Cubans back Fidel Castro

Cuban Radar                                                                              Read Spanish Version

Cubans back Fidel Castro’s decision

Numerous Cubans back Fidel Castro’s decision not to run again for the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief.

The Cuban National Information Agency reported opinions of several persons and highlighted one given by Marta Margarita Acuña, a Social and Cultural Studies major at the Las Villas Central University, who said that “Fidel will always be the revolution’s historical leader” and agreed with him that there are other leaders capable of guiding the country.

Another citizen interviewed was Vitelio Ruiz, director of the Center of Applied Linguistic. For the academic, the decision is “an example of revolutionary commitment, of ethics and modesty.” On the other hand, during the broadcast of the Round Table TV program on February 19, its host Randy Alonso read an editorial that says that Fidel Castro has been consistent to the end, as he said it himself, (and) he does it with extraordinary dignity at a moment in which the people have backed, with an overwhelming vote, the continuity of a project under siege by the greatest empire in history.”

Papal envoy arrives in Havana

The Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone arrived on Wednesday night at Havana for a six day visit.

Cardinal Bertone’s trip, which is both a state visit and a pastoral one, was widely covered by Granma in its Wednesday, Feb. 20, edition.


Nickel revenues surpasses tourism

Trade sources announced that the Cuban nickel industry will produce approximately 80,000 tons in 2008. Last year’s output was 76,000 of nickel plus cobalt, at a value of $2.7 billion dollars. With those revenues, nickel surpasses tourism as the country’s economic locomotive.

According to Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage the country will produce 100,000 tons a year shortly, for which a heavy investment has been made. Lage did not reveal the amount.

Over 800 million tons of nickel, 34 percent of the world’s reserves, can be found in the eastern province of Holguín.

Chinese TV for tourists in Cuba

According to the Feb. 18 edition of Granma, three Chinese TV channels can be seen on the island. The signal is transmitted exclusively to hotels, embassies and cable networks associated to the above receiving points.

In reciprocity, Cubavisión International’s signal is received in the Popular Republic of China by some 21,000 subscribers.

Pharmaceutical products

The Cuban health system, which includes drug stores, polyclinics and hospitals, has at its disposal 866 different drugs, according to Dr. Julián Pérez Peña, director of the Center for the Development of Pharmaceutical Products and Epidemiology. Of those 866 products, 537 are produced in the country and 329 are imported. The information was supplied during the February 15 Round Table TV program on the subject.

Dr. Pérez Peña said that the government’s policy regarding sale of medical drugs, contrary to the one prevailing in most of the world where the economy is regulated by the market, distributes, at reasonable prices, products that in other countries are extremely expensive. An example is insulin, which in Cuba is sold at drugstores for 1.25 pesos (some US $0.06) as compared to the United Kingdom where this product costs $24 dollars. But if a Cuban citizen is hospitalized, all drugs, as well as treatment of any kind, is totally free of charge.

"Just in the production of the so called generic drugs, the country has invested in the past four years over $10 million pesos”, said Pérez Peña.

An agreement against Vandals

Vandalism against public phones, such as the destruction of equipment or theft of parts, is a phenomenon that plagues all Cuban provinces. But Villa Clara, a province in Central Cuba, has come up with a plan to deal with the problem.

According to Granma daily, on February 18, 2008, “joint forces of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Ministry of Interior and the communications enterprise ETCSA in Villa Clara are making a combined effort (to fight against) theft of elements, cables, circuits and accessories used in telecommunications that has caused considerable losses, besides the discomfort to the population due to lack of service.”

The Granma report says that there has been a decrease of these cases of vandalism, from 614 in 2006 down to 250 in 2007.