Catholic magazine opines on Communist Party’s Congress
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Catholic magazine opines on Communist Party’s Congress
Aservice by the Radio Progreso Alternativa Havana Bureau
Espacio Laical, a lay person’s magazine published by the Havana Archdiocese, in its latest issue contained an article on the upcoming Congress of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) which will be held later this year.
"Given the present international and local conditions, for guaranteeing that the Revolution transcend its agents, who have made the utmost to keep it going, means to re-found it. And that implies specifying its principles, as well as redefining all the social, spiritual, legal, economic and political tasks of the nation."
The article states that the event “should be of interest for all Cubans, so the organizers (…) should truly involve all of the population in its preparation and carrying out." Additionally, it reports that if the final result of the Congress is the keeping of a single party, “we would be forced to redefine the ideological foundations of that political association, with the purpose offinding the base that facilitate at least the integration of wider and diverse sectors of Cuban society."
Internalmigration
Forty-six illegal settlements, some of them with more than 2,000 people, like Las Piedras, at San Miguel del Padrón Municipality in Havana, have challenged Decree 217, in force since 1997, for avoiding the exodus from other provinces to the Cuban capital.
These migrations have been the subject of an investigation by the Juventud Rebelde (JR) daily published in two parts, the second on Sunday, August 3.
The data is significant. Of the 2,201,610 people living in the capital, who account for 19.6% of Cuban population, 31.8% — or 700,242 residents — were not born in City of Havana.
JR reports that there is no singularity among the motivations of the emigrants. Apparently the reasons are the same since human groups began to move in search of better living conditions.
Luis Carlos Góngora, vice president of the Provincial Assembly of Popular Power, told JR that "this year 2,397 people have been returned to their provinces of origin". The newspaper also reports that since 2006 "over 20,000 people were sent back to their original homes."
JR reported that the number of illegal migrants who live in the capital city is very difficult to determine.
SocialSecurity for independent workers
Starting September 1 of this year, Cuban workers will discuss, in assemblies at their work places, the first draft of the Social Security Bill presented to the National Assembly of Popular Power (parliament) July11.
According to the official Granma daily, in its August 1 edition, one novelty contained within the project is that the self employed will be included in a "special integrating pattern of social security(…) which will encompass all workers of the country."
When the great crisis of the 1990s, the government allowed the existence of self-employed workers in different trades, such as locksmiths, electricians, taxi drivers, plumbers, house rentals, small restaurants called "paladares", etc. In the first few years, some 200,000 applied for, and received, licenses. At present, the figure has decreased to a non disclosed level.
The project extends the retirement age, which will be 65 for men and 60 for women, and also increases pensions for every extra year of work after the 30 year mark. It also allows the person to continue working after retirement and still receive the full salary, plus the pension.
TAC in Camagüey
The Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital, located on the eastern province of Camagüey, now has Computerized AxialTomography (CAT) among services it offers its patients.
With the CAT, it is possible to diagnose intracranial hematomas, braintumors and arterial malformations with a higher degree of reliability. Images of the studied areas appear in a computer screen and can be burned in a CD.
According to the local press, some "250,000 infants from this province and other neighboring ones" will be treated with the new technique every year.
Wastingwater
On August 1, Cuba’s National TV News (NTV) reported that about "70% of all the water pumped by systems that supply the capital is lost, "because of deteriorating pipes.
For Havanians this is the quantity of water lost, but not the reality that runs through many streets. The bad condition of pipes is a long standing problem.
According to NTV, the situation in the rest of country is "very similar." But the situation in Santiago de Cuba has been deemed critical not only for the lack of supply sources — which will be solved soon by the transference of water from reservoirs located miles away — but because of the deterioration of distribution networks that cause leaks.
The issue is not only the loss of millions of gallons of water and the subsequent discomfort of citizens. There is also another waste. Since 90% of the water is pumped, some 360 million KW/h, the equivalent to $40 million dollars in fuel to produce that energy, is lost as it flows down the streets.
Cuba and the Beijing Olympics
Although Cuban sports authorities hope to finish among the leading 15 countries in the Beijing Olympics beginning August 8, 2008, there are other opinions.
A leading U.S. sports magazine, Sports Illustrated, predicts in its latest issue, that the island could finish among the top eight countries. According to the magazine, Cuba could win 11 gold medals.
Cuban sports fans will have a real Olympic treat, for the island’s TV will devote three channels to transmit all the events, a total of 30 hours a day.
Cuban will chair committee of the UN’s Human Rights Council
Cuban Miguel Alfonso Martínez was appointed chairman of the UN’s Human Rights Council’s Advisory Committee, which has its seat in Geneva, Switzerland.
Considered one of the top most experts on the matter, for many years Alfonso was the spokesperson of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At present he also chairs the Cuban Society of International Law.
