The United States takes advantage of Canarian tricontinentality to enliven the fight against Maduro - La Provincia

The US takes advantage of the three-continentality of the Archipelago to urge Spain to lead the fight against Nicolás Maduro in Europe. "Democracy and economic prosperity must move Venezuela," said the US ambassador to Spain, Duke Buchan, yesterday before requesting the Spanish government "to push in the European Union" to help install democracy in Venezuela. "Words no, get to work," he stressed.

The closing ceremony of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a foraging program for women entrepreneurs funded by the US Department of State and developed in collaboration with the Heroikka Association, served Buchan to value the "unique" relationship that It exists between the Islands and America and the geostrategic position of the region, on the road between three continents. "If we talk about the Canary Islands as a bridge with America, we also have to talk about Venezuela," he said. The US diplomat said that the US and Spain "are very focused" in Latin American markets, while recalling that Venezuela is considered the "eighth island" of the Canary Islands.

Buchan, who before attending the closing of the program in Casa África met with a group of Venezuelans, among which were four women entrepreneurs who participated in the program, said that his visit three weeks ago to the border between Venezuela and Colombia "broke his heart" when he saw "starving children and elderly people without medicine." "It is clear that Maduro has to leave," he said.

A strategic location

The White House, which seeks to boost the empowerment of women through the Global Development and Prosperity of Women initiative, chose the Archipelago as the first venue to implement its first pilot program for female entrepreneurship in Europe. He did, as indicated by the cultural attache of the US Embassy in Spain, Ana Duque-Higgins, because the Canary Islands is "the natural passage between America, Africa and Europe." "The regional government has recognized the importance of such strategic location and are leaders in technological and business development," he said.

Sixty women, thirty in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and another thirty in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, have received training since September to boost their business ideas, regarding both fundraising and marketing strategies, among other aspects. All yesterday received a certificate for participation in the academy workshops, but in addition six of them have been awarded - based on their business plan, creativity, innovation and participation - with 1,000 euros each. For Gran Canaria, the winners were Masequera Almeida, with Handmade Tours; Obdulia Henríquez, with Smartleaf Consulting and Lorena Santana, with Hola Crew. For Tenerife they received the Diana Calvo distinction, with Voice and Emotions; Delia María Moreno, with SOL-Spanish Online Lessons and Julia Martel, with Emotional Support Dogs.

Buchan stressed that the Embassy works "hard" to strengthen trade relations between the US and Spain and entrepreneurship. "You are the ones who create jobs and improve our economies," he insisted. The objectives of AWE, he explained, are to provide trainingon-line-indeed the participants have had access to mentors from Silicon Valley, Spain and Europe- generate networks of trainers and connect women entrepreneurs.

Maica Gil, founder of Heroikka, stressed, for its part, that this program "is the largest that has been funded in Europe by a foreign government and the only one that has been made in Europe." He highlighted, in turn, the local impact, which generates global impact, of female entrepreneurship.