-DATE-
19891214
-YEAR-
1989
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Fidel Castro Closes PCC Leaders Meeting
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Tele-Rebelde Network
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS-LAT-89-240
-REPORT_DATE-
19891215
-HEADER-
BRS Assigned Document Number:    000024772
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL1412132689
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-89-240          Report Date:    15 Dec 89
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     1
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       1
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       14 Dec 89
Report Volume:       Friday Vol VI No 240

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Tele-Rebelde Network

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   Fidel Castro Closes PCC Leaders Meeting

Source Line:   FL1412132689 Havana Tele-Rebelde Network in Spanish 1200 GMT 14
Dec 89

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Text] Last night, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro closed the 3-day meeting
of the first secretaries of the Communist Party of Cuba [PCC] in provinces and
municipalities, members of the PCC Politburo and Secretariat, government
ministers, and other leaders and cadres of the party and state.

2.  The meeting resumed at noon yesterday with the report presented by Jorge
Lezcano regarding the progress of the main programs created in the last 3 years
as a response to the serious and complex problems that had accumulated in the
capital. He explained that some 40 comprehensive programs are being carried
out. He referred to some of them, such as the health program that has made
available 4,500 new beds to the population and reduced the infant mortality
rate to 10.1 in Havana this year. He also mentioned the housing program. He
asserted that 10,000 housing units will be built this year, despite some
limited resources. Lezcano said 20,000 housing units will be built in 1991.

3.  Likewise, Lezcano referred to the tasks being performed in urban
transportation, telephone services, aqueducts, sewers, street repairs,
solutions to street planning, development of materials industry, and other
investments in industries and tourist installations. Lezcano, who is first
secretary of the party in the capital, also mentioned the encouraging working
atmosphere that exists in the city and the reception the people have given to
the wish to host the ceremonies marking next 26 July.

4.  Reflecting on the information presented, the commander in chief noted that
the almost total paralysis of the attention given to the city in past years was
a result of negative tendencies and wrong ideas. Now, he said, we have to solve
them without large amounts of resources.  The leader of the revolution said we
have never worked for development as we are doing now.

5.  Special attention was given to the large number of propped-up houses and of
citizens who are lodged in other people's houses in the city. Fidel gave his
guidance for a study of a comprehensive program for the remodeling and
rebuilding of houses with various degrees of deterioration. He asked for a
concrete plan that could begin to be executed in 1990. The commander in chief
noted that this program should specify the number of houses that can be
repaired each year based on a figure of around 5,000 or 6,00.

6.  In his closing remarks, Fidel highlighted, above all, the absolute need of
maximizing the current sugarcane harvest taking into account the commitments
made by the country and the large cane deficit of the harvest season beginning
now. Exceptional efforts are being made in an attempt to solve this difficulty.
He said: This is the country's most serious problem at present. This is why the
sugarcane harvest is the number one priority and it could only give up this
place in case of war. He gave guidance for the creation of a precise strategy
for each province. He said: No matter what happens, let's cut and grind at the
most favorable time all the cane we have at the same time that we plant, weed,
and harvest for the next seasons. The commander in chief insisted that the
country has large reserves. With irrigation and plot drainage alone we can
obtain 2 million tons more of sugar with the same land surface.

7.  Later on, Fidel mentioned how this tense economic situation coincides with
the worsening of the problems of socialist countries and noted the adverse
consequences they could bring for Cuba. He said: We need time because the
country, with the way it is working now, has a solid and founded outlook in
finding a decisive response to the convertible currency needs such as the ones
offered to us by tourism and other developing fields.

8.  Fidel also referred to the plans to respond to the people's food needs.
They include milk programs at their maximum capacities, the doubling of pork
meat production in some 3 years, the increase of egg production by 700 million
more eggs, 40,000 more tons of poultry meat, the sheep raising program,
aquiculture, the vegetables and tuber program, and the rice production program
which will increase the annual harvest yield to over 500,000 tons ready for
consumption grain, and the citrus and other fruit programs.

9.  The commander in chief noted that last 7 December's funeral for
internationalists resulted in an event of deep revolutionary reaffirmation.
Fidel contrasted the emotion and atmosphere this event created on the people
and the attitude of some charlatans who have in their agenda the criticism of
the best the country and the people are doing such as the family doctor
program, the contingents, and other effective solutions to the deformations and
problems we were suffering from.

10.  Fidel said: We are at an excellent political moment, we should know how to
make the most of it. He added: It is the time to work with more dedication in
all corners of the country. Fidel went on: Never in the history of the
revolution such responsibility fell on our party and our people. This is why,
we have to increase the fighting spirit, intransigence, and firmness, concluded
the commander in chief.
-END-