First National Country Brand Workshop held in Havana

Havana, December 11 - With the participation of the Vice Prime Minister of the Republic, Inés María Chapman Waugh, and the President of the Institute of Information and Social Communication (ICS, for its acronym in Spanish), Alfonso Noya Martínez, the First National Country Brand Workshop was held in this capital, just over a year after the entry into force of Law 162 on Social Communication and the establishment of the Country Brand Council.

According to the ICS, as stated on its Facebook page, the meeting, held at the Sierra Maestra Hotel, was also attended by Onelio Castillo Corderí and Belkys Pérez Cruz, First Vice President and Vice President of the ICS, respectively, along with other directors of the Institute.

Also in attendance were Marlén Triana Mederos, Vice Minister of Education, and Ernesto Martínez Hernández, First Vice President of the CIMEX Corporation, along with representatives from 24 central government agencies, 92 state-owned and mixed-ownership companies, 23 social organizations, and 10 media outlets and forms of non-state management.

The plenary session brought together specialists from 26 sectors of the country's economic, social, and cultural life, with an audience of over 800 participants, including delegates from all provinces and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, connected via videoconference.

Humberto Fabián Suárez, president of the Country Brand Council, opened the event with a conference on the importance of the national symbol and its regulated management as a guarantee of quality and origin of goods, services and events.

According to Council data, between July 2024 and December 5, 2025, 366 authorizations for organizational use were approved, along with more than 106 for events and 16 for goods and services, encompassing nearly 200 Cuban products, including those from Cuba Ron S.A. Corporation, the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Dujo S.A., and Mármoles Cubanos.

The management structure integrates eight national agencies and the Cuban Association of Social Communicators, allowing for the coordination of efforts by ministries such as Tourism, Foreign Trade, and Foreign Affairs, along with the National Standardization Office, the National Design Office, and the Chamber of Commerce.

The symbol, defined as a “found brand,” has historical roots in the wars of independence and was consolidated as an element of identity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when its presence in conferences and media reinforced its social and emotional dimension.

Current legislation authorizes natural and legal people to request the use of the Country Brand, always with the approval of the Council. Resolution 54 of 2025 establishes that a good or service is considered Cuban if it employs national labor, raw materials, or technology, or if it promotes the country's image.

Among the main challenges identified is the cultural character, as it is necessary for managers and citizens to understand the importance of the symbol as a guarantee of quality and national representation. To this end, the Council has trained more than five thousand people in just over a year.

In the digital sphere, authorizations have been granted for websites and social media profiles, and plans are underway to expand its use in e-commerce and technological platforms, with an emphasis on the ethical application of artificial intelligence.

In the medium term, the strategy seeks to consolidate internal recognition and advance international positioning, supported by sectors such as science, innovation, the environment, education, culture, and public health.

Executives and specialists from the Cuba Ron S.A. Corporation, the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Ministry of Tourism validated, through their experiences, the use of the Country Brand as a fundamental element of good business practices that adds value to all marketed products and services.

Other specialists from the National Design Office and the Center for Social Research also clarified key aspects regarding the need to properly apply the graphic guidelines of the Cuba Brand and to delve deeper into sociological and communication research on the subject.

The national workshop constitutes a step in the cultural training necessary for the Country Brand to be recognized as a symbol of all Cubans and as a guarantee of quality in the international market. (ACN) (Photo: Taken from the Internet)