* Diario Las Américas, "Castro Condemned in Geneva for Violations of Human Rights"

* Diario Las Américas, La Condena de Castro en Ginebra"

* The Wall Street Journal, "Armando Valladares's ‘Against All Hope’: Faiths Flourish"

* Matthew C. Perez, "Cuba: Biological Evolution is a Copout!"

* SIR, "Cristiani a Cuba"

* The American TFP, "Shattering Myths: A Reality Check on China"

* Agence France Presse, "China comunista reafirma su respaldo a Castro"

* Associated Press, "FARC recluta guerrilleros venezolanos y brasileños"

* ACI, "Arzobispo colombiano excomulga a guerrilla por profanación de Iglesia"

* Jorge Herrera B., "Confirmado: Juan Pablo II envió medalla a sanguinario ‘Tirofijo’"

Abril 20, 2001: Diario Las Américas, Miami, ed. Internet, Editorial

Although there were ten abstentions, one absence and twenty votes in favor of the totalitarian tyranny of Castro when the case of Cuba was brought before the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, it should be considered as a significant victory that twenty civilized nations, with democratic governments, condemned the despotic regime that has been oppressing the Cuban people for forty-two years. In other words, as in previous years, a majority condemned the liberticidal regime of Fidel Castro

It is timely to remind those who voted in favor of the tyranny and those who abstained that the Cuban regime has not allowed the entry of a U.N. reporter or observer that the world organization officially named several years ago to look into the violations of human rights in Cuba. And this is a defying action of Castro against the United Nations and proves that if that observer were allowed into the country he would be able to confirm the violations of those rights.

It should be taken into consideration that this U.N. Commission on Human Rights, formed by 53 governments members of the U.N., is not a faithful mirror of the values of liberty, democracy, and human rights. Unbelievably, despicably, there are governments that should not have been chosen to be part of that commission because they are, precisely, the opposite of what it purports to defend. Because they are violators of human rights. The most categorical example is the presence of Cuba, China and Vietnam in that commission, to mention only three countries. This commission is in charge, precisely, of watching over the rights that those government ignore. The General Assembly of the U.N. is responsible for appointing the members to the Commission which is a lack of respect for world opinion regarding the defense of human freedom and dignity.

In today´s issue we publish the complete list of the countries that voted against the Castro tyranny, those who voted in its favor, those that abstained --a cowardly way of not assuming responsibility -- and the name of a country that was absent which was the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, it is always good to repeat these names. In favor of the Cuban people and against its tyranny: Argentina, Belgium, Camerron, Canada, Costa Rioca, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Modagascar, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of South Korea, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay.

In favor of the tyranny voted: Algeria, Burundi, China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Swaziland, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia. Abstaining: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Niger, Peru, Senegal, Thailand.

The abstentions are shameful, they should not happen in an specific case involving a choice between liberty and slavery. The Venezuelan vote for Castro was expected because Hugo Chávez has declared that his regime and Castro´s are two rivers flowing into the same sea. And he has just said, standing alongside the Chinese president, that the Chinese communist system should be the model for the world.

Abril 20, 2001: Diario Las Américas, Miami, ed. Internet, Editorial

Aun cuando hubo diez abstenciones, un ausente y veinte votos a favor de la tiranía totalitaria de Castro cuando se discutió en la tarde del miércoles 18 de abril el caso de Cuba en la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, hay que considerar que es una trascendental victoria que veintidós países civilizados, con gobiernos democráticos, hayan condenado a ese régimen despótico que durante cuarenta y dos años azota al pueblo de Cuba. Es decir, por mayoría de votos se produjo la condena, como en años anteriores, de la violación sistemática de los derechos humanos bajo el régimen liberticida de Fidel Castro.

Es conveniente recordarles a los que votaron a favor de la tiranía y a los que se abstuvieron con respecto a ella que el régimen cubano no permite la entrada de un relator u observador de la ONU que oficialmente ha sido designado por esta entidad mundial hace varios años para ver las violaciones de los derechos humanos en la isla de Cuba. Y eso ocurre como un desafío de Castro a la Organización de las Naciones Unidas y como una prueba de que si llega el observador comprobaría las violaciones a esos derechos en ese atormentado país.

