(September 25, 2014) The Brazilian poet Thiago de Mello called on people throughout Latin America to work for cultural integration during a talk he gave on Wednesday, September 24, at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile.
"I call on everyone, and particularly the ECLAC, to participate in working towards the cultural integration of all of our peoples, because we still don't know each other well," the prominent artist said to an audience of special guests that included scholars, officials from international organizations, diplomats, and cultural personalities from Chile and the region.
De Mello was greeted by Antonio Prado, ECLAC's Deputy Executive Secretary, who welcomed him in the name of this regional United Nations commission, and by the Brazilian Ambassador to Chile, Georges Lamazière.
"This is a special occasion because one of the most illustrious voices of Brazilian literature is honoring us with his presence, the author of the Statutes of Man, whose poetry resounds throughout Brazil, Latin America and the world and who is a constant source of inspiration for those who desire and struggle for a better world," Antonio Prado said.
The Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC also indicated that these types of events inject rhythm, emotion and hope into our reflections and actions, "especially in a place like this that is normally used for technical debates, which are sometimes dry, about the major challenges faced by our region," Prado said.
During his presentation at ECLAC, the poet born in Barreirinha (Brazil) in 1926 recited passages from some of his works and told the history of his relationship with Bolivia and Chile, countries that welcomed him when he was exiled from his homeland after the 1964 coup in Brazil.
De Mello spoke specifically of his friendship with some figures in the cultural, political and economic worlds of Chile and Latin America, such as poet Pablo Neruda; former minister, ambassador and senator Gabriel Valdés; artists Roser Bru and Mario Toral; economists Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Celso Furtado; and former Chilean President Salvador Allende.
"I have learned that the truth is the only thing that matters. We must work to change what needs changing, each person from his or her own place," De Mello said.
In his talk he emphasized that culture is not just art but rather a people's entire way of life and its creative capacity. "That's why culture ministries shouldn't focus on ‘art' alone, or else they'd have to change the name to ministries for ‘artistic culture,'" he stated.
A known defender of nature and the Amazon jungle, Thiago de Mello also called for more work to reduce the effects of climate change. "We cannot avert the consequences of global warming at this point but we can each make our own contribution to mitigate them, because life in the planet is in danger," he said.
