10th Venezuelan Week Programme Introduction

The Importance of a Decade

The music of the 80s, the rebellion of the 60s, the crisis of the 40s… it may be because we have ten fingers on our hands, but counting by tens and having the number 10 signify a milestone is common worldwide, throughout the centuries.

When we at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Malaysia took the decision to change the way we celebrated our National Day, instead of a reception we organised a Venezuelan Week. The truth is that we were betting our salary that we would not get to the third edition. However, if we reached the 3rd edition of the Venezuelan Week in Malaysia, we would be satisfied.

Perhaps due to that, come the opening of the 10th Venezuelan Week in Malaysia today, we can hardly believe it. We have undertaken this endeavour for a decade, to show our beloved friends in Malaysia this beautiful country, a significant slice of the best music, cuisine, photography, paintings, dancing, cinema, history and ideas that Venezuela has to offer.

The satisfaction we have at reaching this magic number is indeed greater because in this 2015 edition, we are able to present a unique fusion, for the first time in the history of our country, a great Venezuelanmusician recorded an album accompanied by prestigious Malaysian musicians. The 10th Venezuelan Week in Malaysia will be launched with the concert which presents Venezuelan and Malaysian talents revealing the inseparable relationship between both countries and their people.

This closeness will be reinforced through food, academic, sport, art and any other areas during this year’s events as shown in the programme.

I will not stop now to introduce each proposed activit, because after ten editions, the list of acknowledgements has become rather long, and I will need some additional lines.

Today, we thank the governments of Venezuela and Malaysia for all their support in giving us an opportunity to talk about the 10 magnificent editions of Venezuelan Week. We convey our thanks to Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaya, Pullman Hotel, No Black Tie, Air France KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Kemaman Bitumen Company and all institutions and individuals that have made this latest edition possible. To Michael Simon, Josu Landa, Enrique Limardo and Federico Tishler, all of whom have travelled from afar and have set aside some time from their busy schedules to be here, forming part of this event. To you, who are reading this now, for whom we have prepared this programme.

I’d like to, nonetheless, use this occasion to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people who, year after year, have pushed their limits and capacities, their sleepless nights, and their encouragement to allow you to get to know and enjoy a taste of the rich Venezuelan culture. To those who are here with us today, and those who now apply their talents elsewhere. Thank you Enrique, Mina and Morella, Jennifer, Christine, Kathy, Siva, Mohamad,Nadrawati, Lynn, Hariz, María and Samuel, Carlos, Mailyn, Zhaybel, Ana Carolina, Franklin, Luisa, Irene, Ruzita, Malina, Vanessa, Durbila, Su, Kalister… thank you also to those who are not part of the Embassy team, but have been there unconditionally: YK Wong, David, Zul, Naty , Hossein, Erick, Aracelis, Jimena and Sofía, Zaman Riera family,Norazah, Tamara, Carmen, Moe and those whom my bad memory has left out in my hurry to have these words ready. Thank you, ten, hundred, a thousand times, thank you forever...

H.E. Manuel Antonio Guzmán Hernández
Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Malaysia