The 11th edition of the Autumn Festival for Latin America and the Caribbean was officially opened on Monday, 2 September. The ceremony at Hamburg City Hall was attended by representatives of the organising institutions, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, German government authorities and academics.
Liv Assmann, State Secretary and Plenipotentiary of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to the Federal Government, the European Union and for Foreign Affairs, gave the welcoming address. Mrs Assmann emphasised the historical connection between the city and the Latin American and Caribbean countries, and in this context the importance of this event:
“The festival focuses on making the diversity and cultural richness of Latin America and the Caribbean more visible. But its roots go beyond that. It offers a platform for exchange and mutual encounters. In times of increasing internal and external threats to our peace and stability, we must focus on what unites us, namely the common values between Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Germany and the city of Hamburg,” she highlighted.
She also pointed out the role of the EU-LAC Foundation as coordinator of the “Autumn” programme. “Since the first edition in 2014, the festival has grown significantly in terms of the number of partners involved, activities organised and participants. This success is mainly due to the professional commitment of the EU-LAC Foundation,” she said.
For his part, Alberto Brunori, Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, emphasised that the festival honoured the rich cultural diversity of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the historical links between the region and Hamburg. He also spotlighted the contribution of the Latin American and Caribbean communities to the city that has become their home and to which they now offer their music, art, traditions, literature, gastronomy, cinema, knowledge and dance in a unique programme.
Antonio Correa, Chilean Consul General in Hamburg, thanked the 40 organisations and institutions organising events this year on behalf of the Ibero-American and Caribbean Consular Group in the Hanseatic city. The opening ceremony was accompanied by a musical programme featuring the soprano Rocío Reyes, the pianist Esteban Ravanal and the cellist Diego Rojas.
More than 90 activities are part of this edition, which takes place from 2 September to 22 November under the motto “Hamburg, Latin America and the Caribbean: More than 100 years of shared history”. Visit our events page to find out more about this year’s activities.