Hay que tomar en cuenta que esa Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, integrada por 53 gobiernos representados en la ONU, no es un fiel reflejo de los valores de la libertad, de la democracia y de los derechos humanos. Increíblemente, indignamente, hay gobiernos que no deberían haber sido elegidos para integrar esa comisión por ser, precisamente, lo contrario de lo que se pretende defender. Por ser violadores de los derechos humanos. El ejemplo m s categórico es la presencia de Cuba, de China y de Vietnam en esa comisión, para sólo citar tres. Y es una comisión encargada de velar, precisamente, por los derechos que esos gobiernos ultrajan. La Asamblea Genera de la ONU es responsable de esa integración en una falta de respeto para la opinión pública mundial en lo que respecta a la defensa de la libertad y de la dignidad humanas.

En la sección informativa de DIARIO LAS AMERICAS se da la lista de los gobiernos que votaron contra la tiranía de Castro, los que votaron a favor de ella, los que se abstuvieron --una manera cobarde de no asumir responsabilidades-- y el nombre de un país que no estuvo presente en la votación y que fue la República Democrática del Congo. Sin embargo, es conveniente repetir esos nombres. Votaron a favor del pueblo cubano y en contra de su tiranía: Argentina, Bélgica, Cameroon, Canadá, Costa Rica, la República Checa, Francia, Alemania, Guatemala, Italia, Japón, Letonia, Madagascar, Noruega, Polonia, Portugal, República de Corea del Sur, Rumanía, España, Reino Unido de la Gran Bretaña, Uruguay y Estados Unidos de América.

A favor de la tiranía votaron: Algeria, Burundi, China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Libia, Malasia, Nigeria, Paquistán, Qatar, Rusia, Arabia Saudita, Africa del Sur, Swazilandia, Siria, Venezuela, Vietnam y Zambia. Se abstuvieron: Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Mauricio, México, Nigeria, Perú, Senegal y Tailandia.

Las abstenciones son vergonzosas, no deben tener cabida frente a un caso concreto para escoger entre la libertad y la esclavitud. El voto de Venezuela a favor de Castro era conocido porque Hugo Chávez ha declarado que el régimen suyo y el de Fidel Castro son dos ríos iguales que van al mismo mar. Y acaba de decir, frente al jefe del estado chino que el sistema comunista chino es el modelo para el mundo.

Abril 13, 2001: The Wall Street Journal

Today Western Christendom observes Good Friday, marking the crucifixion of its Messiah almost 2,000 years ago. For Christians, Good Friday is a testament to God's faithful presence in all human suffering. Believers are solemn today, but also joyfully expectant -- as they are meant to be in their own trials -- for their faith teaches that passion and death are followed by the glory of Easter. As well, this week also marks Passover, celebrating Jewish deliverance from Egyptian slavery. These traditions and their meaning are worth a pause for reflection.

Most of our daily concerns here are with politics, on balance a secular activity, and rightly so. It is nonetheless true that politics can be deformed to bad ends, and in ways that force its all-too-human victims to draw on extraordinary resources of body and spirit to survive punishment for beliefs that are secular, religious, or often both.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's Annual Report identifies significant Christian persecution in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These faraway-sounding places are hardly that for one soul under pressure.

As it happens, this week brought the re-release of one of the late 20th century's most moving testaments to holy faith and courage in a brutal, secular world. Armando Valladares's "Against All Hope" (Encounter Books), first published in 1984 in Spanish, is a 423 page first-person account of 22 years in Fidel Castro's Cuban gulag. Its title comes from St. Paul's letter to the Romans, IV:18, "Who against hope believed in hope . . ."

Mr. Valladares's book is a very personal story of one man, subject to Castro's almost unimaginable barbaric inhumanity, turning toward God, where he found the strength to fend off despair and bitterness, affirm life and survive what has pushed thousands of others to self-destruction or capitulation.

Mr. Valladares was no counterrevolutionary in 1960. But he knew something of communism at the age of 22, and he refused to post a sign in support of it on his desk at the post office where he worked. For this, he was arrested.

Christianity has always been among the chief enemies of the Castro regime. And while the regular discharges of the firing squads at night dominated the earliest days of Mr. Valladares's prison life, so too did the popular cry, just before death, of "Viva Cristo Rey!" Those unnamed martyrs inspired the frightened, lonely young Valladares in his prison cell searching for courage. "I not only understood instantly," he writes, ". . . that Christ was indeed there for me at the moments when I prayed not to be killed, but realized as well that He served to give my life, and death if it came to that, ethical meaning."

Mr. Valladares tells of a brutality that knew no limits. Beatings, torture, sleep deprivation, confinement in "drawer cells" (crypts built into the slope of a hill), infestations, malnutrition, forced labor camps and psychological manipulations and experimentations were all designed to break the spirit.

Eventually he became one of a group known as the "plantados" because of his firm resistance to the regime, and this brought more extreme cruelty. As life grew worse, his faith deepened. "I never asked Him to get me out of there; I didn't think that God should be used for that kind of request. I only asked that He allow me to resist, that He give me the faith and spiritual strength to bear up under these conditions without sickening with hatred. I only prayed for Him to accompany me. And His presence, which I felt, made my faith an indestructible shield."

Castro could not know that in Mr. Valladares's mind, he remained free. "They've taken everything away from me -- or almost everything," he wrote, "I still have my smile, the proud sense that I'm a free man, and an eternally flowering garden in my soul."

Perhaps the secular world will never fully comprehend the wellsprings of a profound spirituality such as described here. Suffice to say that we are reminded this week that after centuries of being ground through the political mills, faith flourishes.

URL for this Article: http://interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=SB98711808611973224.djm

Abril 12, 2001: The Hanover Eagle and Regional Weekly News, Morris, NJ

Matthew C. Perez, East Hanover, N. J.

I read the Commentary titled " A look at Cuba in the 'Wintertime of its

revolution" with great interest for I am a member of the Cuban-American

community, a community that is often maligned by the liberal media as

being "intransigent ideologues", the above referenced commentary not

excepted.

If demonstrating unwavering loyalty to the fundamental principals of

Democracy, demanding the respect for the Human Rights of our oppressed

brothers and sisters in Cuba, and striving to break the oppressive

chains which deprive eleven million souls from their freedom results in

one being categorized as an "intransigent ideologue", I proudly step

forward and acknowledge being one.

I believe that Ms Parker has made a conscious effort for her commentary

to be perceived as an objective and balanced perspective of Cuba's

long-playing drama. The uninformed reader will probably rationalize this

to be the case. However, an informed reader can easily identify some of

the liberal media's favorite allegation's, i.e. "Cuban expatriates who

remember the nation of their favored youth" (all Cuban expatriates were

wealthy Cubans, a falsehood), "they have 100 percent medical coverage

and a doctor in every village" (the implication being that the Cuban

people have great medical care. The sad commentary is that the

allegation of great medical care for the population at large is false).

The factor that exposes Ms Parker's philosophy on the Cuban issue is not

so much what is written, but rather what is omitted. The reality of

Cuba's medical care has not been shared with the reader. The fact that

Cuba's jails are a revolving door for many dissidents and a perpetual

nightmare for political prisoners is not disclosed. The apartheid that

exists in Cuba is not clearly disclosed. The hidden cost of education,

the indenture labor practice, the restriction of independent labor

unions and religious institutions, and the government-sponsored

prostitution are not disclosed. Cuba's role in drug trafficking, Cuba's

refuge of American fugitives, the raft exodus and drowning of untold

hundreds of Cubans trying to reach freedom in Florida have not been

disclosed. The neglect of the island's infrastructure and the

destruction of the environment have not been disclosed. The killing by

drowning of 43 children and adults by Castro's coast guards when they

sunk the tug boat, named March 13th, carrying 84 defenseless children

and adults was not disclosed. The assassination of three American

citizens and one Cuban national, members of the Brothers to the Rescue

team, over international waters was not disclosed.

