A delegation of Guatemalaled by the acting ambassador, Carlos Medranovisited Zaragoza as part of the Pilar Festival. The Virgen del Pilar, patron saint of Zaragoza, is also the patron saint of Hispanic heritage. It is for this reason that, traditionally, every year, a Latin American country is invited by the Zaragoza City Hall to participate in the Floral Offering, the largest in the world.
This year the chosen country was Guatemala, a nation that brought together in Zaragoza almost 300 Guatemalans, many of whom participated in the offering to adore the Virgin. “THE Virgin of Pilar She is our mother, we adore her, let’s not miss the betrayal. We thank God for having participated in the offering,” the women, dressed in regional costumes from the Aztec country, explain to OKDIARIO.
“We must take care of these traditions and not lose them, so that our children also continue them. these customs and traditions», added another Guatemalan, a few moments before handing her bouquet to the Virgin of the Pillar, contemplating a set of dance and folklore coordinated by Norma Hernández, at the feet of the Queen of Hispanidad.
Guatemala, key to Central America
Guatemala is one of the countries that has a consulate in Zaragoza, represented by the lawyer and political consultant, Manuel Zalba. “We are very happy. This is the first time that events going beyond the Offering of Flowers have been organized, with a guest country. In this case, Guatemala is a pioneer in boost tourism and trade between the two regions, as part of the Pilar Festival. In this sense, we hope that the rest of the Hispanic countries will join this effort, so that Zaragoza continues to open up to the world,” he explains.
In this sense, Guatemala took the initiative as a country invited to the Pilar Festival, to try to attract investments and tourism from Aragon, as well as to try to be present in the balance of imports of the community, with products such as Cocoa or Guatemalan coffee.
“For it to happen like this, from Zaragoza, we have to believe in it. The city has enormous possibilities, we see it as logistics platform at European and national level and that we must go beyond the Atlantic, building bridges between Zaragoza and Central America. I believe that this can be the spearhead for Zaragoza to be a city recognized throughout Latin America,” he defends.
Zaragoza, key to Hispanic heritage in Europe
Zaragoza City Hall wants to make the city an important center union bond between Latin America and Europe. Its strategic position in terms of logistics, its firm commitment to the new data technology industry, as well as the strong cultural roots that exist thanks to the Virgen del Pilar, patroness of Hispanic heritage, mean that the city meets the essential conditions to be capable of positioning itself as a reference for both continents.
As stated by the Minister of the Presidency, Institutional Relations and Citizen Security of the Zaragoza City Hall, Angel Lorenthe Executive led by the popular Natalia Chueca, aspires to make the city the “capital of Hispanic heritage in Europe”: “We are and will be a reference in Europe as a climate neutral city in 2030, in addition to being the second city in Spain with a better quality of life, and all the parameters indicate that we are going to be one of the fastest growing cities in this decade. In this sense, the link with Hispanicness is very clear.
“This is the message that we want to send to all Latin American countries: that they study and promote this the front door “For Europe it could be Zaragoza, because it is the city of opportunities and we want to share them with our Latin American brothers,” he added, “so that they come and see us, as the Guatemala does it today, is very important.”
“Currently, they live more than 200 Guatemalans and we hope that young people who wish to join this culture of democracy that we share with Guatemala will come and visit us. We are a hospitable city and we will be a benchmark for the 21st century economy. The city attracts investments that exceed 30,000 million euros in the data industry and in large technology companies”, he stressed, adding that “these companies are going to need qualified professionals and jobs for young Latin Americans who see Zaragoza as a reference city to enter Europe with a similar culture”.
Guatemala and Zaragoza, across the Atlantic
In this sense, the acting ambassador of Guatemala, Carlos Medranodefended that “Guatemala is the engine of Central America. We are a living Mayan culture, with much to prove to the world. “We want them to know more about our cultural wealth, our human talent and all the commercial potential that exists.”
“In Aragon, we want to lay the foundations to be able to attract a work itinerary and economic and trade environments to be able to increase exports and imports between the two regions,” he said.
“Guatemala has a lot to offer the world, we have a great Catholic heritage, with our Easter weekand spectacular preserved history of our Mayan ancestors. Gastronomy represents a mixture of cultures. From Guatemala, we invite everyone to discover our country,” he adds. Andres Reina Floridodelegate of International Relations of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT).
