Kinshasa, August 13th, 2025 (CPA) – The warming of cultural cooperation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazil was at the heart of discussions between the Brazilian Minister of Culture and her Congolese counterpart in Brasilia as part of a diplomatic mission to Latin America, according to a statement received by the CPA on Wednesday.
« As part of the Congolese government’s diplomatic mission to Latin America, Yolande Elebe Ma Ndembo, Minister in charge of Culture, Arts and Heritage, was received on Tuesday in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, by the Brazilian Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes. Discussions between the Congolese minister and her Brazilian counterpart focused on revitalising cultural cooperation between the DRC and Brazil, » it is read.
‘Discussions also focused on the implementation of joint projects aimed at promoting cultural heritage and developing cultural and creative industries (CCI) rooted in African culture, particularly Congolese culture,’ has added DRC’s Ministry document.
According to the source, these initiatives will also include research programmes, artistic exchanges and the consolidation of cultural sectors through sustainable South-South cooperation. The Congolese minister has also talked with João Jorge Rodrigues, a leading cultural figure in Brazil and president of the ‘Culturelle Palmares’ foundation, a public institution linked to the Brazilian Ministry in charge of Culture.
“Culturelle Palmares” is one of Brazil’s highest institutions, which has been working since 1988 to promote Afro-Brazilian culture by strengthening citizenship.
‘Culturelle Palmares is one of Brazil’s highest institutions, which has been working since 1988 to promote Afro-Brazilian culture by strengthening citizenship, identity, memory and access to culture for the country’s Afro-descendant communities,’ has revealed the document from DRC Ministry. DRC wants to strengthen its cultural cooperation with Argentina
It should be noted that before the Brazil leg of the trip, the Congolese Minister in charge of Culture, accompanied by her colleagues from Foreign Affairs and the Environment, paid a working visit to Buenos Aires to meet with the Argentine authorities as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation agreements between DRC and Argentina in various fields.
This working visit is part of a clear desire to strengthen ties between DRC and Argentina, particularly in the fields of arts, heritage and creative industries, by promoting South-South dialogue and the exchange of expertise, thus laying the foundations for the revitalisation of the cultural agreement between Argentina and DRC,’ the press release states.
On the sidelines of this official visit, Yolande Elebe also visited the Palacio de la Libertad, a symbol of the country’s political and social history, thus marking a dual perspective on Argentine heritage: one institutional and cultural, the other memorial and historical.
The Congolese delegation also visited the legendary Teatro Colón in the Argentine capital, seen as one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. ‘The building, an architectural masterpiece and a global benchmark for its acoustics, embodies the artistic excellence for which Buenos Aires is renowned and illustrates Argentina’s cultural openness to international exchanges,’ the press release states. ACP/