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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 15, 2019 (DBSKN) — The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has a rich cultural diversity and the Latin Festival St. Kitts has in the last ten years played an important role in making residents and citizens understand and appreciate the culture of their Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters.

“We have well documented longstanding relationships with the Spanish-speaking people taking into consideration that when our people went to the Dominican Republic to work in the sugar industry, they settled and became part of the country and its culture,” said Ms Vernitha Evelyn-Maynard, Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Marketing Officer.

Commenting on the Latin Festival Softball Tournament which climaxed on Sunday October 13 at the Tucker-Clarke Primary School Playing Field in New Town, Ms Evelyn-Maynard noted that locals who are cricket-crazy were able to learn the difference between softball and baseball as they look at the two games as one and the same.

Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis (DBSKN) is one of the 2019 Latin Festival’s Gold Sponsors.

“Towards the end of August this year the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis handed over our sponsorship cheque for this year’s events which start in earnest next week on Monday October 21, climaxing with the Latin Fiesta on Saturday October 26 at the Frigate Bay Lawns,” observed Ms Evelyn-Maynard. “Be entertained and also educated by attending at least one, if not all of the events organised by Latin Festival St. Kitts.”

Ms Iliana Gonzalez, Latin Festival’s Entertainment Coordinator who received the sponsorship cheque advised that this year is Latin Festival’s tenth anniversary noting that the week of activities will kick off with a movie night on Monday October 21. There will be two showings at the Caribbean Cinemas of a Dominican movie, a comedy with English subtitles.

According to Ms Gonzalez, Latin Festival’s main objectives since its inception were borne out of the fact that there are intertwined linkages, and similarities between the heritage of the Spanish and Federation’s peoples.

“Our people have a lot of things in common in their history, culture, and roots, and that is what we try to emphasise with Latin Festival,” said Ms Gonzalez. “We are trying to promote the similarities in the intertwined cultures and so far it has worked beautifully.”

On behalf of Latin Festival St. Kitts, Ms Gonzalez thanked the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis for the support it has continued to give and the trust it has in the festival. She noted that Latin Festival appreciated receiving sponsorship from such an important organisation in the country that has a high level of responsibility, “and that is why we say ‘thank you’ to the Development Bank.”

ENDS