María caredfor and reassured patients andtheir families.

“Luckily the building didn’t suf-fer any major damage, and we allawoke on September 10 anxiousto get back to normal as quicklyas possible,” she stated.

This has been the number oneaim of healthcare workers acrossCuba, who provided medicalservices in difficult conditions,which resulted in damage to 785 facilities, 62 of which werehospitals, 116 polyclinics, and 314 local doctors’ offices, amongothers.

Partial damage to roofs, brokenwindows, and fallen trees con-stituted the main damagescaused by the storm.

In this regard Dr. José ErnestoBetancourt Lavastida, director of the Ministry of Public Health’s(Minsap) Defense and CivilDefense departments, statedthat given the proximity of thedangerous hurricane a series ofmeasures were taken, above allto protect the lives of patients,staff, and family members.

Steps were also taken toprotect material resources andsupplies, to ensure that allhealthcare institutions wereready to support post-hurricanerecovery efforts currently under-way.

“Pregnant women living in vul-nerable zones and those likely to be affected were evacuated.Patients in hospitals at risk offlooding, such as the HermanosAmeijeiras and América Arias,were transferred. Those in needof dialysis continued to receivetreatment in sheltered facilitiesclose to hospitals or otherinstututions.

Given the possibility of a break-down in lines of communication,76 clinical-surgical brigadeswere mobilized and deployed incommunities located in remote or hard-to-reach areas, in orderprovide medical attention duringand after the hurricane,” hestated.

Likewise, medical institutionssuch as doctor’s offices, poly-clinics, opticians, nursing andmaternity homes, located inbuildings deemed unfit towithstand the hurricane, wererelocated. Some 240 pharmacieswere relocated to temporarypremises belonging to stateagencies and in local homes,in order to protect one hundredpercent of their stock. Medicalcare was organized in all eva-cuation centers and thousandsof health workers, includingdoctors, nurses, and hygiene and epidemiology technicians,worked uninterruptedly along-side Red Cross brigades toprovide care to the evacuatedpopulation.

Now in the recovery phase,hygiene and sanitary measuresare being implemented, and the population has been calledon to pay the utmost attention toguidelines issued to prevent theoutbreak of disease, BetancourtLavastida assured.

Yanaris López Almaguer,Minsap Environmental Healthdirector, confirmed that to dateno outbreaks of any type ofcommunicable disease, due tocontaminated food or water, have been reported in thecountry. “If a suspected casewere to appear, isolation would becarried out in the centers createdfor this purpose,” she noted.

NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS

During this recovery stage,cisterns, wells, and tanks arebeing cleaned and water chlor-

inated. In addition, there isspecialized monitoring at keypoints of the water distributionnetwork, to ensure requiredquality, among other measures.

López Almaguer explained:“We will continue to undertakeeducational action through themedia and personal intercom-munication activities. Our familydoctors will hold talks at siteswhere the population is con-centrated, not only within healthinstitutions but also in morningmeetings in workplaces andstudent centers, explaining howto maintain hygienic measures to avoid the onset of gastro-intestinal diseases.”

She also urged all Cubans tojoin the sanitation efforts insideand outside their homes, as help collecting debris, fallentrees, cleaning yards, streets andgardens is required, to eradicatevectors such as rats, insects,and mosquitoes.

According to the specialist,despite the magnitude of thehurricane, the joint efforts ofhealth workers and the pop-ulation in general was demon-strated, as evidenced in thereigning sense of calm. Even inthose places without power andwater, no cases of leptospirosis,outbreaks of diarrhea, or res-piratory diseases were reported.

Medical students and thosestudying specialties aided theseefforts, carrying out door-to-doorsurveys, inquiring as to thepresence of any symptoms, andspeaking to families about themeasures they should take tostay healthy.

Jorge González Pérez, MinsapTeaching director, explained thatin the 13 medical universities of the country, classes will begradually resumed according tothe situation in each territory.Meanwhile, students are under-taking social work within localcommunities.

VITAL SERVICES RESTORED

Minsap leaders emphasizedthat immediate priorities forinstitutions and staff across the country are the gradualreestablishment of services in polyclinics and hospitalsdamaged by the hurricane, andthe intensification of hygienicand sanitary efforts.

Granma International visitedthe Hermanos Ameijeiras Hos-pital located on Havana'swaterfront, seriously affected by flooding. Dr. Rigoberto GarcíaGómez, deputy director ofTeaching and Research, ex-plained, "We implemented a plan designed for this type ofdisaster and safeguarded all the equipment, but the floodingcaused by the hurricane sur-passed expectations."

To recover, help was firstsought from the FirefightersCommand to extract water fromthe basement and centralcistern, then the entire staffassumed the clean-up of allareas to prepare for the re-sumption of services as quicklyas possible.

A similar effort was mounted at Salvador Allende Hospital, inthe Havana municipality of

Cerro, a complex with severalpavilions and 430 beds, 180 ofwhich are for patents in seriouscondition.

Dr. Mery Torres La Era, deputydirector of Medical Assistance,indicated that the principal causeof damage was falling trees,which downed utility lines andbanks of electrical transformers.

To provide services during andafter Irma, an emergency systemof six fuel oil generators wasactivated to provide electricity.However, even after the nationalelectric grid was restored, a wardserving chronic kidney diseasepatients remained without po-wer, as a result of a damagedtransformer.

These individuals were there-fore transferred to anotherhospital, but thanks to a quickresponse, power was restoredshortly in this vital area.

Dr. Torres reported that theinstitution's 1,780 workersstayed on the job before the hur-ricane struck, and were focusedon the return to normality,saying, "I thank all the stateinstitutions which supported usduring these difficult days,because we know that almostthe entire country is immersed inaddressing damage similar toours."

Reinold García Moreiro, dir-ector of Public Health in theprovince of La Habana, reportedthat all measures projected inplans for this kind of disasterwere adopted in the capital'shealthcare centers, thus avoidinggreater damage and allowingservices to be reestablishedquickly in unaffected facilities.

He added, "We have quantifiedthe damages, and alreadyestimated the economic ex-penses. Material resources avail-able have been assigned toresolve problems."

The main impact, he said, wasconcentrated in five munici-palities of the capital: Plaza,Playa, Centro Habana, LaHabana del Este and La HabanaVieja; while some 367 city blocks were seriously impacted,mainly by coastal flooding.

