São Paulo – This Thursday (5), the Consulate General of Lebanon in São Paulo unveiled its new headquarters in São Paulo. The space is located on one of the city’s main avenues, Paulista. Diplomats, government, and religious authorities attended the event. The former president of Brazil, Michel Temer, and the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Osmar Chohfi, attended the event. Pictured above, the consul general of Lebanon to São Paulo, Rudy El Azzi, and Chohfi at the opening.
Previously, the consulate operated in a location rented from the Brazil-Lebanon Chamber of Commerce (CCBL). The new space was acquired through the support and donations of the Lebanese community in Brazil. “The new headquarters are an achievement for the Consulate and the Lebanese community, which helped raise funds and the community special committee, that supervised, supported, and strengthened the project’s governance. This is incredibly significant because we represent the public sector, and we have to follow strict transparency rules,” said Lebanese consul Rudy El Azzi.
For Chohfi, the achievement is a reason for personal satisfaction and also for the ABCC. “Lebanon now has a representation worthy of the community we have here. It is one of the most important foreign communities in São Paulo and Brazil. This new Consulate translates the meaning of a significant presence, which will serve the Lebanese themselves and the community in Brazil much better,” said Chohfi.
Ambassador Carla Jazzar, chargé d’affaires at the Lebanese Embassy to Brasília, highlighted the benefits of the new space to ANBA. “It is a moment of joy because these new headquarters will offer better consular service to the Lebanese community in São Paulo, which is very important,” highlighted Jazzar.
Also at the ceremony were ambassador Raymundo Santos Rocha Magno, head of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in São Paulo, and his daughter Manuela Vila Magno. “The Lebanese are known for their generosity. It is a significant community in Brazil, with essential characters politically and economically, so nothing could be better than a consulate as beautiful as this one,” said the ambassador. “I have many Lebanese friends, and I have always felt connected with the community,” she said.
Ambassador Fernando Paulo de Mello Barreto, São Paulo city deputy secretary for International Relations, participated in the event representing the city’s mayor, Ricardo Nunes. “As a representative of the mayor, I can say it is São Paulo who thanks the Lebanese community and the consul for now having their own consulate. I know how important it is and they are very well located,” said Barreto.
São Paulo councilor Rodrigo Goulart recalled that despite not having Lebanese ancestry, his connection with the community was inherited from his father, former federal deputy Antonio Goulart. “Although we do not have Lebanese blood, we say we have the heart. It is a remarkable milestone in the history of the Lebanese community to have its own headquarters here in São Paulo,” said the councilor.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
