The president of the Association of Canary Descendants in San Antonio, Texas (United States), Freddie Bustillo, visited this Monday, October 31, the Council of Tenerifewhere he held a meeting with the Minister of Employment, Socioeconomic Development and Foreign Action, Carmen Luz Baso, in order to strengthen cooperation ties at a socio-cultural, commercial and tourist level.
Liskel Álvarez, CEO of Foreign Action, also participated in this meeting.
Carmen Luz Baso pointed out at the end of the meeting that “from the Cabildo we have raised the initiative to promote a twinning between Tenerife and San Antonio de Texas because there are many customs and traditions that we do not want to be lost among the descendants of Canarian men and women who reside in this place, especially among the youth, so that they can preserve this historical legacy that is part of their roots”.
“This meeting is also an excellent opportunity to continue strengthening ties and opening lines of collaboration around gastronomy, crafts or traditional clothing,” added Baso.
The Association of Canarian Descendants was created in 1977, in memory of the Canarian families who settled in the city of San Antonio, recalled its president, Freddie Bustillo, who indicated that “since then we have been working so that they do not forget its roots, focusing our activity on promoting studies and research on the families that founded the city”.
“In 2031 the city will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Canary Islanders, a great opportunity to celebrate this shared heritage that unites us”, emphasized Bustillo, who highlighted that “the Canarian families were the founders of the first civil government in the city and those who began the construction of the San Fernando Cathedral, which has in its inside the image of the Virgin of Candelaria, part of this history is exhibited in the Texas museum”.
For his part, Liskel Álvarez placed special emphasis “on the actions that can be promoted through a twinning, at a commercial level, to favor the entry of the products and services of our SMEs in the Texan market; at a tourist level, to promote both destinations, and also in the academic field, to make our history, customs and traditions known”.