-DATE-
19881230
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
APPEARANCE
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO 'BEST MAN' AT WEDDING FOR 24 COUPLES
-PLACE-
MIGUEL HENRIQUEZ HOSPITSL IN HAVANA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO REBELDE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19881230
-TEXT-
Castro 'Best Man' at Wedding for 24 Couples

FL3012032988 Havana Radio Rebelde Network in Spanish 0012 GMT 30 Dec 88

[Report by Juan Carlos Roque Garcia from the Miguel Henriquez Hospital in
Havana during "Exclusivo" program hosted by Daniel Torres]

[Excerpts] Commander in Chief Fidel Castro was the symbolic best man
[padrino simbolico] at the wedding this afternoon of 24 couples, who were
construction workers who participated in building the Miguel Henriquez
Hospital expansion in Havana. [passage omitted]

After the couples signed the marriage register, the commander in chief cut
the cake, which was a floor-by-floor replica of the building.  Amid the
cameras' flashes recording this moment, Fidel dedicated a few words to the
24 couples who were married here.

[Begin Castro recording] This moment is a moment of commitment.  The
marriages have been completed.  I hope you fulfill all those things
mentioned in the code.  [laughter] You committed yourselves here in front
of all these people to fulfilling the family code.  [Couples respond:
Yes!]  Above all, I hope you are very happy. [Couples respond:  Thank you
very much.]

Fatherland or death! [Couples respond:  We will win!]  [end recording]

Friends of "Exclusivo," the highest leader of the Cuban revolution spoke of
the satisfaction he felt for these proletariat weddings in which members of
the construction workers contingent responsible for building the expansion
untied their lives after earning prestige for the building of an
installation that will render services to half a million people.

After signing each one of the albums, Daniel, Fidel spoke with some of the
newlyweds.

[Begin Castro recording] Where do you work?

[Unidentified woman] I'm a technician in the [words indistinct].

[Castro] You're a technician.

[Woman] I'm a technician.

[Castro] Do you work in the energy section?

[Woman] Yes.

[Unidentified man] We began working here.  When we started, we were
assistants.

[Castro] When did you graduate?

[Man] I graduated in 1980.  I studied in the Soviet Union.

[Castro] What did you study, energy?

[Man] I studied thermophysical engineering.

[Castro] What kind of a wide scope application does that have?  What can we
do with that?

[Man] In reality, we are giving a lot of (?attention) to nonconventional
energy.  I was working in the Construction Ministry in the Energy
Department on the new energy prospects the country is undertaking.  I was
working on short- and long-term plans for saving energy.  That was my
specific function in the ministry before I became a member here in the
contingent.

[Castro] And were you here a whole year?

[Man] No, I was here for over a year.  I had other responsibilities later.

[Castro] Were you here at the end?

[Man] Yes, I was here as chief of transportation.

[Castro] And where will you go now?

[Man] Well, commander...

[Castro] Will you follow the contingent?

[Man] Yes, I will follow the contingent.

[Castro] Will all of you follow the contingent?  The contingent is
splitting up.  Part of it will go to Varadero and the other part will go
build the installations for the Pan American Games.  [end recording]
[passage omitted]
-END-