Now, he emphasized, workmust focus on ensuring hygienein conjunction with authoritiesand the population, to avoidepidemiological problems. •

Cuba: Medical care guaranteed

Mothers Lázara Hernández Arias and Nayari Corrales Medina with their sonsLeovany and César, respectively, in Havana's William Soler Pediatric Cardiology Hospital.

Nurse María Isabel Rodríguez Miranda (standing) faced Hurricane Irma on thejob at the William Soler.

Dr. Ernesto Betancourt Lavastida, director of Defense and Civil Defense for the Ministry of PublicHealth, said vital services wereavailable during and following thestorm.

Dr. Yanaris López Almaguer, Minsapdirector of Environmental Health,emphasized the importance of hygienic measures to avoid the apperance of opportunistic diseases.

Jorge González Pérez, Minsapdirector of Teaching, reported thatclasses will resume gradually in the country's medical schools,depending on conditions in eachprovince.

COLOR DE LA 8 INGLES

Computation & Electronics Youth Club

SPECIAL8 GRANMA INTERNATIONALSEPT.22.2017 |

COLOR DE LA 8 INGLES

Yisel Martínez García

• IN 1987, informatics did nottouch every aspect of daily life as it does today, and Cuba was not an exception.Nevertheless, an ambitioussocial project that aimed toteach computation to thegreatest number of children andyouth possible was launched. Thus, On September 8 thatyear, the Computation &Electronics Youth Club wasestablished, an idea that hasreached its 30th birthday, and isbeing renovated in tune with thetimes.

"The first 32 Youth Clubs werelocated in each of the provincialcapitals. In the case of the pro-vince of Matanzas, one was alsoconstructed in the municipality of Colón, another in Cárdenas,and another in Varadero, and this way the first installationswere set up," said Raúl VantroiNavarro Martínez, directorgeneral of the Joven Club.

Over time, services associatedwith information and commun-ication technologies expanded.Computers began to appear inschools and institutions, andgenerations that didn't know how to work with the equipmentalso began to take classes at

the Youth Clubs, to acquirethese skills.

"The number of Youth Clubs in the country was expanded,reaching 174 facilities in thoseyears. Then in 1981, a formermarket was converted to be-come the Palacio Central deComputación, (in Havana) andlater in 2000, the number ofclubs reached 300. Between2004 and 2005, 300 more were created, raising the figure to 600 across the entire country.Today there are more than twoper municipality," Navarro ex-plained.

"Over the years, Joven Clubhas experienced rapid dev-elopment. Today all the facilitieshave specialized staff, some5,000 workers. Forty-sevenpercent of them are universitygraduates, more than 1,500 have proficiency in anotherlanguage, and more than 800have a Masters degree."

"With this skilled personnel,services and courses have beenbroadened. In addition to basictraining, specialized, and post-graduate options, there arecourses for children, those withdisabilities, and older adults.

"During these 30 years, wehave developed applications,provided assistance and con-

sultation, and more than 4.55million persons have earneddegrees. Currently, we have 21more services under develop-ment, and aim to improve thosewhich already exist," Navarroadded.

SERVICES & PRODUCTS

Cuban families are the focus of the clubs' work. Throughoutthis period, their products havebeen of outstanding quality.Such is the case with Ecured,the Cuban digital encyclopediathat supplies universalknowledge. With a variety ofarticles about the country,Ecured has more than 532active collaborators and morethan 39,000 registeredcontributors.

"The encyclopedia receivesvisits from different Latin Ame-rican countries such as Mexico,Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia,Chile, Venezuela, and others.Plus it is consulted by 250,000persons daily, and recentlyreceived the Espacio prizeawarded by the Cuban As-sociation of Social Commun-icators," explained AnamarisSolórzano Chacón, one of thedeputy director generals of Joven Club.

Another well-received productis the Mochila (Backpack), adigital cultural entertainmentpackage for all ages. It functionsvery much like a non-traditionalTV station, offering a variety ofsections that allow viewers tocreate their own programming.

"Our domain platform .cu thathosts Cuban blogs is Reflejos(Reflections). We have designedit as an accessible space wherebloggers can share their op-inions, interests, and needs intext format, images, or video.Thus, Reflejos is a mirror inwhich Cubans can recognizetheir common interests anddesires," Solórzano said.

Reflejos hosts a total of 3,163active blogs, some 22,199 users,and receives more than 300,000visits a month.

El Estanquillo (The Stand) isanother platform that functions in real time, offering downloadsor viewing in digital format ofpress media, both internationaland national. The applicationfacilitates access to currentinformation, fashion trends, artsand crafts, culture, sports, andhealthcare, among others.

SUSTAINABLE & POPULAR

Even though the social suc-cess of a project like the JovenClub is evident in the interest inits efforts shown by Cubans,maintaining these services iscostly for the country. Raúl

Vantroi Navarro Martínez ex-plains that every year the entityspends some 56 million pesos tosupport the effort.

"Entities around the world that offer computer services arevery costly. Updating software,hardware, and maintaining all the equipment in working con-dition is fundamental to thesefacilities. That's why, in 2014, thedecision was made to begincharging for some services," headded.

For the clubs, this decision was important and moreoverstrategic, because the operationis looking to become self-financing. The challenge is tobecome financially sustainableand continue to be popular.

"A child pays two CUP to play on a computer for twohours, and to play online, withone player in Guantánamo andthe other in Pinar del Río, it'sjust three CUP an hour. Now thiscosts the country much morethan that, but we cannot foregobeing accessible to everyone,and things must continue thisway," Navarro insisted.

"The Joven Club we areimagining now must be 100%self-financing, with rates that thepopulation can afford, and mustalso maintain the essence of itsfounding principles, that is to be apeople's organization, havingnovel, attractive products thatare constantly evolving intosomething better, and a highlyqualified staff.

NOVELTIES & CHALLENGES

This past August, the Com-putation Youth Club launched a pilot project in the city ofSantiago de Cuba, specifically in the Caney neighborhood, anarea with little access to moderntechnology. The goal is for peo-ple to learn to use technologicalequipment like cell phones,tablets, and computers.

With the name of Infoalfa-betización (Info-literacy), theprogram looks to promote digitalliteracy among the Cuban pop-ulation that has not acquiredthese skills, to be able to usenew information and com-munications technology.

According to María de losÁngeles Pérez Ramírez, also adeputy director general of JovenClub, families in the area sharedtheir computers and houses forthe courses to be offered, thusgreatly enriching the experience.

"Joven Club's greatest contri-bution to the computerization ofsociety is teaching people to usenew technologies. Sixty-eightinstructors are being trained inthis province, linked to the Minis-try of Education, Public Health,INDER (Sports Institute) and the

Computation & Electronics Youth ClubMore than 4.55 million people have earned degrees over the last 30 years

Raúl Vantroi Navarro Martínez,director general of the Computationand Electronics Youth Club, statedthat work for 2018 will involvemodernization of the network ofclubs and training for the range ofnew services more in tune with thetimes.

ROBERTO MOREJÓN GUERRA

Fidel participated actively in the establishment of the computer clubs.

LIBORIO NOVAL

SPECIAL 9GRANMA INTERNATIONALSEPT.22.2017 |

Ministry of Culture. In one week,we were able to train 48,651people, including 1,120 children,419 older adults, 88 individualswith disabilities, and 19 incar-cerated youth," Pérez added.

The project is to be extendedacross the entire country this falland conclude next year, afteractivities planned to celebratethe club's 30th anniversary.

"In addition to this big effort,work for 2018 will involvemodernization of the networkand training for the range of new services more in tune withthe times. Plus, we intend tocomplete work on products indevelopment, for their use in the Joven Club network, andguarantee the sustainability ofthe portfolio of products andservices we offer," director RaúlVantroi Navarro Martínez stated.

Thus the Computation andElectronics Youth Club intendsto strengthen its ties with Cuban families, as a place foreducation and entertainment,but above all popular andaccessible to all. •

Youth taking computer courses.

A mobile Joven Club.

INTERESTING FACTS

installationsacross the countrywhich include:

Computer Palaces

Mobile Joven Clubs

Facilities in mountainousareas

Recreational TechnologyCenters

Computer Services Centersin partnership with otherentities

Facilities in rural areas

ISMAEL BATISTA RAMIREZ

To subscribe contact the AgenciaSoycubano via email:

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can be made online using Visa,MasterCard or American Express credit

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The cost is $50 USD or the equivalent ineuros (52 weeks).

The editions in German and Italian are monthly, and the annual subscription

is $18 USD or the equivalent in euros.

SUBSCRIPTION

CULTURE10 SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Ricardo Alonso Venereo

• THE Conjunto Chappottín y sus Estrellas, a Cuban songroup founded 67 years ago, affiliated with the IgnacioPiñeiro Music and Entertainment Trading Company, re-cently performed in two important jazz events in Colombia,a country in which they are well known, following theirparticipation in the Cali Fair, in December 2009.

The first of the events in which they took part was the 21st edition of the MedeJazz International Jazz Festival,which concluded September 16 in the city of Medellín.Cuba’s Chucho Valdés and his quartet, and the OrquestaAragón and Septeto Santiaguero groups, also performed atthe festival.

The second event was the 21st edition of theBarranquijazz Festival 2017, held in the northern city of

Barranquilla September 13-17. The event is globally re-nowned and one of the most important of its kind in LatinAmerica. Conjunto Chappottín y sus Estrellas performed onSunday 17, in the Salón Jumbo.

In both festivals, the band members paid tribute to Miguelito Cuní, the artistic name of the great soneroMiguel Arcángel Cunill, in the year of the centenary of hisbirth, and performed emblematic pieces such as “LaGuarapachanga,” by Juan Rivera Prevot, sung by MiguelitoCuní’s son, Miguel Arcángel Cunill Hernández; “ElCarbonero,” by Iván Fernández; and “Sazonando,” by LuisMartínez Griñán.

Other Cuban artists participating in the 21st edition ofBarranquijazz included, among others, Omara Portuondo,known as the “Diva of the Buena Vista Social ClubOrchestra,” who offered a unique concert on Friday 15, inwhich she shared the stage with singer Martirio, one of the iconic artists of Spanish copla and traditional music;and flutist Orlando “Maraca” Valle, who performed onSaturday 16, as a special guest of Roberto Roena and his Orchestra, from Puerto Rico.

The event also included, among other outstandingmusicians and instrumentalists, the Colombian-Germangroup Camacho Trío, Italian band Rosario Giuliani Quartet,the Brazilians Toninho Horta and Raúl de Souza, as well as the Terell Stafford Quartet, led by Terrell Stafford of theUnited States.

Conjunto Chappottín y sus Estrellas, currently directed byJesús Chappotín Coto, known as “El Niño,” the grandson ofrenowned trumpeter Felix Chappottín Lage, remains faithfulto the lifework of its founder. The group currently plays inHavana every Tuesday from 5:00 pm, in the Salón Jelengueof Egrem’s Patio Areíto, located on San Miguel Street, no. 410, between Lealtad and Campanario Streets. •

Chappottín y sus Estrellas in ColombiaThe band members paid tribute to Miguelito Cuní, the artistic name of the great sonero Miguel Arcángel Cunill,

on the centenary of his birth

COURTESY OF THE BAND

• HAVANA.- Contemporary Dance of Cuba(DCC) confirmed on September 18, that it willbe opening the Dance Inversion InternationalFestival in Moscow, on September 25, invitedby the prestigious Bolshoi and Stanislavskitheatres.

The DCC will offer performances onSeptember 25 and 26 in Moscow’s Stanis-lavski Theatre.

Under the direction of Miguel Iglesias, thecompany will offer a program featuring three of the most popular pieces from its recentrepertory; El cristal, by Cuba’s Julio CesarIglesias; Tangos Cubanos, by Billie Cowiefrom Britain; and Matria Etnocentra, by

George Céspedes also from Cuba.Alongside the DCC, the Dance Inversion

Festival will also feature other companiessuch as Teac Damsa from Ireland; Spain’sRocío Molina; the Dresden Frankfurt DanceCompany from Germany; Jessica LangDance of the U.S.; and the Montecarlo,Monaco; and Marseille companies, as well asothers from France and Zurich, Switzerland.

