Diplomatic Network (Asia) on Wednesday hosted the July DNA networking event where Simon Bolivar, the revered 19th-century Latin American hero, was the focal point of conversation. 

The event was hosted at Lawry’s The Prime Rib Singapore, in the heart of the Orchard district.

Distinguished guests

From left to right: Aaron Wan, realtor; Juan Ramon Jimenez, the owner of Lawry’s Prime Rib Singapore; DNA's Rodrigo Chiari; HE Jessica Lopez, the Venezuelan ambassador to Singapore; Emi Mizushima, associate director at Cathay Cineplexes; HE Enrique Villegas Gonzalez, the Panamanian ambassador to Singapore; and Darren Wong, the senior manager of sales at Performance Motors.
From left to right: Aaron Wan, realtor; Juan Ramon Jimenez, the owner of Lawry’s Prime Rib Singapore; DNA’s Rodrigo Chiari; HE Jessica Lopez, the Venezuelan ambassador to Singapore; Emi Mizushima, associate director at Cathay Cineplexes; HE Enrique Villegas Gonzalez, the Panamanian ambassador to Singapore; and Darren Wong, the senior manager of sales at Performance Motors.

The diplomatic guests of honor were the Panamanian head of mission, His Excellency Enrique Villegas Gonzalez, and HE Jessica Lopez, ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. 

Attendees from the private sector, all DNA members, included realtor Aaron Wan and his associate, Evonne Seow; Cathay Cineplexes Associate Director Emi Mizushima, from media company mm2 Entertainment; and Performance Motors Senior Sales Manager, Darren Wong.

Reflections on Bolivar

Simon Bolivar, known as El Libertador, was a prominent leader in South America’s struggle for independence from Spanish rule. Image: Ricardo Acevedo Bernal/Flickr.
Bolivar led military campaigns that resulted in the liberation of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish rule. Bolivia was named in his honor in recognition of his significant contributions to its independence. Image: Jose Toro Moreno/Wikimedia Commons.

The role of Bolivar in the independence struggles of multiple South American nations was shared with DNA’s guests. 

Additionally, the Panama-Venezuela connection was highlighted, emerging from the historic moment when Bolivar, known as El Liberator, or the Liberator, decided to host the Amphictyonic Congress of 1826 in Panama City. This regional event aimed to unite the newly independent Latin American republics against the possible return of Spanish colonial forces. 

Although Bolivar’s dream of a single, strong nation under a Latin American ideology of liberty was never realized, the countries that eventually emerged around his quest built solid bilateral and regional ties. 

In Panama, the Bolivarian Society, chaired by one of the current Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Guevara Mann, promotes the ideals and values of unity that Simon Bolivar once fought for, through academic events 

Food security and other topics

Other interesting topics discussed during the event included the biodiversity policies implemented by both Panama and Venezuela, as well as the rise of water as a commodity. 

Along with food security, these are two major challenges faced not only by these two nations but by the entire planet. In this context, DNA announced its upcoming ASEAN + BRICS Roundtable on Sustainable Trade for Global Food Security. 

Juan Ramon Jimenez, owner of Lawry’s The Prime Rib Singapore and a successful Panamanian entrepreneur in the Southeast Asian city-state, greeted the attendees with his usual hospitality and invited them all to celebrate the 25-year presence of the US restaurant brand in the country. 

All toasts were made with South African Wine Cellar’s best selections. 

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