Between June 3 and 7, Latin America and the Caribbean Week took place at UNESCO headquarters, a multifaceted and colorful event that focused everyone's attention and participation during those 5 days, becoming a unique space to show the richness and diversity of our culture, art, music, gastronomy and other Latin American and Caribbean expressions.
Cuba had a prominent and active presence in the Week's activities with several initiatives.
Together with Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela, Cuba participated in the presentation of the casabe, as part of the actions aimed at making visible this product with history and tradition in our countries, which are jointly promoting its candidacy to be included on the list of intangible cultural heritage.
The Ambassador of Cuba to UNESCO Maria del Carmen Herrera Caseiro presented the photographic exhibition of the award-winning Cuban photographer Julio Larramendi. The exhibition allowed us to recreate the beauty and history of the city of Havana and its extraordinary heritage sites, as well as highlight Cuba's efforts for its preservation.
Likewise, the representative of the Island participated as a panelist in the Conversation: Transforming the future: Women and Girls of Latin America and the Caribbean, in which she addressed the topic of the development of sports in Cuba, particularly female and people with disabilities participation, demonstrating the inclusive and universal nature of sports practice in the country and Cuba's notable results in this sphere, despite the impact of the blockade imposed by the United States. She also presented the emotional message sent by the Cuban Paralympic athletics star, Omara Durand Elías.
The image of Cuba also shone in the Cuban Rum tasting activity, and in the opening of the traditional “Mojitos Bar”, an opportunity in which the Cuban Counselor to UNESCO Manuel Sánchez Oliva recalled the recent recognition by UNESCO of the “Knowledge of the Cuban Rum Masters” as intangible heritage of humanity.