This has already been a successful year forthe DCC, invited by the UK based DanceConsortium to perform at various theatresacross the country, where the company wasmet with both public and critical acclaim. (PL) •

YANDER ZAMORA

Omara Portuondo, known as the “Diva of the Buena Vista SocialClub Orchestra,” also performed in the 21st edition of Colombia’sBarranquijazz Festival.

Contemporary Dance of Cuba to open festival in Russia

PL

Contemporary Dance of Cuba.

• CONTEMPORARY Dance of Cuba is a company with headquarters situated atthe National Theatre of Cuba. Foundedon September 25, 1959, the DCC hasundertaken over 90 tours across coun-tries in the Americas, Europe, Asia andAfrica, and has participated in the mostimportant global dance festivals andevents, from the Théâtre des NationsFestival in Paris, in 1961, to the 2007dance season at the Sadler’s WellsTheatre in London. Its work has alsobeen captured on film with titles such asHistoria de un ballet, Okantomí,Súlkari, Panorama, De la memoriafragmentada and Tocororo. (Ecured) •

A bridge between peoplesWho are we?

What do we do?

Amistur Cuba S.A. offers a broad range of productsand services:• Solidarity Brigades, volunteer work, andopportunities to interact with Solidarity with Cubamovements • Specialized tours of unique sites which combineCuban history, culture, and identity, to provide anabundance of new experiences

Amistur Cuba S.A. promotes the uniqueness, beauty and humanism of Cuba, giving visitors apositively different view of the country's life and future, acting as a bridge between peoples.

Amistur Cuba S.A. travel agency of the CubanFriendship with Peoples Institute (ICAP), organizesspecialized tourism, promoting and vendingproducts and services which guarantee visitors’enjoyment and provide the opportunity to learnabout Cuba’s reality through direct contact with thecountry’s people.

We can organize and promote:

• Events & Conferences • Specialized complementary excursions• Cruises and sailboat outings• Individual tourism• Professional guide and interpretation services

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Address: calle 19 No. 306 e/ H e I, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, La Habana, CubaTelephone: (53 7) 834 4544 / 833 2374 830 1220 Fax: (53 7) 838 3753Email: amistur@amistur.cu Web: www.amistur.cuFB: Amisturcuba TW: @Amisturcuba

SPORTS 11SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Aliet Arzola Lima

• IN less than one month Cubangymnasts will face their second com-petition of the year: the 47th GymnasticsWorld Championships, in Montreal,Canada, a special place for the sport,where the outstanding Nadia Comaneciscored the first perfect 10 in history of the discipline.

Also looking to secure high scores for technique and esthetic, ManriqueLarduet, Randy Lerú, Marcia Videaux,and Yesenia Ferrera will represent Cuba,after months of training at the NationalSchool of Gymnastics.

Speaking to Granma International,Carlos Gil, national men’s team coachnoted that training has gone well with nomajor setbacks or injuries, a good sign,above all given that Manrique Larduetsuffered various problems last year,which ultimately affected his performancein the 2016 Río de Janeiro Olympics.

Nonetheless, Larduet, from Santiago deCuba, will need to work hard to match orsurpass his performance at the lastWorld Championships in Glasgow, 2015,where he finished in second place on

points, and took bronze in the high bar. Randy Lerú also needs to ensure that

his technique is up to scratch, in acompetition which will not only featurestellar gymnast Kohei Uchimura of Japan, but also other Olympic and World champions.

In the women’s category, Marcia andYesenia, with less experience in com-petitions of this caliber, will show theworld what they’ve got, as they competeagainst the cream of the crop, includingU.S. representative Simone Biles, whowill be the focus of attention during theevent.

A total of 408 athletes will be competingin the World Championships, while therewill be some 1,048 participants overall,including judges, coaches, medical staff,officials, and guests from over 70 nations,according to the official registration listreleased by the Intentional GymnasticsFederation.

Argentina, Germany, Canada, China,the United States, France, Britain,Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan,Russia, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, andUkraine, will be competing with completeteams (10 gymnasts) on all apparatus. •

GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Montreal just aroundthe cornerManrique Larduet, Randy Lerú, Marcia Videaux, andYesenia Ferrera will represent Cuba after months oftraining at the National School of Gymnastics

Manrique Larduet will once again be one of Cuba’s top hopes.

RICARDO LÓPEZ HEVIA

Carlos Gil,national men’steam coach,noted thattraining hasgone wellwithout anymajor setbacksor injuries.

EYLEEN RÍOS

Jorge C. de la Paz

• FOR Alejandro Valdés, son of three-timeFreestyle Wrestling World Championshipsilver medalist in the 62 kilogram division,Enrique Valdés, the sport runs in his veins.

The wrestler from Havana’s rapid dev-elopment over recent years has not onlyseen him become national champion in the65kg division, but also the best freestylefighter in the country.

“I want to make my daughter Alexa proud.Ever since I first stepped foot onto the mat,I’ve wanted to become World Champion.And my family, especially my daughter, arekey to me achieving this,” he explains.

Valdés recently came close to fulfilling hisdream, winning bronze, and his first WorldChampionship medal, in the FreestyleWrestling competition in Paris.

Feeling ready to become champion, hehad everything going for him, but in thissport, such as in life, even the smallestdetails count toward success.

“After I finished in the Olympic Games in Río 2016, I concentrated on the WorldChampionships. I felt good from the start,however, the fight where I could see myreal potential was in the quarter finalsagainst Istanbul 2011 silver medalistFranklin Gómez, of Puerto Rico. Franklin is a tough opponent, he’s fast and you’vegot to remain focused for the whole sixminutes because he’ll exploit any mistakeand that can be costly. I felt stronger as the fight went on, and when I saw the final

score (11-2), I realized that I had donebetter than I thought.”

Tell us about the semifinal fightagainst Poland’s MagomedmuradGadzhiev…

It was a difficult fight. Gadzhiev is a highlevel athlete who, although I’d never facedhim before, I knew well because we’d beencompeting together since the World Youth

Championships. We’ve been following eachother ever since then, and we actuallyhave got a good personal relationship. He’sgot a strong defense and effective attacks.I knew I couldn’t make any mistakes; I hadto be precise and not tire myself out tooearly, because it could cost me dearly.

I kept the pace up throughout the fightand he defended himself in the all-fours

position. What I can say is that I was a lotmore active on the mat. The fight ended 1-1 and the judges decreed him the winner.I think they could have been fairer, but thatwas the final decision.

