At UG lecture
The University of Guyana’s School of Education and Humanities in collaboration with the Mexican Embassy in Guyana hosted a lecture yesterday by Professor Eliff Lara entitled “Mexico: Words and Colours,” an introduction to Mexican literature and visual arts.
Delivering the lecture in the Education Lecture Theatre at Turkeyen yesterday, Lara explained that some of the most popular artists of Mexico drew the inspiration for their work from poems that Mexican and other Latin American poets wrote.
Some of the poets were Amando Nervo, Ruben Dario, Jose Marti, Octavio Paz and Elsa Cross. Their poems were represented in works of art by Julio Ruelas, Frida Kahlo and Rufina Tamayo among others.
Lara spoke of the early periods when the writings of the poets were made in revolt against new political thinking at the time, which they felt was robbing them of their religion and culture. He gave the example of Amando Nervo’s ‘Increpacion’, an appeal against the concept of positivism, which was being promulgated at the time by many Latin American Governments. Julio Ruelas made several pieces of art illustrating his interpretation of the poem, giving the verse dark and sometimes graphic interpretations.
Professor Lara has a Bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics and Literature from the National Autonomous University of Mexico –UNAM and has completed Graduate studies in Literature at the same university.
According to an information sheet from the Head of the Department of Language and Cultural Studies Alim Hosein, Lara is currently attached to the Philological Research Centre (UNAM) and professor at the Matías Romero Institute (Diplomatic Studies Institute). The information sheet said that Lara’s research work has been published in several national and international magazines. He has given lectures in Mexican and international academic institutions.
Dean of the School of Education and Humanities Al Creighton, speaking at the commencement of the programme, said that the lecture is yet another occasion in a series of events at which the University and the Mexican Embassy have collaborated. “It is a continuation of what has proven so far to be a rich series of events,” said Creighton, recalling that the Mexican Ambassador recently made a donation of books to the University of Guyana Library and hosted jointly with the School of Education and Humanities a Mexican film festival.
Creighton said that there have been advances of a geo-political significance to Guyana and that the country is moving from its English Caribbean destiny to becoming more closely linked to its continental neighbours, the likes of Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname. He said that the University of Guyana has been placing a focus on the culture of Latin America. He said that the University has been looking towards Latin American studies.
Creighton said that the other factor that have given rise to the  exchange has to do with what he referred to as an important catalyst to the link on Latin American relations: the appointment of Mexico’s first Ambassador  to Guyana Fernando Sandoval, who has been described a s a friend to the university.
He said too that there are several possibilities for the development of academic programmes, for example, Spanish language and anthropology and a wide range of others.