The twinning relationship between Toledo (Spain) and Guanajuato (Mexico) has been strengthened within the framework of the International Cervantino Festival, one of the most prestigious cultural gatherings in Latin America, with the renewal of the sisterhood agreement.
During the signing of the agreement, Ana Pérez Álvarez, Councilor for Tourism and Heritage of the Toledo City Council, emphasized the importance of this alliance, which unites both cities “through their history, culture, and universal vocation.”
Speaking to Euronews, Pérez Álvarez emphasized that this twinning “represents an opportunity to promote joint projects in the cultural, tourism, and academic fields,” as well as “promote exchanges that strengthen ties between Spain and Mexico.”
In her speech, the councilor highlighted the involvement of all Guanajuato citizens in the Cervantino Festival, a festival that this year brings together 140 plays and enjoys the support of local institutions. “We want Toledo to have an active presence here and for that relationship to continue growing. It’s a very beautiful and beneficial collaboration,” she stated.
The Toledo councilor also noted that Toledo aspires to become the European Capital of Culture in 2031, and considered that alliances like the one with Guanajuato “strengthen the candidacy and help project Toledo’s cultural image in Europe and America.” “We are very excited and grateful for the warm welcome we have received in Guanajuato. This twinning demonstrates that culture and history can unite continents and peoples,” concluded Pérez Álvarez.
The Toledo councilor added that “now we have to hold various meetings, continue to make things happen, but the important thing is what we have already done today, and it is something that is very good for both cities and for the inhabitants of both cities and their residents.”
For her part, Guanajuato Mayor Samantha Smith emphasized the importance of the Cervantino Festival as a way to place Guanajuato “at the epicenter of world culture” with this event.
“Today, reaffirming this 47-year-old twinning agreement allows us to continue positioning Guanajuato in the world, but also to strengthen ties of friendship and international cooperation with Spain, and with our brothers and sisters in Toledo, with whom we have great similarities, including this devotion to Cervantes culture,” she added.
For Samantha Smith, “this twinning agreement” will allow both cities to “continue this exchange of experiences, the preservation of heritage, and cultural, artistic, and student exchanges.” The mayor announced that they will soon visit Toledo as part of FITUR in January. “Many activities are coming up in Toledo from Guanajuato,” she concluded.
For Paco Plaza, director of the Rojas Theater, Guanajuato is a magical place, an essential location for staging, especially in the theater of the Spanish Golden Age.
“That, all of a sudden, a city like this can become known worldwide through an author and his characters, through what is the novel, the most important poetic and literary work, most widely read in the world after the Bible, well, that these characters live in this city seems like a miracle to me,” the director explained. “This twinning demonstrates that culture and history can unite continents and peoples.”
Source: es.euronews