You seemed very strong going into the bronze medal fight…

In truth I was feeling a mix of emotions, I felt like I could have been champion.

The semifinal defeat affected my focus,but I told myself that I still had one morefight and that it’s better to finish with bronzethan to finish in fifth place.

It was a high level competition. Howdid you manage to recover from thatfrustrating defeat to be able to face thenext fight?

In Paris, I just got over it and regained myfocus, I knew I would have time to lamentafter the competition.

After the semifinal I took a bath and slept for 40 minutes. Then I woke up andwarmed up well, because my bronze medalopponent, Azamat Nurykau from Belarus,was very dangerous. I opened up thescoring 4-0 early on in the fight, but withabout five seconds to go until the end ofthe first round, he did a kind of surprisecounter attack on me and was able toscore. In the second round he attempted an unsuccessful attack: as I went to score,he countered the move and I landed in avery difficult position, which I still don’tknow how I was able to escape. At onepoint I even thought he might pin me, but I dug deep and won the fight in the end. •

Alejandro Valdés: I want to make my daughter proud

Alejandro Valdés (right) competing for the bronze medal in the Paris World Championships.

MARION STEIN

Where power andcorruption intersect

pagina 12 color ingles

Gabriela Ávila Gómez

• TWO years ago, then President ofGuatemala, Otto Pérez Molina, madeheadlines around the world after a corrup-tion scandal came to light involving himselfand senior officials of his administration,including then Vice President RoxanaBaldetti.

The case, known as “La Línea” (TheLine), in reference to the telephone lineused by importers to offer bribes to avoidcustoms duties, was exposed in early 2015by the country’s Attorney General and theInternational Commission against Impunityin Guatemala (CICIG).

The scandal, which is reported to havegenerated 3.6 million dollars between May2014 and April 2015, led to Baldetti’s resig-nation and that of Pérez Molina - who re-fused to step down immediately after thecustoms corruption ring was exposed - afew months later. Both - in addition to othergovernment officials - are currently standingtrial for various corruption charges.

Today, Guatemala is once again in theeye of the storm after President JimmyMorales declared head of CICIG, IvánVelásquez of Colombia, a persona nongrata.

Created 11 years ago by a mutual agree-ment between the United Nations and

Guatemalan government, the organizationhas been led by Velásquez since 2013.

According to its website, CICIG is an unprecedented institution within the UN,and “has many of the attributes of an inter-national prosecutor, but operates underGuatemalan law.

“CICIG carries out independent investi-gations into the activities of illegal securitygroups and clandestine security structures.”

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CICIG & JIMMYMORALES?

After Guatemala’s second round of presi-dential elections in 2015, Jimmy Moralesexpressed his support for Iván Velásquezto continue as CICIG head, stating that if he won the elections he would work toensure the permanence of the organiza-tion.

In fact, during a visit to the United Nations last year, Morales, whose winningcampaign slogan was “Neither corrupt nora thief,” called for CICIG to continuethrough 2019, a motion which was later approved.

However, relations between the organiza-tion and Morales began to deteriorate afterEdgar Justino Ovalle, a figure close to thepresident and one of the founders of theruling National Convergence Front (FCN),

was accused of being involved in forceddisappearances, and later of concealinginformation related to Party campaignfunds.

A while later, in early 2017, Jimmy’s sonand brother were implicated in a new caseof missing state funds, which saw bothstand trial for fraud and money launderingin July.

However, the turning point in the conflictcame at the end of August, when CICIGand the Attorney General’s Office revealedthat the President had received illegal fin-ancing during the campaign which saw himelected in 2015.

Shortly thereafter, Morales declaredVelásquez to be a persona non grata andissued an order for his expulsion from the

country, which was later rejected bySupreme Court Justice (CSJ) Magistrates.

UN Secretary-General António Guterresreaffirmed his support for Velázquez ashead of CICIG: “No complaints relating tothe head of the International CommissionAgainst Impunity in Guatemala have beenreceived… the Secretary-General heartilycommends the work of CommissionerVelásquez and looks forward to continuingto support him carrying out his functions atthe helm of the Commission.”

Meanwhile, the CSJ began legal pro-ceedings against Morales for illegal cam-paign financing, a motion which was recently blocked by Congress, meaningthat Morales maintains his presidential immunity from prosecution. •

Guatemala:Where power and

corruption intersect

REUTERS

President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales is accused of illicit campaign funding during the presidentialelections of 2015.

OUR AMERICA12 SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

pagina 12 color ingles

PAGINA DE COLOR 13 INGLES

The UN needs to be reformed,but not unilaterally

INTERNATIONAL 13SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

PAGINA DE COLOR 13 INGLES

Interview with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla,Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, by tele-SUR journalist Jorge Gestoso, at UnitedNations headquarters, September 19,2017, Year 59 of the Revolution

(Council of State transcript / GI translation)

• FOREIGN Minister, Thank you for beinghere with us. Thank you very much. Your reaction to the speech this morningby Donald Trump?It was an unprecedented speech, aggres-sive, dominating, openly imperialist. I wassurprised by his manipulation of the issue of sovereignty for the United States,vassalage for the rest; totally ignoring theconcept of sovereign equality that inspiresthe United Nations.His attack on Venezuela: brutal, unjustified,arbitrary. He called for additional actionsagainst Venezuela. What is he referring to,the armed option, something worse? Sothen, I would like to condemn his remarks,reiterate Cuba's absolute solidarity withthe Bolivarian, Chavista people, with theircivic-military union, with the governmentheaded by Constitutional President NicolásMaduro Moros.His threat to destroy a country on the Korean peninsula is extremely serious. Hethreatens to set the Korean Peninsula onfire with a necessarily nuclear conflagra-tion, which could endanger all of humanity.A conflict which cannot, in any way, be

solved militarily.The government of President Trump is agovernment that lost the popular vote, thathas, moreover, a very low approval rateamong those who pay taxes in the country,without the slightest moral authority to criticize Cuba, a small country, an islandof solidarity that has broad international

cooperation, a government of recognizedhonesty and transparency, a dignified,hard-working people, the site of Colombia'speace process, a country known for itsstability. And it is done by the head of anempire, responsible for the majority ofwars taking place today on the planet, andwhich is a factor in the world's severe

