Barahona.– The Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, led this Friday the inaugural act of the First Cultural Festival of the Enriquillo Region, an initiative organized by the Ministry of Culture to strengthen cultural decentralization and promote the artistic, literary and creative expressions of the south of the country. The activity was held in the Antonio Méndez auditorium of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Barahona campus, and the vice president was accompanied by the Minister of Culture, Roberto Ángel Salcedo. Also present were the Vice Minister of Cultural Identity and Citizenship, Pastor de Moya; the provincial governor, Oneida Félix; the mayor of Barahona, Míctor Emilio Fernández; cultural managers, artists and representatives from the provinces of Barahona, Pedernales, Independencia and Bahoruco. Vice President Peña valued the initiative as a space for integration and promotion of the cultural expressions of the south of the country, while highlighting the Government's commitment to the communities' access to cultural and artistic activities. For his part, Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo affirmed that the festival is part of the cultural decentralization strategy promoted by the current administration, aimed at bringing artistic and literary programming to the different regions of the national territory and strengthening local identities.

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During the event, an audiovisual presentation on the attractions and cultural riches of the provinces that make up the Enriquillo region was presented. Likewise, the Vice Minister of Cultural Identity and Citizenship, Pastor de Moya, highlighted the importance of continuing to promote spaces for artistic and community participation in the different regions of the country. The first edition of the festival is dedicated to Casandra Damirón, in recognition of her invaluable legacy in the promotion of Dominican music and popular traditions. As part of the tribute, her children, Checheo and Luisa Rivera, participated, and a documentary about the life and career of the artist, directed by Gustavo Díaz (Sombolo), was screened. Also intervening in the event were the mayor of Barahona, Míctor Emilio Fernández, and the provincial governor, Oneida Féliz, who highlighted the importance of the festival for the cultural strengthening of the region. The Enriquillo Region Cultural Festival offers a program aimed at the whole family, which integrates literary, artistic and cultural activities, as well as children's areas, craft spaces and bookstores. In addition, it includes presentations by the National Editor and exhibitions related to comics and creative industries. The opening day concluded with an artistic presentation by the Casandra Damirón Folkloric Ballet and the participation of singer Adalgisa Pantaleón.