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San Juan, Jan 26 (EFE) .- The government of Puerto Rico believes it is the perfect time to host the Congress of Language, because in the 400 years of the death of Cervantes and Shakespeare, this international event will be held in an area that boasts of being bilingual and serve as a bridge between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking.
“This is the place to present the world in a moment differently the relationship between both languages, “said today the governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro García Padilla, when asked by Efe occasion of the presentation of the program of the VII edition of the International Congress of the Spanish Language.
With the participation of 130 speakers from 27 countries, Congress held its main activities from 15 to 18 March in San Juan, capital of an economy mired in a crisis and continues for nearly a decade and through one of the most difficult in recent history, to be no liquidity to pay off the debt and maintain essential public services now.
As a former Spanish colony and given its current status as a US Commonwealth (What being an unincorporated territory but very subject to Washington), for years has been a strong debate on what should be the official language on the island.
Garcia Padilla lamented today than in the past Puerto Rico “were to look in an exclusive manner the possibilities of a country when it comes to learning a language.”
Today, however, “we see it as a relationship linked to our economic development,” and that is, in his opinion, the approach should be given to the coexistence of two languages in the same territory.
So this congress in Puerto Rico, “a country where 100% speaks Spanish and 30% also English is much more than a chance, “whether in a year in which the centenary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare are held”, “the governor said.
“It’s just a sign of the times,” added the president, referring to the coincidence that in 2016 are met 400 years of the death of “the two leading exponents of the two languages we are talking about.”
“We believe Puerto Rico is the perfect venue to celebrate the seventh edition,” he insisted the president, who did not hide also be a great opportunity to “show the world the opportunities we can offer in the cultural field , business, industrial, sports and tourism “.
” Let them come and see what is Puerto Rico, “he said during the presentation of the Congress, which, he said, will lead to the local economy twice as much to invest in him, but declined to specify numbers.
In this sense, “urged” everyone who is interested to “come and meet Puerto Rico” where, “he says what says about the crisis, yesterday we were inaugurating the fourth Hyatt in the last 36 months, “although the hotel chain 13 years ago he had decided to leave the island.
” In times of crisis is no time to close the windows and turn off the light. On the contrary, it is time to open the windows and turn on the light, so that the best of the country is exposed “, he defended the governor, who has already announced he will not seek re-election in the November elections to now focus its efforts on the economic recovery of the island.
In addition, he insisted that Puerto Rico is “a country, Latin American and Spanish-speaking nation, where Puerto Ricans without question recognize Spanish as our mother tongue, but we, by of course, is eager to coexist with other languages to learn. “
” It’s not that conflict that existed when I was little from one language to another. Now it is a fact without question that our mother tongue is Spanish, “which does not mean, he said,” we want to learn English and know that people who speak a second language find it easier to also learn a third language. ”
In this regard, adding that “I hope that when my children are raising their children are talking about third language will be promoted in Puerto Rico”.
The governor acknowledged that “The main competitive advantage that allows Puerto Rico is the main manufacturing center of the world of drugs and medical equipment is labor”, whose “skills is their bilingualism”. EFE
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