Economic Society of Friends of the Country announces prize-giving ceremony

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 2 (ACN) Come Friday, the Cuban Economic Society of Friends of the Country (SEAP) will hand over awards and distinctions to Cuban scientists and environmentalists with outstanding results in the preservation and conservation of the environment.

Sc. D. Silvia Pell del Río, head of SEAP’s Environmental Section, remarked that the recognition extends to representatives of research centers for their achievements and their involvement in the fight against COVID-19, as well as to institutions and individuals for their efforts to share information.

These are the Felipe Poey Award, the Tomás Romay Distinction, and the Samuel Feijóo Awards granted by the Culture Section to environment-related poetry and story-telling.

Felipe Poey Aloy (1799-1891) was a Cuban researcher and professor of Natural Sciences who became a major figure of national science, mainly for his remarkable ichthyological studies. He was one of the founders of the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Havana.

Tomás Romay y Chacón (1764-1849) was a physician, particularly remembered for having spread the smallpox vaccine in Cuba. For his actions in disease prevention and health promotion, he is considered the first Cuban hygienist and the pioneer of the Scientific Movement in the country.
Writer Samuel Feijóo Rodríguez (1914-1992) was an artist known for his poetry and narrative, as well as for his work as a draftsman and painter.

The Cuban Economic Society of Friends of the Country was founded on January 9, 1793. Among its members were Poey Aloy and Romay y Chacón, as well as other notable personalities such as Francisco de Arango y Parreño (1765-1837), Félix Varela (1788-1853), José Agustín Caballero (1762-1835) and José Antonio Saco (1797-1879).