THEQueen Letizia of Spain tries her hand at languages. And we’re not talking about English or French, but about much more complex guaraní. He did this by recording a message for the fiftieth anniversary of the Cultural Center of Spain in Paraguayopening it with the indigenous language of the South American country. A choice that made more noise in Spain than the message itself: the comments are divided between those who appreciate the diplomatic gesture and those who note, with a hint of irony, that in front of a camera Letizia seems more at ease compared to when he has to participate in public events. On the other hand, before becoming the wife of Felipe VI, the queen was a television journalist for years.
Letizia of Spain speaks in Guaraní
The video is a message for the fiftieth anniversary of the Cultural Center of Spain in Asunción, capital of Paraguay. Letizia opens it with a sentence in Guaraní: «Vy’apavẽ nde arambotyre»which means “happy birthday”. Guaraní is the co-official indigenous language of Paraguay together with Spanish, spoken by over ninety percent of the population: it is not a minority or residual language, it is a central part of the Paraguayan national identity.
Letizia of Spain during her trip to Paraguay in 2021. (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE/AFP via Getty Images)
Using it as an opening is a gesture of respect that did not go unnoticed in Paraguayand the video received enthusiastic reactions on local social media. Letizia had already visited the country in 2021 for a cooperation trip, and in the message she compared the work of the Cultural Center to a piece of ñandutíthe traditional Paraguayan artisan lace that imitates a spider’s web: fifty years of threads woven between two countries.
A former journalist who still knows how to do it
It is not the first time that Letizia Ortiz change language as a gesture of respect: in recent weeks he had spoken in Catalan during a meeting with the delegation of the Princess of Girona Awards, and his speeches in English at the FAO and the UN are known for their fluency. Using languages as a tool for cultural proximity has become one of the most recognizable features of his institutional style. In short, despite the many years of television and news studios, the Sovereign still seems to prefer video messages shaking hands.
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