instability, and the very serious threats topeace and international security.I strongly reject the statements made byPresident Trump. The possibility that relations with Cubamay be broken is being heard, or that theybe significantly reduced. Your reaction?Well, the President did not say that in hisspeech. These are topics I will addresslater; I will speak during the coming days in the general debate, and I canbriefly refer to issues on the internationalagenda, including relations with the United States.Lastly, your reaction to the horrible earth-quake Mexico has just experienced, 7.0,and dozens dead thus far… a tragedy!After the recent earthquake, precisely onthe anniversary of the terrible quake thatdestroyed Mexico City, I expressed ourheartfelt condolences to the Mexican gov-ernment, the Mexican people, its delega-tion here. Also to families of the victims,those affected; and we are at Mexico'sdisposal.In the same way that we are mobilizingour forces to contribute to islands in theeastern Caribbean, in particular Dominica,which has been devastated in a very ser-ious manner. We have 36 Cuban col-laborators there and we are finding a wayto send more help.Thank you very much, Minister. Thankyou very much for joining us.Thanks to teleSUR. Thank you verymuch. •

It was an unprecedented speech, aggressive,dominating, openly imperialist

Jorge Gestoso interviews Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, in UN headquarters.

TWITTER

Sergio Alejandro Gómez

• THE Swedish diplomat DagHammarskjold said at one time,"The United Nations was notcreated to take humanity to para-dise but rather to save it fromhell."

Erected on the rubble of WWII,the principal goal of the UN wasto avoid another conflagrationthat would endanger the survivalof the human race. Nevertheless,more than seven decades later,there are many, varied challengesto be faced by the internationalorganization, where almost all ofthe planet's nations sit downtogether to dialogue.

The current world situation isvery different from the postwarera, when a handful of nationspulled the strings. The formercolonies are now emerging in-dependent nations, which com-pete in terms of development andresources with those who wereonce their colonial masters.

Change in the United Nations is

imperative to improve effective-ness, eliminate archaic struc-tures, and adapt to a multi-polar21st century. But efforts by somenations to divert the desire forchange, to use it in their owninterest, are troubling.

Before giving his first speech to the General Assembly, U.S.President Donald Trump held anevent in New York on reformingthe UN.

He invited other countries to add their voices to a ten-point"Political Declaration," written byWashington, which he hopes willbecome a road map for the UN.

It is noteworthy that a documentwith global aspirations was notfreely and openly debated by theUN's 193 member states, nor werethey consulted about the kinds ofchanges they would like to see.

In the high level debate, like that beginning at this time, it is common to hear calls tostrengthen the role of the GeneralAssembly, the only body in whichall countries are represented.

Also heard repeatedly is crit-icism of the lack of democracy in the Security Council, which has binding powers, although asmall group of countries aregranted special prerogatives,including the ability to veto anydecision.

The U.S. text, on the contrary,calls for strengthening inter-ference in the sovereignty ofstates in regards to human-itarian issues, development, andpeace, instead of correcting the distortions which have been criticized in the GeneralAssembly.

Cuba did not endorse thedeclaration, and neither did asignificant group of countriesincluding Russia and China,permanent members of theSecurity Council.

Beyond the authority the UnitedStates presumes to exercise,many fear that the Trump admin-istration is more concerned about its wallet than the future of the organization, which Trump

described, as a candidate in2016, as "a club for people to gettogether, talk, and have a goodtime."

Trump complained again onSeptember 18 that the U.S. con-tributes too much money to theorganization, saying that nomember country should be ex-pected to shoulder a dispro-portionate share of the respon-sibility, "militarily or financially."

The United States, with theworld's largest economy, funds

22% of the UN's biennial budgetof 5.4 billion dollars for peace-keeping efforts.

Almost no one doubts that, at 72 years of age, the UnitedNations needs a profoundtransformation, but what is to be changed, and how, is aquestion that can only beanswered by member states inconsensus, not imposed by thepowerful few. On the contrary, the paradise they promise couldbe hell. •

The UN needs to be reformed,but not unilaterally

US President Donald Trump attempts to impose US imperialist interests on theUnited Nations.

Change in the United Nations is imperative to improve effectiveness,eliminate archaic structures, and adapt to a multi-polar 21st century

AP

INTERNATIONAL14 SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Iramsy Peraza Forte, Special correspondent

• HUBEI, China.- To talk about Cuba in Hubei, insouthwest China, not only evokes images of paradisiacalbeaches and one of the best rums in the world, but in-creasingly biotechnology and agriculture, which haveearned a place among the leading sectors of the island.

Twisting and turning along the middle and lower courseof the Yangtze River, this Chinese territory, with a GDP of502 billion dollars in 2016, and a level of developmentalmost comparable to that of Sweden, in accordance with World Bank standards, has the desire to furtherstrengthen its ties with Latin America and the Caribbean.Havana is one of its big bets.

Hubei is currently pursuing two cooperation projects with Cuba, stated Hu Jian, provincial director for LatinAmerican and Caribbean Affairs. “The first is in the bio-technology area, a sector in which the two countries haveadvanced very rapidly in recent years,” he acknowledged,adding that the second is a joint collaboration program forthe establishment of a demonstration farm on the island.

Both projects are part of agreements signed betweenthe two nations in the framework of Xi Jinping’s visit to theisland in 2014, which were confirmed last year duringPrime Minister Li Keqiang’s stay in the Cuban capital.

We are currently importing and selling Cuban bio-technology products in the province's local markets, suchas PPG, a drug that is well received in the Chinesepopulation especially due to its natural origins, somethingthat we value very much here, Hu explained.

He also noted that plans are to introduce a high-capacitymanufacturing line for other highly globally rated Cubanbiotechnology products, such as Interferon, for onco-logical use and to combat viral infections, auxins and

vaccines, in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech DevelopmentZone, within five years.

Cooperation in the biotech industry between China and Cuba is divided into three stages. The first is theestablishment of agencies for the commercialization ofCuban compounds in the country; in the second stage the Cuban side will provide the technology, while theChinese side will provide the equipment and facilities tobuild drug production plants; and the third stage involvesthe opening of joint development and research institutesto reach a higher level and promote innovation.

The ties between China and Cuba in the sector havebeen developing for more than 15 years.

