CUBA: RALLY CALLS FOR END OF BLOCKADE
TAPE_NUMBER: EF00/1281
IN_TIME: 19:10:10 // 20:46:14
LENGTH: 03:03
SOURCES: APTN
RESTRICTIONS:
FEED: VARIOUS (THE ABOVE TIME-CODE IS TIME-OF-DAY)
SCRIPT: Span/Eng/Nat
XFA
Thousands of foreigners took part in a solidarity rally in Havana calling for an end to the U-S blockade on Cuba.
The crowds, made up of the many who had taken part in a five day "World Encounter of Friendship and Solidarity" conference, waved flags and chanted "Fidel, Fidel" in
honour of President Fidel Castro, who attended the rally.
Later on Castro addressed the participants in a speech at Havana's Karl Marx theatre, congratulating them for their support towards helping Cuba survive under the U-S embargo.
Delegates had flown in from 118 different countries for the International Solidarity Meeting.
Those invited to speak came from the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Greece, South Africa, India and Bulgaria.
Speaker Rafael Cancel Miranda, heads Puerto Rico's political party for independence from the United States.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Why the blockade against Cuba? Because those sent to Cuba by the US embassy to rule our people are finished, those sent by treacherous, puppet master-like nations. Cuba is a free sovereign state. And therefore it represents all our hopes. And according to the mafia like mentality of others, Cuba has to be blockaded".
SUPER CAPTION: Rafael Cancel Miranda, Puerto Rico
The Reverend Lucius Walker leads a U-S group, Pastors for Peace, that is staunchly opposed to the U-S trade embargo on Cuba.
At Tuesday's rally, he mocked last week's presidential elections in the U-S, which have yet to produce a clear winner.
And he called its version of democracy a farce.
Anti U-S sentiments at the rally were strong.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"For this massive corrupt mess that we call a presidential election (pause while translated into Spanish) this tribunal should declare the U-S guilty of not having a democratic electoral system".
SUPER CAPTION: Lucius Walker, Pastors for Peace activist
President Fidel Castro sat quietly in the front row flanked by artists and senior members of his government.
Elsewhere in the crowd was the leader of Nicaragua's leftist Sandinista movement Daniel Ortega, on one of his regular visits to Cuba.
Cuban solidarity campaigners watching Tuesday's rally also spoke in opposition to the U-S trade embargo.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are human beings, never mind government policies and issues of why you are mad at me and I'm mad at you. It is the human part of it that we are addressing".
SUPER CAPTION: Laura Wood, U-S citizen
The day's events ended late Tuesday with a speech by President Fidel Castro himself.
Cuba's leaders apparently placed much importance on Tuesday's events and the numbers from around the world who attended.
But in contrast to similar previous events, state television and radio offered no live coverage.
SHOTLIST: Havana, Cuba - November 14, 2000
1. Entry of President Fidel Castro into the Jose Marti Anti-imperialist square
2. Castro greeting friends and guests at the Solidarity Rally
3. Wide of crowds waving flags
4. Midshot of crowds standing on top of concrete supports
5. Two pro-Cuban Chileans waving Cuban flags
6. Group of union representatives from Brazil
7. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Rafael Cancel Miranda, Puerto Rico Representative
8. Fidel Castro seated holding Cuban flag
9. Wide of solidarity crowds waving flags
10. Tilt up from Cuban flag to close up of Fidel Castro
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lucius Walker, Pastors for Peace Activist
12. Wide of crowds
13. Pan of clenched held fists in the air to Fidel Castro
14. Fidel Castro talking to Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque
15. Group of musicians playing a revolutionary song
16. Various of crowds waving flags
17. Fidel Castro leaving the square at the end of the rally
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Laura Wood, U-S citizen
19. Various of solidarity supporters waving flags?