WTO-DIRECTOR
Former EU Commissioner with Better Options to Lead WTO
Geneva, May 13 (Prensa Latina) Pascal Lamy, former Trade Commissioner for the European Union (EU) is outlined Friday as the new director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the preference of most of the WTO members.
Diplomatic sources said the selection commission would issue a recommendation Friday in favour of the French aspirant, after the last consulting round between the 148 nations forming this international multilateral organization.
Experts assured Uruguayan Carlos Perez del Castillo (rival of Pascal Lamy in the last part of the process) requested his withdrawal, leaving Lamy a clean way for his WTO candidature.
The process was started at the end of January, and included 4 aspirants to the post, now occupied by Thai Supachai Panitchpakdi, who was assigned at the head of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
During the two already finished rounds, Brazilian Luiz Felipe Seixas Correa and Jayen Cuttaree, Foreign Minister of Mauricio Islands, withdraw, and dispute was centered on Perez and Lamy.
According to the procedure established, the president of the General Council pays attention to each representative of the 148 member countries, to listen to their preferences.
Kenyan Ambassador Amina Mohamed, who heads the General Council, was in charge of such an activity.
After preference for Lamy was known, the General Council would meet next week to ratify the decision, but if there are any differences, the General Council is authorized to make an exceptional voting.
The schedule says the WTO Director must be chosen before this month ends, and he would begin his mandate starting on September 1.
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GUATEMALA/TOURISM
Guatemala Reaches a Million Visitors in 2004 despite Violence
Guatemala, Nov 29 (Prensa Latina) Guatemalan authorities revealed Monday this country fulfilled in anticipation its goal to receive a million foreign tourists in 2004, despite growing foreign warnings on the violence wave affecting this Central American nation.
Independent experts have warned that a tourist is not the same as a visitor, but the Guatemalan General Migration Direction (DGM) reported entry of 1.045 million foreign people to Guatemalan territory until November 17, 2004.
The goal to receive a million visitors or tourists, fixed as a great challenge by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INIGUAT) was fulfilled on November 4, informed by Willi Kaltschmitt, Presidential Commissioner for Tourism, who assured Guatemalan hotels are happy, though November was not a good month, because of insecurity problems, such as hold-ups, murders and robbery.
Consulates and embassies from Mexico, US, Europe, Asia and Latin America recommended their citizens not to visit Guatemala, and sources of the tourist sector admitted 3 cruisers which scheduled their coming to the Caribbean zone cancelled their trips.
The Bank of Guatemala (BANGUAT) received 657.44 million dollars from January 1 to November 18 by concept of tourism and travels, going over the income reached in 2003, which was 600 million dollars.
However, Julio Santizo, president of the National Tourist Self Management Committees Coordinating Office (CONCATUR) questioned the data offered by DGM, and said the million visitors was not equivalent to the number of tourists.
Kaltschmitt, for his part, pointed out that the arrival of Central Americans to Guatemala was vital to reach such a number, especially coming from El Salvador, which represented between 45 and 50 percent of the total.
Paradoxically, local news media published a campaign made by Salvadorans, in which people assured they have been robbed during their stay in Guatemala discourage the flux of visitors, which posters and messages in streets and roads.
The group is formed by commercial, entertainment leaders with influence in different topics of the Salvadoran life.
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EGYPT-FINDING
Submerged Greco-Roman Fortress Close to Egypt
Beirut, May 22 (Prensa Latina) A submerged Greco-Roman fortress from the year 332 B.C to 335 A.C. was discovered by a team of underwater archaeologists Monday, close to the coast of the Egyptian city of Arich.
According to reports in Egypt, the remains of the old Greco-Roman fortress and city, now under water, are located less than a mile from Arich, north of the peninsula of Sinai, and in the border with the Gaza Strip, 30 meters under water.
The team of specialists started its work a month ago, but as much its members as the Supreme Antiques Council still keep the most absolute silence on details of what could be a sensational finding.
