The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations said today in Ponta Delgada that the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Carlos city "are a moment that acknowledges 'Azoreanity' and an opportunity to bring the Azores closer to Uruguay and to enhance cooperation between them."

Rodrigo Oliveira stressed "the historical role of the Azorean couples who founded the city of San Carlos in 1763 and the legacy they left, which, after 250 years and seven or eight generations, remains clearly visible due to the interest and attention drawn by various institutions in Uruguay."

The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations spoke at the end of an audience granted to a delegation made up of several Uruguayan institutions, including the Director for Culture of the Municipality of San Carlos, Alba Rijo Garcia, the President of the San Carlos Historical Research Centre, Martha Pereira Quintana, and the Vice-President of the House of the Azores of Uruguay, Alicia Quintana Díaz.

Rodrigo Oliveira praised the work carried out by the Association Los Azoreños/House of the Azores of Uruguay, which has allowed "to keep the Azorean presence alive" in the South American country. The government official also highlighted the role played by the Municipality of San Carlos and the local Historical Research Centre "in the context of the dissemination of the Azorean presence" in several areas. Nowadays, it is still possible to find the Azorean legacy in "the city's place names, family names or in cultural traditions, such as traditional music, dance and theatre."

"In our Region, the Azorean settlement of Uruguay also deserves to be better known," Rodrigo Oliveira stated, stressing the importance of the visit made by this delegation from Uruguay at the invitation of the Regional Government with the purpose of disseminating in the archipelago the knowledge on this "important chapter in our history and the external affirmation of Azoreanity".

The Government of the Azores, in partnership with the Social Studies Centre of the University of the Azores, promotes today in Ponta Delgada the conference "250 years of Azorean Settlement in Uruguay" at Anfiteatro C of the University of the Azores at 5:15 PM; the event is open to all those who wish to participate.

The conference features the presentation of papers by representatives of the House of the Azores of Uruguay, the Municipality of San Carlos and the San Carlos Studies Centre as well as by representatives of the University of the Azores.