The Diplomat
Casa de América hosted yesterday, in the Salón Embajadores, the presentation of the Association of the Columbian Cities (CICO), designed to build a common World Heritage that unites the peoples and continents of Europe, America and Africa.
The event was attended by Ciprián Rivas, Director General of Tourism Planning and Promotion of the Government of the Canary Islands; Patricia Carrasco, Mayor of Santa Fe de Granada; Carmelo Romero, Mayor of Palos de La Frontera; Angélica Padilla, Second Vice-President of the Cabildo of La Gomera; Carlos Gómez, Mayor of Baiona A Real; and Adasat Reyes, Mayor of San Sebastián de La Gomera.
The representatives of the institutions involved in the Association were welcomed by the Director General of Casa de América, Enrique Ojeda, who stressed the importance of vindicating the Ibero-American link and the common history between Europe and America, as well as the culture and language. “It is an opportunity and a challenge for local institutions, which are part of this Association, to strengthen the Ibero-American link and create a richer connection for citizens,” he said.
Ciprian Rivas, Director General of Tourism Planning and Promotion of the Government of the Canary Islands, then spoke, pointing out that “CICO seeks to shed light, to promote knowledge between peoples and continents, to propose coexistence and peace as fundamental elements for preserving humanity and its rights”.
Rivas explained that the Association was born with the dream of uniting and serving as an instrument for cultural, economic and business development between peoples. He said he was sure that it would be possible to discover more elements that unite than those that separate. “We will give value – he said – to figures such as the Canarian Franciscan, born in La Gomera, Antonio José Ruiz de Padrón, who witnessed the signing of the Constitution of the United States, drafted the Constitution of Cadiz, promoted the elimination of the Spanish Inquisition, defended women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, among many other vital works”.
During their speeches, the mayors and representatives of the founding cities of the Association stressed the importance of maintaining and understanding the historical and cultural values, as they were at the time, and their concern for “the vilification that has been attempted against history”, in the words of Carmelo Romero, mayor of Palos de La Frontera.
According to Angélica Padilla, second vice-president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, “this Association is an open door of shared culture and feelings”, while Carlos Gómez, mayor of Baiona A Real, defined it as an “Association that aims to share culture, economy and respect for people”, for which all the guests said they were very enthusiastic about its future.
Patricia Carrasco, Mayoress of Santa Fe de Granada pointed out that Granada, Valladolid and Seville are missing from the association, but that they will be invited and are expected to join as soon as possible.
Adasat Reyes, Mayor of San Sebastián de La Gomera, spoke of the importance of defending roots and strengthening human relations, because “with that, the rest comes on its own”.
The city of Las Palmas joined the Association of Columbian Cities, CICO, only yesterday, and was represented at the event by Pedro Quevedo Iturbe, second deputy mayor and councillor for tourism, employment, local development and equality.
The Columbian cities are the places where Christopher Columbus travelled and played a leading role in the preparation and execution of his voyages. On 5 March 2022, coinciding with the celebration of the Fiesta de La Arribada, declared of National Tourist Interest, in commemoration of the arrival of La Pinta, skippered by the Pinzón brothers, to the Bay of Baiona to be repaired, while Columbus continued his route to Lisbon on the Santa María, it was decided between the mayors of Palos de La Frontera, Santa Fe de Granada, San Sebastián, San Sebastián and Palos de la Frontera to hold a meeting in the city of La Arribada, in which the mayors of Palos de La Frontera, Santa Fe de Granada, San Sebastián, San Sebastián and Santa Fe de la Frontera took part, Santa Fe de Granada, San Sebastián de La Gomera, Baiona A Real, the Cabildo de La Gomera and the Regional Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Trade, through the Directorate General for Tourism Planning and Promotion of the Canary Islands Government, to promote and explore the development of a Columbus Route of the Encounter between Three Worlds.