It was announced that for nest week, Zahi Hawas, president of the Supreme Antiques Council, will offer details to the press about the expedition and characteristics of the mysterious city and fortress.
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CUBA-TOURISM
Services and Gastronomy in Raquel Hotel Highlighted
Havana, Jun 12 (Prensa Latina) The Raquel Hotel of Havana has just received categories regarding good services and gastronomy from the Cuban Tourism Ministry (MINTUR) as an official report said in this capital Monday.
Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero himself gave the hotel these categories.
The Raquel Hotel was given a Four Stars plaque, and inside restaurant Jardin del Eden was awarded a plaque called Four Forks, after several years of efforts and an attractive market for European tourists.
Dedicated to the Hebrew culture, the hotel has 25 rooms and a great variety of services, great possibilities in the sector to reach the Five Stars Plaque, and a restaurant with Hebrew food specialties.
The Raquel Hotel is in a building constructed in the start of the 20th Century, located in Old Havana, on the corner of Amargura and San Ignacio Streets, and is operated by Cuban tourist company Habaguanex S. A.
There are 16 small installations in this part of the city with different decorates, much demanded by foreign tourists.
The Raquel Hotel dates of 1905, built for offices, warehouse and deposit for fabrics, which was widened in 1908 for commercial objectives, reaching its current appearance.
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CUBA-COMUNICACIONES
Todos los municipios cubanos accederán a red de datos
La Habana, 15 sep (PL) Las 169 cabeceras municipales de Cuba tendrán acceso este año a la red de transmisión de datos, informó José Antonio Fernández, presidente de la Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA).
Fernández confirmó que con ese fin se ejecutan inversiones para ampliar ese servicio que soporta la navegación nacional de la intranet, lo cual constituirá un paso de avance en el mejoramiento de las comunicaciones.
La red nacional garantiza asistencia para los principales programas de desarrollo económico y social, además de facilitar a instituciones, empresas, escuelas, hospitales, así como a organizaciones políticas y de masas la transferencia de ficheros y documentos.
Asimismo, ETECSA anunció que existe el propósito de concluir el 2005 con cerca de 90 por ciento de digitalización de la red telefónica a nivel nacional.
Para ello se ampliará esa prestación a otros 30 municipios, por lo que al finalizar este año el servicio digitalizado abarcará 113 cabeceras municipales, mientras que las restantes 56 dispondrán de esa prestación entre el 2006 y 2007.
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CUBA-CARIBE
En Cuba concierto con música del "Mozart negro"
Santiago de Cuba, 5 jul (PL) El primer concierto en Cuba con la música de Joseph Boulogne, el Caballero de San Jorge, considerado el Mozart negro del siglo XVIII, se ofreció aquí como parte del XXVI Festival del Caribe.
En la Sala Dolores, los integrantes de la Camerata Esteban Salas interpretaron obras del insigne compositor en un programa patrocinado por la Compañía Antillana de Distribución Marcel-André Clement, la embajada de Francia y la Asociación Guadalupe-Cuba.
Con una vida de leyenda, Boulogne nació en 1739 en Baillif, Guadalupe, de una esclava de Senegal y un noble francés, y por sus aptitudes excepcionales como esgrimista, violinista y compositor, lo adoptó la aristocracia parisiense, en la cual brilló con luz propia.
Músico favorito de la reina María Antonieta, fue el primer masón de piel oscura y, durante la Revolución Francesa, creo una sociedad de negros y mulatos, la Legión de Saint Georges, al frente de la cual -como primer coronel negro del ejército galo-, se llenó de gloria en la batalla de Lille.
Esta propuesta musical devino un hito dentro de la Fiesta del Fuego y particularmente en el X Taller Francia y el Caribe, consagrado a profundizar en la impronta que esa nación europea dejó en las culturas de la región, así como a revelar facetas novedosas en ella.
Este descubrimiento del también apodado Voltaire y Watteau de la música o El Negro de las Luces fue acompañado por el filme El Mozart negro en Cuba, sobre facetas de su vida y obra, en un empeño por reinsertarlo en la música y la historia.
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