The panel was chaired by Anne Lemaistre, director of the Regional Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Dulce Maria Buergo, president of the Cuban Commission for UNESCO; and Sonya Virgen Perez, president of the National Heritage Council.

Culture is dynamic, and the dossier presented by the five countries (Haiti, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Cuba) shows the power of multinational cooperation and, at the same time, cultural diversity, Anne Lemaistre expressed during her presentation.

She emphasized that in countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic, cassava is already replacing bread in everyday eating habits, while in Cuba, it is a culinary favorite and a tourist attraction.

The meeting took place at the cassava restaurant Yucasabi SRL, whose president, Yudisley Cruz, acknowledged that her project was born from recognizing the heritage and historical value of this food.

In another intervention, Buergo highlighted the value for the country and the region of working on this candidacy, which became an exercise in support and learning, even for the countries themselves.

Made with cassava flour and shaped like a loaf or a flat, round cake, cassava is a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

jdt/ro/mml/vnl