Colón, January 30, 2026. The province of Colón was shown as a cultural reference for the Caribbean by hosting, on January 30, at the Colón Center for Art and Culture (CACCO), the "First Regional Forum: The Colors of the Greater Caribbean," a space for reflection and dialogue that brought together cultural managers, academics, traditional bearers and institutional representatives.

The program began with a protocolary and folkloric presentation, followed by the words of Panama's Minister of Culture, María Eugenia Herrera, who emphasized that this initiative marks a great regional event and opens a permanent space for dialogue to place culture as a strategic axis within the ministerial agenda of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), promoting a common road map and a more solid cultural cooperation network.

The participation of delegations from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Barbados, Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago and representatives from Haiti and El Salvador expressed their commitment to the cultural integration and safeguard of the living heritage of the Greater Caribbean.

During the day, the general secretary of the ACS, Noemí Espinoza, emphasized that culture strengthens regional identity and contributes directly to the collective well-being of Caribbean peoples.

For his part, Vice-President Carlos Guevara Mann expressed that The "The Colors of the Greater Caribbean" event invites us to recognize our heritage, strengthen regional ties and project a Caribbean identity proud of its diversity.

We reaffirm our commitment to an inclusive multilateralism that puts culture at the centre of sustainable development and more just and humane international relations. The Caribbean has a history and values to offer to the world and we will continue to build together a future based on memory, solidarity and collective creation. "

The program included the Panel "Afro-descendant Cultural Heritage," moderated by Abel Aronátegui, director of the CACCO, with the participation of specialists and cultural managers such as Enrique López Hurtado (UNESCO), Owan Lay (CRESPIAL), Jembell Chifundo, an artist and specialist in human rights and Krishna Camarena, an expert in Afro-descendant policies.

The Panel "Integration of the Cultural Sector: Opportunities and Rites of Cooperation" focused on strengthening regional alliances was also developed and was moderated by Enrique López Hurtado, a specialist in culture and in charge of the sector of the UNESCO Regional Office for Central America, Mexico and Colombia and with the participation of the Minister of Culture of Panama, María Eugenia Herrera, as well as ministers and representatives of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Belize, Colombia and member countries of the Association of Caribbean States.

The report was run by Emma Gómez, head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, who systemized the main inputs from the dialogue.

That space for reflection and exchange allowed us to share experiences, views and good practices, and to place culture as a strategic pillar for regional integration, strengthening of identity and building common agendas among the peoples of the Caribbean and to place on the ministerial agenda of the ACS the proposal to create the Cultural Commission of the Greater Caribbean.

During the closure, the Minister of Culture announced that both the festival and the spaces for cultural reflection have been put into place and will be held permanently every year, during the final days of February.

The event concluded with an historic tour of CACCO, bilateral meetings and a closing event that gave way to the Caribbean International Festival with presentations by national and international artists as Dominican Republic's Guayacan group, The Beachers, Joey Montana, Nando Boom, Don Pablo Mures and Kafu Banton.