Miami Business School Dean John Quelch opened the evening with the following remarks:
"El propósito de una Universidad es desarrollar nuevos conocimientos, nuevas ideas. Esto solo ocurre si existe libertad de pensamiento y libertad de expresión pacifica en las universidades. Personalmente, me opongo cualquier violación de este principio en cualquier lugar del mundo, pero especialmente en las Américas, el vecindario de la Universidad de Miami.
Por eso, me place estar aquí con todos ustedes que comparten la convicción que una sociedad solo progresa cuando cuenta con la libre expresión de ideas y la comunicación pacífica entre los sectores de la sociedad."
Nicaraguan singer and songwriter Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy began the evening of music and conversation and was joined unexpectedly by his Grammy-winning nephew Luis Enrique, also known as the “Prince of Salsa," in their first joint U.S. performance. Together, they sang and shared stories of love, suffering, and hope, referencing the current socio-political and humanitarian crisis in Nicaragua.
Nicaraguan artist Maria Fernanda Vogel also donated her painting, "The Lost City: April 19," depicting the April 19 uprising.
For more information on the Nicaraguan American Center for Democracy organization and its mission, please visit https://www.nacd19.org/.