Much has been written portraying Castro's health care services as a

utopia in medical care. We must acknowledge that Cuba has a substantial

number of medical facilities which are well equipped with modern medical

equipment and supplies, that provide medical services considered

superior to that available in many other nations. However, these

facilities are part of Castro's health care enterprise, which are

reserve solely for tourists, foreigners, and the upper echelon of

Castro's inner circle, not for the Cuban population at large. The Cuban

citizens are apparently undeserving of these services for they are

relegated to a medical care which requires them to bring all the

supplies which he or she will need during their hospital stay,

including; medicine, pillows, sheets, soap, toilet paper, and even light

bulbs as has happened in some hospitals. I will share with you a recent

example of Castro's 100 percent medical care published by Cubanet, an

independent news source from Cuba: The report (the rule rather than the

exception), dated April 5, 2000, forwarded via telephone from Havana by

Luis Viño Zimmerman, states:

The Hospital known as Cira Garcia located in the district of Miramar,

Havana province, refused to provide treatment to Rene Frometa who had a

case of acute pneumonia. This rejection was given in spite of the fact

that he was taken to the hospital by a Spanish citizen who offered to

pay with dollars. The reply given to Mr. Frometa's friend was "I am

sorry sir, we can not help him. This facility is only for foreigners".

This is Castro's Cuba 100% medical coverage.

Castro's regime has institutionalized both apartheid and indentured

labor in Cuba. Cuban nationals are prohibited from entering public

facilities, which are reserved for tourists, including: beaches, hotels,

restaurants and theaters. In some facilities the Cuban nationals' entry

is conditional to being relegated to the back of the room.

Castro's Cuba could theoretically be defined as one the largest

"employees for hire" enterprise in the world. He has eleven million

people available for placement by the government. When a foreign

company establishes an operation in Cuba, it is mandated to solicit the

work force from the appropriate government agency. The company is

required to pay the Cuban government the salaries earned by the Cuban

employees, and the government pays the employees. The catch being, that

the foreign company must pay the government in U.S. dollar. The

government then pays the Cuban employee approximately 10% of what they

receive. To make matters worse, the government pays the workers in Cuban

pesos (worthless to the worker since dollar currency is required for the

stores which have goods available). If this is not indentured labor,

what is it? No wonder Fidel Castro is one of the riches man in the

world!

The Cuban people's struggle for freedom from Castro's oppression is part

of their daily life. Cuba's jails have hundreds of political prisoners.

Courageous citizens such as Dr. Biscet, an Afro-Cuban doctor; Maritza

Lugo, President of the group 30th of November; Vladimiro Roca, the son

of one of the highest ranking "old guard" member of Cuba's communist

party. Dr. Biscet was incarcerated for five years for displaying the

Cuban flag upside down. Vladimiro Roca was tried and convicted for

having authored, together with three other individuals, a historical

document titled "The Fatherland Belongs To All", an in depth analysis of

the revolution. Vladimiro has, as of this date, been in jail 1,361 days

(1,234 of those days in solitaire confinement). Maritza Lugo is an

example of true leadership and courage, a woman which history will

remember. A letter from her was recently smuggled from prison, these are

her words: "Brothers, we are the example of liberty, respect and

righteousness for which we risk everything. Do not be discouraged. Do

not be saddened. Maintain our pride of brave Cubans. Reason and God are

with us." These are some of the people whose voices crying for freedom

are ignored by the American media.

The liberal media is very selective when dealing with the Cuban drama.

I believe that it is very difficult for the media to tar and feather

their icon, one that they have idolized and even adored for so many

years. Thus, as they recognize that Cuba is in the "winter of its

revolution", they attempt to justify tolerance of the continuing

oppression of the Cuban people by promoting the "biological solution" as

the eventual resolution of Cuba's drama, thereby granting their icon a

gracious exit. I find the thesis that a free people should be complacent

and satisfied with a "biological solution" for Cuba's crisis to be a

despicable and a cowardly thought. The "biological solution" for Cuba's

crisis is not the answer-it is a copout.

Marzo 9, 2001: SIR, Servizio Informazione Religiosa, n° 19, Italia

Ci sono ancora difficoltà per i cristiani che vivono a Cuba. Secondo l'Agenzia cattolica di informazione (Aci), membri del Dipartimento degli Affari religiosi del Partito Comunista a Palma Soriano (Santiago di Cuba), sono penetrati con la forza nella casa della cattolica Elena Macias, aggredendola fisicamente e distruggendo un'immagine di Gesù Cristo i cui resti hanno lanciato contro il suo viso. Si tratta di "uno degli atti anticattolici più feroci degli ultimi tempi a Cuba", ha affermato i reporter dell'agenzia.

