Colombia: Guest Country at the 45th Caribbean Festival in 2026

The 45th edition of the Caribbean Festival, to be held in July 2026 in Santiago de Cuba, will be dedicated to Colombians of African descent.

Mario Fidel Rodríguez, head of Cultural Affairs at the Colombian Embassy, stated that the presence of his compatriots at the Fiesta de Fuego (Festival of Fire), as the event is also known, is recognition of the closeness between the peoples of Colombia and Cuba.

He stated that this territory represents something special for his nation.

Meanwhile, Senator Gloria Flórez, a member of the leadership of the Parliamentary Group in Solidarity with Cuba and main sponsor of the delegation participating in this edition, highlighted the relevance of the role of culture in integration processes, with this role being more of the people than of their governments.

According to her, the Festival of Fire is an opportunity for Colombia to look to the Caribbean Sea and embrace its Caribbean identity.

According to Carmen Meléndez, founder of the Colombian group Palma Africana, in addition to dance, the group is dedicated to researching the origins and ethnic and cultural heritage of the works they perform.

She commented on the love they profess for their nation and how that feeling led them to give their country’s art the boost it needed.

There are blockades of all kinds, but you can’t block love or art, and no one can take away what they are: a people who recognize themselves in their diversity, and that makes them more resilient, the researcher stressed, in reference to Cubans.

Senator Sonia Bernal expressed her desire to take with her the inspiration of the people of this Caribbean nation, especially the strength conveyed by Cuban women, whom she described as Marianas.

Catalina Pérez, representative of peasant farmers in the Colombian Senate, extended fraternal greetings to the Cuban people on behalf of that sector.

Source: Cuban News Agency