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Cuba denounced the United States to the World Trade Organization for usurpation of Cuban labels of acknowledged international prestige.

The protest referred to the systematic disregard by the US government over decisions made with the WTO and the serious consequences of incompliance of agreements on intellectual property.

Cuban representatives referred to the denial of the US Office of Patents and Labels to grant a license to renew the Havana Club label, arguing political reasons.

Six other delegations, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Brazil, India, China and Argentina supported Cuban concerns and demands while the United States has continued twiddling its thumbs for five years claiming it is trying to solve the problem.

Meanwhile projects introduced in the Senate by Florida intend to introduce cosmetic changes to laws and continue usurping Cuban labels.

The Venezuelan delegation, for its part, supported the Island s demands and said that a refusal to renew the registration of Havana Club sends an inappropriate and disturbing message since ownership of intellectual property cannot be subject to political considerations.

Finally the Nicaraguan mission stated that US incompliance risks the balance between rights and obligations by WTO members.

The International Committee for the release of five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unfairly imprisoned in the US for over eight years called for worldwide women to demand the right of visits for their wives.

That committee exhorted to carry out an international campaign of solidarity from March 8 to May 14, in agreement with International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day.

The Five, as Ramon Labanino, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez are universally known, were detained in Miami in 1998 for monitoring terrorist groups responsible of violent actions against Cuba.

Criminal activities of those anti-Cuban organizations have killed almost 1,500 people, injured over 2,000 and left considerable material losses over more than four decades.

To those unfair and excessive sentences against the Cuban Five, four life imprisonments and 74 years of hard time, is included a cruel punishment to their relatives, impeding mothers, wives and children from visiting them, the Committee stated in a document.

The International Committee for the release of the Five aims to demand visas for Adriana Perez and Olga Salanueva on occasion of International Women’s Day.

Cuba is celebrating Science Day on Monday, when the highest national price, the Carlos J. Finlay Order, will be awarded. Carlos J. Finlay was the discoverer of the yellow fever transmitting agent.

On January 15, 1960 Cuban President Fidel Castro made the point that the future of Cuba had to be necessarily a future of scientists.

By 1995, 62,738 employees worked in Cuban scientific activities and 4,984 degrees in science were earned.

The number of workers increased to 79,087, while 8,994 people received degrees in 2005.

Today, the island boasts two scientists and or engineers for each one thousand inhabitants.

The International Fernando Ortiz Prize conferred by the homonymous foundation, was bestowed Friday on outstanding Haitian intellectual Laennec Hurbon in a ceremony held at the Minor Basilica of the San Francisco de Asis Convent.

The silver possessor of wisdom, attribute of Obatala in the Yoruba culture, is the maximum recognition of the Foundation to creators and institutions that predominate in the study of popular cultures, social sciences and culture in general, and which contributions have been relevant for the development of those disciplines.

Famous writer and ethnologist Miguel Barnet, president of the Fernando Ortiz Foundation, explained that the award was conferred to Hurbon by unanimous consensus of the institution s Board and the Scientific Council for his extraordinary work, social and political principles and his questioning on the development processes.

Hurbon speaks six languages, holds doctorates in theology, arts and human sciences, with mention in sociology, and is a proliferative writer, among whose published texts are “Los misterios del vudu” and “La insurreccion de los esclavos en Saint Domingue.”

Upon receiving this high honor, the distinguished researcher highlighted it symbolizes the mutual solidarity between Haiti and Cuba and an invitation to strengthen collaboration and exchanges.

Dr. Digna Castaneda, director of the Caribbean Chair at Havana University, remarked that Hurbon is one of the most outstanding examples in the study of the theological, ethnological and cultural sciences and an authentic representative of Haitian intellectuality.

The second international day for the release of five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unfairly imprisoned in the US goes on with activities in Cuba and several nations Wednesday, the island s press reported.
Russian Parliament for Cuban 5

Graciela Ramirez, president for the International Committee for Justice and Freedom for the Cuban Five, stated that there will be activities in Argentina, Dominican Republic, France, Spain, Russia, England, Colombia, Peru, Ukraine and other countries.

The US solidarity committee is due to stage a rally in front of the New York Times building on December 20, to slam that country s evil press coverage of the manipulated trial against the island s anti-terrorists.

“We want to release the Cuban Five, which are unfairly sentenced for saving us from the harassment by terrorist organizations,” Ramirez told Cuban newspaper “Juventud Rebelde.” This new stage of struggle for the Cuban Five release coincides with the fifth anniversary since US judge Joan Lenard handed down sentence in the case.

Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino and Rene Gonzalez were trying to thwart actions by anti-Cuban terrorist groups in Miami.

Those criminal groups have claimed about 3,500 lives and over 2,000 injured Cubans in the last 48 years.