04-14-06,9:36am
Havana, April 13.- Haitian President-elect Rene Preval, on an official visit to Cuba, said the future of his nation is strongly connected with its integration into Latin America and the Caribbean, published the Latin American News Agency
In his statements to press on Thursday, Rene Preval recalled cooperation with Cuba dates back to his first mandate between 1996 and 2001, when Haiti entered the Caribbean Community.
'If we do not unite with the region, we will face serious problems to develop, so we will do everything we can to politically, economically and culturally integrate with the region,' said Preval, who won the presidential elections, held on February 7.
Accompanied by Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque, the Haitian president-elect honored Cuban National Hero Jose Marti on Wednesday by laying a wreath on his monument in Havana.
He is in Cuba on an official invitation from President Fidel Castro, who is slated to meet with him. His delegation includes 60 youth who will study medicine in Cuba, and 535 patients in the Operation Miracle program, which freely treats regional low-income people with eye afflictions.
The Haitian guests will meet with local officials and tour sites of scientific and social interests.
aiti Preval Bonds with Cuba Havana, April 13 (PL).- Haitian president-elect Rene Preval and his accompanying delegation are reaffirming Thursday the amity between his nation and Cuba by holding high-level meetings on cooperation.
The new Haitian president laid a wreath at the Cuban national hero Jose Marti Monument and has a meeting scheduled with President Fidel Castro.
Wednesday, upon his arrival in eastern Santiago de Cuba province, he expressed interest in expanding bilateral cooperation to achieve political and social stability in his country.
Along with Preval, 60 young Haitians who have scholarships to study medicine here and 535 low-income patients who will have free eye surgery as part of Operation Miracle also came to the island.
The president-elect and his mission will also visit scientific and social sites and meet with other local authorities. Detroit Demands Release of Cuban Five
Havana, April 12 (ACN).- Detroit's City Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding the immediate release of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unjustly held in US prisons.
A copy of the document has been sent to the US president, the attorney general, the secretary of State, several senators, public officials, and mass media so as to increase public awareness on the case of the 'Cuban Five,' reported Juventud Rebelde newspaper.
The text of the motion was presented by Joann Watson and Maryann Mahaffey, members of the US/Cuba Labor Exchange, the Justice for Cuba Coalition and the National Network on Cuba.
The declaration stresses that none of the charges against the five includes charges of the use of violence in the US, the use of weapons, property damage or leaking classified documents.
The resolution also contrasts the injustice committed against 'the Five' with the protection offered by Washington to confessed international terrorists Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosh.
The Cuban Five --Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and Rene Gonzalez-- were arrested in 1998 by the FBI after they had infiltrated right wing Cuban-American organizations in southern Florida to prevent terrorist activities against the Cuban and American people.
On August 9, 2005 a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta unanimously ruled that the 2001 trial in Miami was clearly biased against the defendants. The court overturned the men's convictions and ordered a new trial.
On October 31, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta, by general consensus, approved the appeal made by the prosecution to reevaluate the decision of the three magistrates.
After seven years in prison for crimes they never committed, most legal experts believe there are no grounds to keep the Cuban Five imprisoned.
Cuba to Purchase Aircrafts from Russian Federation
Havana, April 11 (ACN).- Cuban President Fidel Castro attended the signing ceremony of a contract Monday whereby Cuba will purchase from the Russian Federation five new aircrafts: two type IL-96-300 and three TU-204-100.
Four of the modern aircrafts will be used for passenger transportation and one of the TU-204-100s for cargo.
Mr. Alexander Rubstov, general director of the Ilyushin Finance Company, and Jose Heriberto Prieto, first vice president of the Cuban Civil Aviation Institute signed the contract.
Prieto assured that this is a second step in the modernization of the Cuban air fleet. He further noted the same as other two Russian IL-96-300 aircrafts recently bought by the island, the five planes will be put at the service of solidarity activities with Latin America and other nations.
Boris Alioshin, President of the Russian Federal Industrial Agency, said it was a great honor to attend the signing ceremony, which he described as 'an example of friendship that opens new possibilities for our industries.'
The Cuban president talked extensively with the Russian delegation about the technology of the modern aircrafts, and pointed out that the new planes are very economical as they consume much less fuel than the IL-62-M model.
Andrei Dimitriev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Cuba, and Rogelio Acevedo, President of the Cuban Civil Aviation Institute were also present at the ceremony.