This important achievement of the Cuban Revolution is already present in the second world power through the Chinese-Cuban joint ventures Biotech, located in theSpecial Economic Zone of Beijing, and Changchun HeberBiological Technology, located in Jilin, in the north of thecountry.

AGRICULTURAL COMPLEMENTARITY

With an extension of 187,400 km2 and an estimatedpopulation of 64 million, Hubei is known as the land of riceand fish, and has an important industrial base and veryadvanced technology for agricultural development.

As Zhang Xiaojun, Council president of the Nong KenLian Feng state agricultural group explained, for thisreason, the Ministry of Agriculture of China entrusted thegroup with the mission of helping establish a demon-stration farm in Cuba, a project that will include a grainproduction center and the construction of an area for rice cultivation, as well as the donation of livestockequipment.

The center was inaugurated in 2014, also during the visitof the Chinese president to Cuba, and is based in the Los Naranjos Genetic-Livestock Enterprise, in the pro-vince of Artemisa, an entity created on the initiative of thehistoric leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.

“Our ultimate objective is to help the Cuban side to raise the level of its technology and agricultural produc-tion management,” Zhang Xiaojun noted. The Nong KenLian Feng group was founded in 2006 with the aim of helping to develop agriculture and providing internationalcooperation. •

Hubei, a Chinese province committed to Cuba WWW.CHINATODAY.COM

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INTERNATIONAL 15SEPT.22.2017 | GRANMA INTERNATIONAL

Eduardo Rodríguez-Baz

• MADRID.- Catalan authorities activatedtheir self-proclaimed sovereignty process, in which they intend to hold a unilateralreferendum on the succession of theautonomous community from the rest ofSpain on October 1.

In what many consider an institutional crisis of unpredictable consequences, theCatalan Parliament - with a pro-indepen-dence majority - approved the so-calledReferendum Law on September 6, whichestablishes the legal framework to hold thecontroversial vote.

Despite the flat refusal of the government of Mariano Rajoy and the Spanish Con-stitutional Court (TC) ruling the referendumillegal, the law was passed with 72 votes in favor from the Juntos por el Sí (Togetherfor Yes) coalition, and the anti-capitalistPopular Unity Candidacy party (CUP); 11abstentions and the absence of a large part of the opposition, who denounced the illegality of the vote.

For the Juntos por el Sí coalition - includingthe parties Esquerra Republicana de Cata-lunya (Republican Left of Catalonia) and the center-right Partit Demòcrata EuropeuCatalà (Catalan Democratic Party) - the newlaw legitimizes a vote on a split from Spain,based on the principle of self-determination.

After the tense, marathon session of theCatalan legislative chamber, the President ofthe Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan execu-tive), Carles Puigdemont, signed the decreeconvening the secessionist referendum.

Puigdemont stated that he would defendCatalonia’s right to decide to the end, andcalled on Catalans to massively participate in the vote.

“To deny this right, treating Catalans assubjects in the service of a state, that fab-ricates threats at the same rate as violations,this is no democracy, it’s something else,” theautonomous leader stressed.

In his view, the rich region of 7.5 millionpeople has the opportunity to become a“democratic, modern, and free” state.

Puigdemont stressed that such a decisionis up to the people and not to any Council ofMinisters or Constitutional Court, “delegit-imized, discredited and politicized toimproper levels.”

Rajoy’s administration and the TC deployed

their entire arsenal to curb separatist asp-irations, which have intensified since 2010.

Back then, the party of the current head of government, the conservative PopularParty (PP) - at that time the main oppositionforce - urged the Constitutional Court to limita reform of the Statute of Autonomy ofCatalonia, which had already been approvedby the Spanish parliament and the Catalanpopulation.

On June 28, 2010, the TC, at the request of the PP, annulled several articles of the new Statute of Autonomy, a sort of regionalConstitution, which was considered by

secessionist parties as an affront to theterritory located in Northeast Spain.

In an appearance at the Palace of LaMoncloa (official residence of the primeminister), and after appealing all the stepstaken by the Generalitat, Rajoy insisted thathe will prevent by all possible legal channelsthe holding of the controversial referendum.

”This consultation will not take place,regardless of the intentions to impose one ina rushed, sloppy, and illegal manner,” theconservative leader stressed, describingPuigdemont’s actions as authoritarian and“antidemocratic.”

The PP leader also stated that he will doeverything necessary to prevent breaking themodel of coexistence in this Iberian nation.

Rajoy emphasized that the referendum isillegal and consequently not democratic, andasserted that he would calmly and effectivelyrespond to the separatist attempts.

Questioned regarding the serious territorialconflict, the leader of the left-wing electoralalliance Unidos Podemos (United We Can),Pablo Iglesias, called on the Spanish govern-ment to moderate the tone of the debate andonce again support the holding of an agreedreferendum, with guarantees.

The government may be correct in legalterms, but it is irresponsible to hide behindthe law to resolve a political problem, theleader of the third strongest parliamentaryforce in Spain noted.

There are no legal or regulatory solutionscapable of resolving Catalonia’s position inSpain, warned Iglesias.

What is required now is good sense andcalm but, above all, the recognition thatpolitical conflicts are not solved by judges,they have to be resolved politically, heconcluded. (PL) •

PRENSA LATINA

Catalonia activates plan to separate from Spain

COLOR DE LA 16 INGLES

Global Cuba solidarity campaignunderway

COLOR DE LA 16 INGLES

Nuria Barbosa León

• WITH the aim of generatingmore support for an end to theeconomic, financial and com-mercial blockade imposed by theUnited States on Cuba for overhalf a century; days of actionentitled, Tenemos Memoria.Solidaridad vs Bloqueo (WeRemember. Solidarity vs theBlockade) are taking place invarious countries around theworld through early November,when the Cuban resolutionagainst the aggressive policy will once again be put to a United Nations General As-sembly vote.

Speaking to Granma Inter-national, Elio Gámez Neyra,first vice president of the CubanInstitute of Friendship with thePeoples (ICAP), explained thatactions kicked-off with a soli-darity act commemorating the20th anniversary of the murderof young Italian Fabio Di Celmo,who died after a bomb placed by Salvadoran mercenary RaúlErnesto Cruz León, exploded in

Havana’s Copacabana Hotel; anact of terrorism financed bycounter-revolutionary groups ofCuban-origin based in southernFlorida.

He also noted that the cere-mony served to remember andpay tribute to all victims of ter-rorism throughout the history ofthe Cuban Revolution.

According to the ICAP official,organizers of the internationalcampaign are putting togethercultural events, rallies, marches,and protests outside UnitedStates embassies and diplo-matic establishments in variouscountries.

He went on to note that inaddition to tributes, participantswill call on parliamentarians andgovernment officials to presentmotions and documents con-demning the blockade and actsof terrorism against the Carib-bean island.

All of these activities are beingorganized by the world Cubasolidarity movement, present in152 countries, and committed tocondemning global terrorism.

“Many events, ranging fromlobbying in the U.S. Congress, to a march and solidarity actoutside the White House, tookplace from September 11-16 inWashington,” noted GámezNeyra.

Also held were talks and paneldiscussions on the damagecaused by the U.S. blockade,despite the reestablishment ofdiplomatic relations.

The 50th anniversary of theassassination of Heroic GuerillaErnesto Che Guevara in Boliviais also being commemoratedduring these days of action.

Likewise, friends of Cuba inSpain announced a specialseries of events that will takeplace October 2-9, while the ChePresente, Cuba Solidarity En-counter and 25th anniversary of the Socialist Cuba InitiativeFriendship Association are set tobe held in Belgium.

In Cuba meanwhile, mass andpolitical organizations are joiningthe campaign with various act-ivities taking place in work andeducational centers, including

acts, marches, and culturalevents, during which participantswill call on the international com-munity to condemn the imperia-list anti-Cuban policy.

The ICAP official went on tonote that various dates are beingcommemorated on the island inSeptember and October, such asthe coup d'état in Chile onSeptember 11, 1973; the anniver-sary of the unjust imprisonmentof the Cuban Five in the UnitedStates; the 1976 murder ofpolitician and Chilean Ambas-sador, Orlando Letelier in theUnited States; the bombing of aCubana de Aviación plane overBarbados in October that sameyear; and the assassination of Argentine-Cuban guerillaErnesto Che Guevara, October8, 1967, in Bolivia.

Meanwhile, Gámez Neyraexplained that Committees forthe Defense of the Revolution,will hold neighborhood meetingsto denounce the effects of theeconomic blockade on the is-land; a policy which has beenalmost unanimously condemned

by the international communityin the United Nations GeneralAssembly.

The event will also serve to de-nounce aggression by the U.S.and regional oligarchs againstrevolutionary and progressivegovernments of Latin Americaand the Caribbean, as well as Parliamentary coup plotters,backed by Washington, whothreaten the political stability and sovereignty of the peoples.•

• THE 50 years of solidarity andcommitment demonstrated by the Inter-faith Community Organization (IFCO)-Pastors for Peace was highlighted in acommemorative event at the CubanInstitute of Friendship with the Peoples(ICAP) headquarters in Havana.

The legacy of its founder, ReverendLucius Walker, was honored, seven yearsafter his death, for his commitment tofighting for a change in social relationsaround the world, to resist the hegemonicpower of the United States.

During the event, his daughter GailWalker, now executive director of Pastorsfor Peace, recalled her fathers efforts toattract attention to struggles againstinjustice, and support the revolutionaryprocesses in Nicaragua and Cuba.

Calling Lucius a teacher, pastor, andcommunity organizer, she stated that hewas a much-loved son of Fidel Castro; he had the idea of supporting youth who didn't have the resources to studymedicine in U.S. universities, and bring-ing them to Cuba to be trained as doctors,with the only requirement that, aftergraduating, they commit to return to pro-vide services in underserved neighbor-hoods.

She said she was proud to see so manypeople honor her father in different parts ofthe world.

Reverend Walker was born August 3,1930, in New Jersey, and in May of 1964sponsored the National Committee toAbolish the House Un-American ActivitiesCommittee, and in 1967 created IFCO. He held the position of adjunct secretary

general of the National Council ofChurches 1973-1978, and in 1984 becamepastor of the Salvation Baptist Church.

During a stay in Sandinista Nicaragua, he was wounded in an attack by the U.S.backed contras, and conceived the Pastorsfor Peace project, which beginning in 1992, organized 21 Friendship Caravans to transport donations to the Cuban people

and challenge the blockade. (There havenow been 28.) He died September 8, 2010.

Decorated Hero of the Republic Fer-nando González Llort, ICAP president,referred to the effort made by Lucius tobuild greater support within churches for progressive organizations fighting forsocial justice, principally in disadvantaged,Black and Latino communities.

"His leadership helped to strengtheninitiatives of an international character,such as support for Haitian refugees,delegations and caravans to CentralAmerica." The work to gather donations for Cuba served as a way to disseminatethe country's reality among the U.S.population, and build a movement toadvocate for an end to hostile U.S.policies," González noted.

He recalled the significance of thesecond caravan to Cuba, which chal-lenged U.S. authorities crossing the bor-der into Mexico at Laredo, Texas, aftertouring 90 cities, and collecting 12.5 tonsof medicine, powdered milk, bicycles,school supplies and Bibles.

A bus was confiscated there, in anattempt to detain the caravan, leading to ahunger strike until the cargo was allowedto proceed.

"They never imagined that this vehiclewould become a symbol of the struggleagainst the blockade and a genuineexpression of friendship between ourpeoples," González affirmed.

He commented that IFCO partici-pated actively in the struggle to return the child Elián González to his father inCuba, and joined the worldwide cam-paign to free the Cuban Five, unjustlyimprisoned in the United States. He con-cluded his remarks expressing gratitude to the organization and calling for moreparticipants to join caravans, saying,"Cuba needs the solidarity of those who stand up united to support oursovereignty. •

(Nuria Barbosa León)

Global Cuba solidarity campaignunderway

Elio Gámez Neyra, ICAP first vicepresident, noted that the days of actionwill include protests and marchesoutside U.S. embassies and diplomaticestablishments in various countries.

Pastors for Peace and its founder Lucius Walker honored

ORLANDO PERERA

ICAP President Fernando González Llort recognized the solidarity of IFCO-Pastors for Peace, foundedby Lucius Walker.

ISMAEL BATISTA

This weekly is published in English,French, Spanish and Portuguese.Monthly in German and Italian.Updates daily on the Internet.

A WEEKLY ON CUBA AND LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS | SEPTEMBER.22.2017 | ENGLISH EDITION

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