THE WORLD IN BRIEF
CUBA: The Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), the largest grass roots organisation in the country, and the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) jointly condemned the measures President Clinton announced on January 5, allegedly relaxing the almost 40-year-old blockade of the island. The organisations warned that the White House decisions are aimed at deceiving world public opinion and are a new form of pressure against Cuba. "These new measures do not nor will not confuse our people", they said.* * * SPAIN: On January 16, hundreds of demonstrators demanded the closing of "Europa", a Nazi bookstore in Barcelona where large quantities of Nazi material is translated and printed for distribution in countries where it is prohibited. After pasting a large sticker on the door, the demonstrators declined to move on as planned and instead tore down the shop's steel shutters. In few minutes they had entered the bookstore and made a human chain that removed books, magazines, videos, etc... onto the street where, in an ironic payback, the Nazi propaganda was burned in a bonfire.* * * POLAND: Polish anti-fascist groups like the Never Again Association (Stowarzyszenie "Nigdy Wiecej") have called for international help to put pressure on the Polish Government to take action against neo-nazi parties and organisations currently operating unhindered in Poland, in breach of Polish law. The main fascist organisations are the Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski (NOP — National Revival of Poland), Polska Wspolnota Narodowa (PWN — Polish National Community) and the Polski Front Narodowy (PFN — Polish National Front). Letters should be sent to the Polish Embassy.* * * HONDURAS: The Foreign Minister of Honduras, Fernando Martinez, announced that the number of medical scholarships to be granted to Honduran students by Cuba would be increased from 300 to 350. The scholarships will be granted to students from the poorest and most outlying areas of the country recently devastated by hurricane Mitch. Fernando Martinez also said the Honduran Government has granted permission for Cuban doctors to work in the country for as long as necessary, given the difficult health conditions of the population in the most affected areas.* * * INDONESIA: The number of Indonesians living in poverty has reached 130 million, according to official reports. Two years ago, the number of poor in crisis-ridden Indonesia was 20 million. The Minister of Social Affairs Justika S Baharsjah says the Government will provide the 130 million poor (20 million families) with 20 kilograms of rice monthly along with free health care. Crime has also surged since the economic crisis hit the country in July 1997. Warehouses and provisions shops have been looted, often following false rumours of handouts of free or cut-price food. The annual inflation rate is running at 80 percent and millions have been put out of work as the economy is drained to repay debts to foreign banks.