Cuban poet Alex Pausides represented Cuba at the International Conference on relations between Latin America and India, "Connected Histories, Shared Present: Intercultural Experiences between Latin America, the Caribbean and India", held in New Delhi in February. The event was organized by the cultural institutions, the International Indian Center (IIC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and was attended by leading writers and academics from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The event was inaugurated by Ambassador Shyam Saran and K. N. Shrivastava, Chairman of ICCR. N. Shrivastava; President and Director of the IIC, respectively. Also present was the Cuban Ambassador to India, Alejandro Simancas Marin. During the closing session, the valedictory address was delivered by the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar.
Alex Pausides spoke at the session "Bridging the Oceans: Literature and Languages of India, Latin America and the Caribbean", and highlighted poetry as a bridge and a way to build bonds of friendship between peoples.
Parallel to the Conference, a cultural program was held in which Cuba exhibited images on the history of its relations with India, a photographic exhibition by the outstanding Cuban photographer Gabriel Dávalos and paintings by renowned Cuban artists. The Cuban film "El Mayor" was also screened.