New Cuban victory at the UN
Cuban
Radar Read Spanish Version
New
Cuban victory at the UN
A
service by the Radio Progreso Alternativa Havana Bureau
For
the 17th
consecutive time, the policy of blockade, imposed by U.S.
administrations on its small neighbor, was defeated at the United
Nations General Assembly.
An
overwhelming vote of 185 countries against the blockade, three in
favor (U.S., Israel and Palau; and two abstentions (Marshall Islands
and Micronesia), witnessed how alone U.S. policy towards Cuba stands.
Although
the decisions
by the General Assembly are not mandatory they do reflect the
positions of the international community, in this case on the
blockade of the island that soon will reach its 50th anniversary.
Add
that
to the recent agreement of a mutually respectful full dialogue with
the European Union, as Cuba had insisted on, the island has
articulated a foreign policy that practically leaves the U.S. alone.
Many
analysts predict that a new administration in Washington will open
the doors to negotiations with Havana that could be the prelude to a
gradual dismantling of the regulations and laws of the blockade
against Cuba.
Brazilian
President Lula will arrive in Cuba today
President
Luis Inacio Lula da Silva,
of Brazil, will arrive in Havana for his second visit in less than a
year.
According
to reports, Lula will sign an agreement for the joint exploration of
oil in Cuba’s Exclusive Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The investment
will be made by Brazil’s Petrobras and Cuba’s CUPET.
Sources
at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Lula will invite
President Raúl Castro to visit Brazil in December. It is
expected that besides meeting with President Castro Lula will also
visit former President Fidel
Castro.
Reports
also add that Brazilian
experts will advise Cuba in the large scale growing of soy in the
eastern province of Ciego de Ávila.
Brazil
has announced that
it is determined to become Cuba’s number one trading partner.
Deadline
extended
for salaries according to production
A
few months back the Cuban government decided to introduce the system
of paying salaries according to results
provided by each worker. The objective is to eliminate the present
egalitarian concept, for since salary does not correspond to
production it loses its motivating function.
At
every enterprise in the country discussions are being held on the
standards that will govern the new policy. After it
is approved at every center of production and service, the rates will
be revised annually.
Carlos
Mateu, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security,
said to Granma
that
the extension of the deadline is so that “the discussion and
approval of the yearly plan of each entity with the discussion of the
required system of payment may coincide for the first time.”
All
Cuban enterprises are
required to read and approve their payment systems by January 2009.
Petrohouses
at Los Palacios
Los
Palacios Municipality,
in the province Pinar del Río, was one of the most ravaged by
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, with 79% of its homes totally or partially
destroyed.
On
October 27, the Granma
daily
reported that some 30 “petrohouses” are under construction n the
municipality. The Petrohouses, which use polyvinyl, an oil
derivative, are part of the aid sent to Cuba by the Venezuela
government. Experts from that country are supervising the
construction of the homes.
New
vehicles
arrive in Havana
According
to Cuban National TV News, on October 27,
some 2,500 vehicles of different types arrived in Havana from the
People’s Republic of China. The report said that it is the largest
single load of vehicles that has arrived in the island.
The
main characteristics of the equipment are its fuel efficiency and its
great load capacity. A large number of them will be used in
agriculture, the sugar industry, internal commerce and the food
industry.