Un'altra esponente del laicato cattolico, Maritza Lugo Fernàndez, in un messaggio che è riuscita a far pervenire dal carcere femminile di Manto Negro, raccolto dai Cubanos Desterrados www.cubdest.org - un'organismo di area cattolica della numerosa comunità degli esuli caraibici e dei loro discendenti - accusa "il governo dittatoriale di Cuba e il suo braccio repressivo, la Seguritad del Estado, delle ingiustizie e degli abusi che si commettono contro il popolo cubano, contro la popolazione carceraria e in modo particolare contro i prigionieri politici e d'opinione", aggiunge la signora Lugo, considerata "detenuta per delitti d'opinione" da Amnesty International.

"Radio Vaticana" ha denunciato anche recentemente che nelle carceri cubane si continua a proibire l'assistenza spirituale ai prigionieri politici, citando il caso di Arturo Suarez Ramos, detenuto nel carcere dell'Avana in Combinado del Este, cattolico, per la cui liberazione Giovanni Paolo II, durante la sua visita a Cuba nel gennaio 1998, intercedette senza esito presso il regime comunista. Da parte sua, mons. Flavio Roberto Carraro, vescovo di Verona e presidente della Commissione per la evangelizzazione dei popoli, della Cei, al suo ritorno da una visita a Cuba ha dichiarato al giornale "Avvenire" che "la situazione della Chiesa a Cuba è di sofferenza", citando un documento confidenziale del Comitato centrale del Partito Comunista dell'Avana nel quale si danno istruzioni per la distruzione del sentimento religioso latente in molti cubani e si usano espressioni come il neologismo "depapalizzare" Cuba.

Abril 18, 2001: The Washington Times, Washington (DC)

The American TFP

The euphoria over the return of the EP-3 surveillance plane's crew from China has now subsided. As the dust settles over a bitter standoff that embroiled the nation for eleven long days, we are left with a compelling need to reflect upon this bruising experience.

The incident may be over but its dramatic lesson must be learned.

Since President Richard Nixon's trip to China in February 1972, successive American administrations have built a China policy based on the illusion that we might somehow win the sympathy of the Communist Chinese through dialogue.1

Over these years, we have opened every door in the hope that our smiles and dollars might soften the cold hearts of party ideologues.

We have opened our markets to the point where our stores teem with cheap Chinese goods even at the cost of American jobs. We absorb one third of all their exports and sustain an $86 billion annual trade deficit.

We have moved whole factories to their land and transferred new technologies. Chinese students flock to our universities and technical schools, profiting from our research and learning facilities.

Indeed, in our optimistic quest to promote democracy and the free market in China, we have bent over backwards to accommodate an ever-elusive transition even to the point of scandalously closing our eyes to rights abuses and inhumane labor practices.

For nearly thirty years, we have invested heavily in the illusion that a new China will soon appear over the horizon. Given enough Western support, the conventional wisdom said, China would abandon its outdated Marxist ideology, democracy would flourish, and the rule of law finally prevail.

However, the brazen attitude of the Chinese government throughout the EP-3 incident can only reinforce the growing perception of China's disregard for the rule of law and international standards. Now it is clear that this is true not only of human rights, but also of military matters.

These events clearly demonstrate the ongoing "dialogue" with China must come down from the clouds. The much-longed-for "new China" is nowhere on the horizon.

Buoyed by optimistic hopes and easy profits, we have turned a blind eye to this disturbing reality for far too long.

The massive influx of Western capital has failed to wrench the Chinese government from its obstinate attachment to a communist ideology that has caused the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese citizens.

Nor has it kept the Chinese government from violating human rights on a massive scale. Twelve years after the bloody events of Tiananmen Square, ruthless oppression continues unabated.

Twelve years after the bloody events of Tiananmen Square, ruthless oppression continues unabated.

In fact, a February report by Amnesty International reviewed torture allegations involving not just the police but also tax collectors and other agents. Not least among these are birth-control officials who brutally force women to undergo abortions. The report concluded: "Torture and ill-treatment of detainees and prisoners is widespread and systemic in China."2

Can we continue to ignore the cries of millions of underground Chinese Catholics? Their Catholic Faith is outlawed; their churches demolished and their pastors imprisoned. Elderly bishops are routinely beaten and detained. This persecution has only intensified in recent years, according to the well-informed Cardinal Kung Foundation.3

The very technology that should transform China into a modern, civilized nation under the rule of law finds its way into military programs that are part of its aggressive military buildup. China is preparing for war and producing long-range ballistic missiles targeted at American military bases and cities.

