Viva Chile in Philadelphia

On Thursday, November 13, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will make a proclamation naming November 13th to the 21st as "Viva Chile in Philadelphia!" week. He will be joined by Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernandez who will honor Mayor Nutter with the Orden de Bernardo O'Higgins, Grado Comendador, Chile's highest commendation for non-Chilean citizens. The award, which is approved by the President of Chile, is the first such commendation from Chile that a Philadelphia Mayor has ever received.

Philadelphia will then open its cultural arms to embrace Chilean culture as the city celebrates the sights, sounds and flavors of Chile in a series of events called Viva Chile in Philadelphia.

Chile and Philadelphia have a long history in trade, as Philadelphia is the main port for Chilean imports into the United States, especially Chilean fruit. In celebration of Philadelphia’s appreciation for all things Chilean and the 20th anniversary of the Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (CACC), the Embassy of Chile in the United States, the Consulate of Chile in Philadelphia, ProChile (the Trade Commission of Chile), and the CACC are all lining up to offer performances of Chilean musicians, an exhibition of Chilean Art from the 1960s, a celebration of Chile’s gastronomy, tastings of Chilean wine, a film festival, seminars, talks and much more.

Events take place November 13-21, 2008 and details are here. Most events are free and open to the public.

Image courtesy of Viva Chile in Philadelphia