Cuban President Raul Castro received his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos, who came on a brief working visit to Cuba on Wednesday. The talks were also attended by foreign ministers Maria Angela Holguin and Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.»

Women from the central Cuban province of Sancti Spiritus welcomed the International Women’s Day with the satisfaction of accounting for the 47,5% of the state civilian labour force in the territory.»

The International Congress Biotechnology 2012 is on its third working day on Wednesday, in Cuba, with a session on Hepatitis B and C. The event’s scientific agenda also includes papers on pharmacogenomics, cancer treatment and neurogenerative diseases, among other important issues.»

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is on a working visit to Cuba to meet with his Cuban peer, Raul Castro, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Santos, 60, will talk separately with Raul Castro and Chavez, who is in Havana recovering from surgery.»

Although 2012 has just begun, figures show encouraging signs so far: the 18 children who required mechanical ventilation during their admission in the neonatal ward of the Provincial Hospital Camilo Cienfuegos, in Sancti Spiritus, central Cuba, have been saved.»

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navy Pillay met in Geneva with Adriana Perez, the wife of Gerardo Hernandez, one of the five Cuban antiterrorists “internationally known as the Cuban Five” who were arrested and condemned in the United States more than a decade ago.»

After 15 years as Cuba’s minister of culture, Abel Prieto was appointed as advisor to Cuban President Raul Castro, according to an official communiqué made public by local media. Rafael Bernal, deputy minister of culture since 1997, will replace Abel Prieto.»

Two symposia on therapeutic vaccines against HIV/AIDS and dengue, and a session on genomics will open debates on Monday at the Biotechnology Conference Havana-2012, the inauguration of which will take place at the end of the day.»

With a warm reception from the audience, the XV National Amateur Theatre Festival Olga Alonso ended Sunday in Fomento, Sancti Spiritus, in central Cuba. Two projects shared the Grand Prix of the drama fete attended by six provinces.»

Self-employment, an option recently eased by the Cuban state as part of the economic restructuring undertaken in the island, is exercised at present by over 15 740 residents in the country’s central province, Sancti Spiritus.»