If anything, the EP-3 incident has added insult to injury. It should open our eyes to the evidence of growing Chinese aggressiveness and should absolutely prevent us from throwing good money after bad.

Many will try to explain away the crisis on the basis of cultural differences. Others will smirk at these considerations and dismiss them as Cold War relics.

Many will want to return to business as usual, using any excuse not to fault the world's largest dictatorship. Those who put money before principle are only too willing to continue exploiting those slaving away in Chinese sweatshops.

The fact of the matter is that behind the EP-3 incident looms the larger problem of China's unrepentant communist dictatorship.

Our heritage calls on us to have the courage to see this clearly, avoid all wishful thinking, and act as loyal Americans when it comes to the bottom line as consumers and investors.

We can no longer pretend there is freedom in a land where the most basic civil liberties - the freedom to practice the Faith, to own property, to constitute a family, to associate with friends of one's choosing, to express one's opinions openly - are routinely or arbitrarily denied.

We cannot pretend to be a strategic partner, competitor, or ally with a regime that treats us like an enemy.

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) appeals to our nation's leaders and the public at large to adopt a fundamental change of attitude toward China. The EP-3's plummet towards the South China Sea should jolt us to a reality check.

As the incident so poignantly demonstrated, the reality is that we cannot trust the Chinese communists. We are dealing with a regime that has again shown its true face. That face is not one of a friend but of an adversary.

Our nation's leaders must develop political and economic policies that reflect this painful reality rather than wishful thinking.

All Americans must have branded in their minds the memory of this episode every time they cross the threshold of a shopping mall or supercenter.

Every American should also be concerned that our military, after years of neglect, be made sufficiently strong to defend our interests large and small. Only thus can we keep the peace and protect ourselves and our allies against dictatorial and expansionist regimes.

There is no doubt in our minds that the welfare of our nation and the cause of freedom all over the world depend upon this conviction.

May God Almighty, through the intercession of His Holy Mother give every American, especially our leaders, the courage to take strong and resolute action in face of the looming Chinese threat. May He bless and protect America in the difficult days ahead.

Notes___________

1) According to Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, "It can be said without exaggeration that from the time of the bolshevization of Russia, Communism had not a victory comparable" to that granted it by détente. "Even the catastrophic concessions of Roosevelt at Yalta were not as harmful as the profound results of the 'collapse of ideological barriers' brought about by the Nixon-Kissinger team" in China ("A Crazy Crises" Folha de São Paulo, 8/18/74).

2) Erik Eckholm, "China Begins to Turn Light on Wide Use of Torture," The New York Times, 2/13/01.

3) See http://www.cardinalkungfoundation.org

© 2001 The American TFP

Abril 13, 2001: El Nuevo Herald, Miami

Agence France Presse, La Habana

El presidente chino Jiang Zemin expresó ayer a su llegada a La Habana que su gobierno ``apoya al pueblo cubano en su justa lucha'' por ``rechazar las intervenciones y amenazas externas'', en aparente referencia a Estados Unidos.

En una declaración escrita, distribuida a su llegada, Jiang expresó su ``alta estima al heroico pueblo cubano'' y dijo que ``hacemos sinceros votos porque ustedes obtengan incesantemente nuevos éxitos por el camino socialista''.

La visita del presidente chino a Cuba tiene lugar 24 horas luego del desenlace de la crisis que enfrentó durante 11 días a Washington y Pekín por un avión espía norteamericano que debió aterrizar de urgencia en territorio chino, tras chocar con un caza del país asiático, que cayó finalmente al mar y su piloto se encuentra desaparecido.

Jiang, quien está por segunda vez en la isla en siete años, señaló que ``el gobierno chino atribuye gran importancia a sus relaciones con Cuba''.

``Estamos dispuestos a trabajar junto con Cuba por el ulterior desarrollo de nuestras relaciones de amistad y cooperación'', afirmó el mandatario, quien fue recibido en el aeropuerto por Castro.

