The vibrant spirit of Hellenism has taken center stage in Caracas, Venezuela, as “Greek Cultural Week” officially commenced on Monday, March 23. Held in honor of Greek Independence Day (March 25), the festivities were highlighted in an interview with ERT’s Voice of Greece by Kostas Palamidis, a prominent second-generation leader of the Greek-Venezuelan community.
Palamidis, an acclaimed theatrical director and professor at the National Theatre of Venezuela, has spent decades connecting his two homelands through the arts. This year marks a significant milestone, as the cultural program is being hosted for the first time at the Central University of Venezuela, a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its iconic modernist architecture and vast art collection.
A tragic masterpiece in Caracas
The centerpiece of the week is a historic reading of Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound. Taking place at the university’s Central Library, the tragedy will be performed by a cast of Venezuelan actors—a symbolic fusion of Greek classical roots and Latin American creative expression.
The legacy of “Juan El Griego”
Beyond the performances, Palamidis shared the storied history of the Greek diaspora in Venezuela. The community’s presence traces back to 1920 with the arrival of the legendary Juan El Griego, reaching its zenith in the 1950s and 1960s.
During this era, Greeks migrated to Venezuela not only from the mainland but from Cyprus, Egypt, Romania, and Germany, eventually establishing a thriving community complete with the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Cathedral, Greek schools, and local newspapers.
Greek community in Venezuela
Today, while the community numbers approximately five thousand people, its commitment to preserving its identity remains steadfast.
One of their most vital modern projects is “Greeks of Venezuela,” a digital archive consisting of ninety filmed oral histories. These recordings preserve the personal migration journeys of the community’s elders, ensuring that the history of the Greek-Venezuelan spirit is never lost to time.
Related: The Greeks of Venezuela in the Era of Maduro
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