Cuba bans Che Guevara and Hugo Chavez colognes

Cuba will punish state employees who created two colognes named for Ernesto "Che" Guevara and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the government announced, swiftly quashing plans to market the fragrances honouring the leftist icons.

Test bottles of colognes named "Ernesto" and "Hugo" were produced by state pharmaceutical company Labiofam with the aim of selling them domestically and internationally.

Cuba's Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, headed by President Raul Castro, said in a front-page announcement in the country's main newspaper that it would take unspecified disciplinary measures against figures involved in the project. The report did not identify those facing punishment.

"Symbols are sacred, yesterday, today and forever," the committee declared in a statement also read on state television and radio throughout the day.

While it was unclear what actions were being taken against the cologne's creators, the announcement described them as "disciplinary measures", a term used to describe anything from a chiding by a supervisor to criminal prosecution.

The vice-president of Labiofam, Cuba's largest state-run natural products company, declined to comment.