Latin-American ambassadors during the Cultural Latin-American Night.

A number of Latin American ambassadors gathered in the capital on Tuesday together with Saudi dignitaries and businessmen to showcase the culture and rich heritage of these states to their Saudi counterparts in the Kingdom.

The event, dubbed the “Cultural Latin-American Night”, was attended by the ambassadors of Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela in the presence of some members of the royal family and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The main purpose of this meeting is to enhance the knowledge of our countries by the Saudi people in order to promote bilateral relations,” Argentinian Ambassador Jaime Sergio Cerda said in his opening remarks on behalf of his colleagues.

He continued, saying that “culture plays an important role in generating better understanding among peoples and nations — particularly with Saudi Arabia. I am proud to note here Evita Peron, a cultural symbol of our country, as well as famous soccer players including Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi and writers like Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar and Cesa Aira.”

Quoting the Ambassador of Brazil Flavio Marega, he said: “In Brazil, Arab culture, customs and entrepreneurship can be seen in Brazilian industry, cuisine, music, literature, visual arts and vocabulary, since some 3,000 Arabic words are incorporated into the Brazilian language.”

Further, Cuba’s Ambassador Enrique Enriques said that “Cuba is a complex mix of races and knowledge, styles and rhythms, smells and flavors. Cuba is as multifaceted as its culture, and is also as authentic as its people.”

Talking about Mexico, the country’s envoy, Arturo Trejo, said that Mexican food offers without question the best representation of the richness of Mexican culture. “Mexican cuisine is composed of native ingredients, many of which are now exported to the word. However, Mexican cuisine also combines new and modern elements and cooking processes from Africa, the Middle East and Europe,” he said.

The newly appointed Peruvian Ambassador Carlos Zapanta said: “Today Peru is a truly diverse country filled with the wealth of different worlds, all with their own individual landscapes, sound, colors and tastes; yet Peru is also a country of opportunities for investments and trade.”

For his part, Uruguay Ambassador Carlos Mora said that he is personally very fond of the Arab culture, noting that the inventions and discoveries which Arab culture produced are of immense value to humanity.

Regarding his own country, the ambassador of Venezuela said that the country has a rich cultural heritage, coming from Indian, African and Spanish origins, and heavily influenced by the Andean and Caribbean areas, accounting for its rich and diverse history.

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