On May 22, the State Translation Centre held an art and music event called “Spanish and Latin American Literature Festival”, where books translated and published on Spanish and Latin American literature were presented.

The accredited Ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires of Spain and Latin American countries to Azerbaijan took part in the event. Among them were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Argentine Mrs. Mariangeles Bellucci, Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Chile Mr. Giancarlo Alberti, Chargé d'Affaires of the Kingdom of Spain Mrs. Patricia Serrano Sanchez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia Mr. Luis Fernando Cuartas Ayala. Moreover, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba Mr. Carlos Enrique Valdes de la Concepcion, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States Mrs. Maria Victoria Romero Caballero, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Mr. Christopher Alberto Martinez Berroteran also attended the event.

Opening the event with her welcoming speech, Afaq Masud, the Board Chair of the Centre and the People’s Writer of Azerbaijan, spoke about the translation and publication projects implemented on Spanish and Latin American literature, as well as about the love and interest in Azerbaijan for this literature, located far away from the geographical point of view, but very native from the spiritual-moral one. Ramiz Rovshan, the People's Poet of Azerbaijan, in his turn, mentioned the great influence of Spanish and Latin American literature on world literature, and the quality of literary translations of works created in the Azerbaijani language.

Later, the official representatives of Spain and Latin American countries  ̶  Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and Chargé d'Affaires of Argentina, Chile, Spain, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and the Republic of Venezuela  ̶  speaking about the importance of the work done by the State Translation Centre in the direction of promoting Spanish and Latin American literature in Azerbaijan, highly appreciated the choice of authors who had translated and paid special attention to the literary works of such great literary figures as Juan Rulfo, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Miguel Delibes, Camilo José Sela, Federico García Lorca, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, Miguel Angel Asturias, Mario Vargas Llosa and Mario Benedetti.

National music and dances, as well as dishes of national cuisines of Spain and Latin American countries, were presented at the event.

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