Havana, Cuba.-The 10th Central American Olympiad of Chemistry and 7th Olympiad of the Caribbean Sea started Monday here, with competitors of Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Cuba.

In the opening, the Cuban viceminister of Education Margarita McPherson said that the event is propitious to stimulate the young people development with talent in this science.

Another of its intentions, she pointed out, it is to stimulate the exchange of experiences between students and teachers as well as to help to increase the links of friendship between the countries and encourage cooperation, understanding and the experiences exchange.

She recalled in another moment the participation of Cuba in world contests, especially the ones carried out in the island, like the International Olympiad of Physics in 1991, and eight years later, the Latin American of Mathematics.

For Alice Sensires, one of the four competitors of Costa Rica, the event will put her to test all her efforts.

Taking part in the previous edition in Panama, the young student showed herself with optimism.

“I am going to give my best,” she said in brief statements to Prensa Latina.

The Central American Olympiad of Chemistry and of the Caribbean Sea had its first edition in 2007 in Costa Rica. Cuba joined in 2009.

The event, which will take the University of Havana as one of its head offices, will announce the winners on next July 23.