Justice Against the Hoax

While certain counterrevolutionary sectors and their international spokespersons attempt to sow panic with false Ebola outbreaks to destabilize the Island, legal reality has dealt them an unexpected blow.

The news of the supposed virus, which circulated insistently on social media without any official backing, is part of an old media warfare strategy aimed at isolating Cuba and justifying coercive measures. But on the very day those rumors gained strength, U.S. justice issued a ruling that contradicts the entire hostile narrative built over decades.

Last June 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals confirmed the renewal of the Havana Club trademark to the Cuban state enterprise Cubaexport, dismissing Bacardí’s claims.

This ruling is not a minor detail: it represents a judicial setback for those who, protected by laws such as the Helms-Burton Act, have sought to strip Cuba of one of its most universal commercial symbols.

The decision recognizes, albeit indirectly, that the ownership of the trademark cannot be snatched away by foreign private interests or by political maneuvers inspired by hatred of the revolutionary project.

Behind this legal battle there are not only millions of dollars but also a systematic attempt to erase Cuban cultural heritage.

Bacardí, which purchased the rights from the Arechabala family after the 1960 exodus, has for years promoted a legislative campaign in Washington to ensure that the embargo prevents the sale of Cuban rum on U.S. soil.

The Helms-Burton Act of 1996 was precisely one of its favorite tools to strengthen the siege and hinder any agreement benefiting the Island. However, the 2026 ruling demonstrates that neither economic power nor political pressure can distort legal facts when they conform to current regulations.

Thus, while the enemies of the Revolution spread imaginary epidemics to generate chaos, U.S. justice ends up endorsing, unintentionally, Cuban sovereignty over its own heritage.

The false Ebola news and the legal defeat of those who seek to appropriate what is Cuban are two sides of the same coin: a dirty war that fails to bend the truth or the dignity of a people who have defended their identity against all kinds of aggression. History, once again, puts everyone in their place.