Durante su estancia de tres días, Jiang buscará estrechar los lazos políticos, militares y económicos que unen a estos dos países comunistas.

Castro recibió a Jiang al pie de la escalerilla del avión Boeing 747 de Air China que lo trasladó desde Brasil a la quinta escala de su gira por América Latina, la cual también incluyó a Chile, Argentina, Uruguay y concluirá el próximo martes en Venezuela.

Tras el recibimiento oficial de la amplia delegación china en la Plaza de la Bandera, frente al Palacio de la Revolución de La Habana, el presidente asiático fue hacia el Hotel Nacional, donde se alojará, a diferencia de otros visitantes, que ocupan las casas de protocolo del Consejo de Estado cubano.

La reunión de ayer entre el gobernante cubano Fidel Castro y el presidente chino, Jiang Zemin, en La Habana demuestra que los dos países tienen una agenda común para suprimir la libertad de culto y otros derechos, denunció el grupo Human Rights Watch, según informó Reuters.

El grupo internacional de defensa de los derechos humanos ha citado con frecuencia a los gobiernos comunistas de Zemin y Castro por presuntos abusos y deplora que ambas naciones puedan votar como miembros de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, que agrupa a 53 naciones.

``Los líderes de ambos países tienen algo en común que trasciende los intereses comerciales y económicos'', declaró Human Rights Watch en un comunicado.

``Sus políticas de derechos humanos y prácticas de gobierno están en quiebra, a la vista del resto del mundo''.

Abril 5, 2001: El Panamá América, Ciudad de Panamá

Associated Press, Bogotá

Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) están reclutando combatientes brasileños y venezolanos en la frontera y reciben armamentos y suministros logísticos de ambos países, afirmó ayer el Comandante del Ejército.

"Hemos encontrado ciudadanos brasileños que hacen parte del grupo guerrillero y también ciudadanos venezolanos que han hecho parte y siguen siendo parte de esta guerrilla", dijo el general Jorge Enrique Mora en rueda de prensa.

"Son personas que las reclutan en la frontera y que terminan haciendo parte de estas organizaciones. Ya hemos capturado guerrilleros tanto de nacionalidad brasileña como venezolana", agregó el jefe militar.

Informó además que en la "Operación Gato Negro" que se desarrolla en el oriente del país desde el primero de febrero contra las FARC y narcotraficantes brasileños, se encontraron 1,200 uniformes camuflados fabricados en Venezuela.

"Es material que ha sido robado allá (en Venezuela) y que hace parte de la acción delictiva y del accionar delictivo de la guerrilla que incluye el tráfico de armas y equipos de comunicación", explicó Mora.

Anunció que toda esta información será entregada a los jefes militares de Venezuela en la reunión que sostendrán el próximo lunes, dentro de las coordinaciones para mejorar las condiciones de seguridad en la extensa frontera común.

"Las coordinaciones entre los militares colombianos y venezolanos han sido excelentes, los comandantes nuestros en la frontera mantienen comunicación permanente con los comandantes venezolanos", dijo.

El general Mora informó que la Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido que desarrolla la "Operación Gato Negro" se encuentra tras la pista de Fernandinho, un poderoso narcotraficante brasileño, que trabaja aliado con las FARC para la exportación de droga.

"Fernandinho, uno de los mayores narcotraficantes brasileños, es uno de los contactos internacionales de las FARC para narcotraficar a nivel mundial, y fue herido en un combate pero no lo hemos podido capturar", dijo.

Agregó que el objetivo de las tropas es su captura vivo o muerto, al igual que del comandante de las FARC en la zona del Guainía conocido como el "Negro Acacio". "No van a descansar nuestras tropas hasta lograr el objetivo de capturar o dar de baja a estos dos bandidos".

En la "Operación Gato Negro" fueron descubiertos 60 laboratorios para el procesamiento de cocaína y "documentos muy importantes que comprometen a las FARC en el narcotráfico", afirmó Mora.

"Las FARC participan en el cultivo de la coca, en el comercio de los precursores, son los dueños de los laboratorios, son los dueños de las pistas, ningún narcotraficante entra a las áreas sin su permiso y son los que venden la droga a los carteles internacionales. Eso está demostrado en los documentos encontrados en la operación", añadió el Comandante del Ejército.

