New York, April 23rd, 2023.- On the occasion of the celebration, on April 23 of Spanish Language Day, the Group of Friends of Spanish of the United Nations, GAE, convened the event: "Our Spanish. Challenges and perspectives in the current era", a call to reflect, protect and defend our language in the face of the growing challenges facing the Spanish language.
In his capacity as president of the GAE, the ambassador and permanent representative of Cuba to the UN, Gerardo Peñalver Portal, alluded to the increasingly exhaustive use of new computer and communications technologies in the areas of teaching basic skills of language, as well as the growing influence of other languages and cultures, including what has been called “cultural colonialism.”
One of the highlights of the celebration came with the exhibition of a video in which Cuban intellectuals participated: Nancy Morejón (poet and essayist), Dr. Sonia Rivera-Valdés, (professor and writer) and Dr. Miguel Arisa, (teacher and translator).
At another time, Ana María Acosta Perojo, a Cuban interpreter with extensive experience in the United Nations Interpretation Services, shared her vision on this cardinal issue.
On the other hand, Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi, president of the 77th UNGA, conveyed a message highlighting the need to continue working towards multilingualism.
The representatives of Spain, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and other member countries of the GAE, expressed - between anecdotes and personal experiences - the urgency of protecting at all costs this vast cultural and linguistic universe of ours that goes beyond a geography and spans centuries. of history.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations