Spain celebrated its National Day in Port of Spain, bringing diplomacy, language and music together in collaboration with the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS).
The occasion also highlighted progress in relations with Trinidad and Tobago, alongside plans for closer regional cooperation as the two countries approach the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Spain’s National Day observance brought the country’s diplomatic community and local partners together at the NALIS Amphitheatre, providing a more relaxed setting in which to reflect on the wider relationship between the two countries.
Spanish Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Maria Cristina Perez Gutierrez opened the celebrations by placing the occasion in its broader context.
“The 12th of October is an opportunity to celebrate our history, our culture and our identity, but above all, the values and human connection that bring us closer together. Few places have such meaningful historical ties with Spain as Trinidad and Tobago.”
Beyond the ceremony, the Ambassador used the event to report progress on an issue with implications for Trinidad and Tobago’s international financial standing. The change, announced earlier this year, is expected to create more room for engagement among public institutions, businesses and citizens.
“In June, Spain removed Trinidad and Tobago from its list of non-cooperative jurisdiction in matters of fiscal transparency. We congratulate Trinidad and Tobago on this achievement and acknowledge the efforts made to meet internationally agreed standards of good governance.”
With the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations due in 2027, Spain is also seeking to broaden cooperation. Its stated agenda includes revitalising the Spain–CARICOM Fund around food security, health, disaster resilience and climate change, while a renewed lectureship at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, continues a Spanish-language partnership of more than 25 years.
“As we approach this anniversary, we are not simply looking back at six decades of friendship. We are preparing to begin a new decade in our relationship with the ambition of making it even stronger, more dynamic and more relevant to our citizens.”
The formal messages gave way to the sound of Spanish classical guitar, performed live by Armando Orbon. The programme traced music carried across the Atlantic, shaped by new rhythms and returned transformed — a cultural exchange the Embassy said the Caribbean is especially well placed to understand.
“His programme reflects that story. It is a music born in Spain that travelled across the Atlantic, mixed with the new rhythms and came back transformed. It is a dialogue between two shores, and few places understand that dialogue better than the Caribbean.”
For Spain, the evening offered both a celebration of national identity and a statement of intent: to carry shared history into deeper bilateral and regional cooperation. At NALIS, that message was expressed not only through diplomacy but also through the language and music linking Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.