BOGOTÁ, 5 Abr. 01 (ACI).- Mediante un enérgico comunicado oficial de la Arquidiócesis, el Arzobispo de Popayán, Mons. Iván Antonio Marín López, declaró oficialmente excomulgados al grupo de guerrilleros que dinamitó una iglesia.

El pasado sábado 31 de marzo por la tarde un grupo guerrillero atacó la población de Almaguer y violentó las puertas del templo parroquial para colocar una carga de dinamita en el altar, destruyéndolo totalmente junto con el Sagrario y la Eucaristía en él custodiada.

Según el comunicado del Arzobispo, "desde las ruinas del templo y del altar, siguieron destruyendo la casa cural y las construcciones vecinas para poder tener a la vista y atacar desde allí el cuartel de la policía". En el ataque, además, fueron gravemente heridos varios agentes de la policía, más de 20 viviendas totalmente destruidas, el templo, la casa cural y otras cuarenta viviendas seriamente dañadas.

Por ello, Mons. Marín expresó en el comunicado de cuatro artículos:

De acuerdo con el cánon 1367 del Código de Derecho Canónico, han incurrido en la excomunión Latae Sententiae reservada a la Sede Apostólica, quienes profanaron la Sagrada Eucaristía en el templo parroquial de Almaguer.

Ordénase a la comunidad católica de Almaguer realizar actos públicos de adoración a la Sagrada Eucaristía y de desagravio por el sacrilegio cometido, y que imploren de Dios que toque el corazón de los responsables para que se arrepientan y manifiesten su necesidad de perdón y reconciliación.

Ordénase a todas las parroquias de la Arquidiócesis de Popayán realizar actos públicos de desagravio a la Sagrada Eucaristía, intensificar la predicación y catequesis sobre los Derechos Humanos, el Derecho Internacional Humanitario y el Derecho Divino.

Ordénase igualmente en toda la Arquidiócesis de Popayán una colecta en favor de las familias damnificadas y para comenzar la reconstrucción del templo parroquial, casa de Dios y de toda la comunidad católica.

Marzo 8, 2001: Newsgroups soc.culture.argentina, soc.culture.colombia, soc.culture.cuba, soc.culture.latin-america

El Sr. Eduardo Palacios Molina, de Argentina, afirma que la noticia de la agencia Destaque Internacional del 11 de febrero pp., titulada "Juan Pablo II envía regalo a sanguinario guerrillero ‘Tirofijo’", estaría basada en una "malversación de la verdadera información", con el "malicioso propósito" de sembrar "confusión".

Sin embargo, inmediatamente después de tan pesada acusación, y llegada la decisiva hora de las pruebas, Palacios Molina cita un cable de la agencia romana Zenit que no hace sino confirmar, punto por punto, la información de Destaque Internacional: el presidente colombiano Andrés Pastrana entregó una "medalla de paz", de parte de Juan Pablo II, al jefe de las denominadas Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) (cfr. Zenit, "El Papa envía una medalla de paz al presidente y guerrilleros de Colombia", 11-feb.-2001).

Nuestro objetante añade que el "juicio" hecho por Destaque Internacional estaría destinado a "desacreditar ante el pueblo de Colombia y América del Sur" la figura de S.S. Juan Pablo II.

Sin embargo, ese juicio no existe en la noticia, y sí en la imaginación de Palacios Molina. Lo que Destaque Internacional hace es transcribir duras condenas a los guerrilleros, provenientes de las más altas autoridades eclesiásticas de Colombia, publicadas en la prensa de ese país: son "hordas de sanguinarios fratricidas" que están "repitiendo la barbarie de las épocas más obscuras de la historia humana" (arzobispo de Cali, Mons. Isaías Duarte Cansino), los cuales efectúan "acciones diabólicas que hay que parar de inmediato" (arzobispo de Bogotá, Cardenal Pedro Rubiano). A lo que Destaque Internacional simplemente añade: "Resta saber cómo interpretar el gesto del Pontífice a la vista de dichos antecedentes".

Juzgue el lector de qué lado está la "malversación" de que nos acusa el Sr. Palacios Molina.

Jorge Herrera B.

Destaque Internacional

Febrero 19 de 2001.-