Four young people are representing Cuba at the Ibero-American Chemistry Olympiad, which is taking place in Costa Rica until this Monday.
The Cuban team consists of four talented students: Juan Carlos Yepes from Havana; Ernesto Barreras from Sancti Spíritus; and Marcos Asin López and Roger González Faxas, both from Camagüey, who are accompanied by their coach, Rafael Rodríguez, according to a report by Juventud Técnica on their Facebook profile.
In this edition of the competition, around 20 countries from the region are participating, with the aim of promoting knowledge and excellence in the field of chemistry.
Of the four students, three will be participating in this type of international competition for the first time, noted the official Canal Caribe.
"It's a great opportunity," Barrera said, acknowledging that this is his first Olympics. "It's a challenge because there are countries that have very strong results."
Asin, from Camagüey, noted that he combined his teacher's training with that of the CIGB in his province, which provided significant support for the experimental component. “The exam consists of an experimental section and a theoretical section,” explained the pre-university student.
Physical chemistry is the toughest part of the exam, as young Díaz sees it. "I don't think organic chemistry will be that difficult, but we're still preparing for it."
José Miguel Cabrera, one of the coaches, told the state-run Canal Caribe that the competition will be very challenging.
The young contestants trained for more than two months in the Cuban capital, where the University of Havana had to compensate for the inadequate practical training they received in their provinces.
Despite the challenges Cuba faces in its education system, evidenced by material shortages and professional migration in the sector, the country secured three gold medals and one silver at the XVII Ibero-American Biology Olympiad 2024 (OIAB 2024) held in September at the University of Havana, with representatives from 15 countries participating.
The young Elio Manuel Rodríguez Rivero (Villa Clara), Christian Darío Blanco (Pinar del Río), Cristian Barrero (Santiago de Cuba), and Ana Liz Ramírez (Sancti Spíritus) won three gold medals and one silver medal, respectively, reported the official broadcaster CMHW.
In July, the team representing Cuba at the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad received five honorable mentions in this challenging and competitive event, which concluded this Sunday in Bath, United Kingdom.
Karla Yisel Ramírez Garcel, Ricardo Molano Domínguez, Ailema Matos Rodríguez, Ián David Lorenzo García, and Marcel Gámez Salvo were the young people who received honorable mentions.
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