Colorful events were held this week in different Latin American countries ahead of the 17th BRICS Summit, to strengthen cultural, academic and people-to-people exchanges between these countries and China.
The 17th BRICS Summit is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday and Monday.
The third China-Latin America international seminar on green future and mutual learning of civilizations, and the launching ceremony of China-Brazil civilization exchange, mutual learning and sci-tech innovation cooperation were held in Rio de Janeiro on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Representatives from BRICS countries and related international organizations had discussions on topics including "Greater BRICS Cooperation". The guests highly praised China's active participation in global development and governance, and its important contribution in leading BRICS and global South cooperation. They also noted that the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping provide an important cooperation platform for human development, security and civilization.
A public cultural event with the theme of "Chinese Culture Experience Day" was held on Thursday in Bogota, the capital of Colombia.
At the event, traditional culture lovers participated in an immersive cultural interactive activity. Under the guidance of professional teachers from the Confucius Institute at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, participants learned to write Chinese characters with a brush and experienced the traditional Chinese paper-cutting art.
The organizers also arranged an exhibition themed on the ancient Silk Road. The exhibition systematically displayed the transportation methods, trade exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations on the ancient Silk Road through replicas of cultural relics, image materials and immersive visual presentations.
Colorful events held in Latin American countries to strengthen exchanges
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
