The City of Revere held a Colombian flag raising ceremony July 18 at City Hall.
Diana Cardona, co-owner of Chocalafee coffee shop, was the master of ceremonies for the event that was held in coordination with the celebration of Colombian Independence Day which is held each year on July 20. Cardona and her twin sister, Angelica Cardona, and their family came to the United States from Colombia in 1993.
Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Claudia Correa, was the program’s opening speaker. “I want to welcome you and remind everyone that’s present here today that we are here to serve you,” said Correa. “Don’t hesitate to come to Revere City Hall. We welcome everyone.”
Correa introduced Mayor Patrick Keefe, telling the many residents and city officials in attendance, “It is an honor to introduce [Mayor Keefe], who I have come to respect in a big way, not for the role that he’s currently playing in our City, but as a person. He is someone who works hard every day, tirelessly to make sure that everyone in this City is well-served, that we’re safe, and that our kids are getting the access to education that they deserve.”
Keefe articulated the important significance of the flag-raising events in the city, including Revere’s impressive tribute to Colombia and the more than 7,000 Colombian-born persons who now reside in the City.
“Alongside the American flag, [the Massachusetts flag, and the City of Revere flag] we like to show pride in our community and those people that we represent, those people that are proud of themselves just like we are of ourselves, those people who care very deeply about their roots,” said Keefe. “So we’re very excited to be able to host these flag raisings, and we’ll continue to do them with class and dignity to make sure that we represent our entire community.”
Keefe recognized the many residents from Colombia “who have set deep roots in our community – they’ve opened businesses, joined our work force, our police and fire departments, City Hall – my chief of staff [Claudia Correa].”
“Some people will tell you that the second-most powerful person in the City happens to be a Colombian tried and true, raising her family and setting deep roots in the City of Revere,” said Keefe.
Consul General Carolina Mejia of the Colombia Consulate in Boston, brought the official greetings of the Colombian community of greater Boston.
Councillor-at-Large Juan Pablo Jaramillo, the first Colombian-born person to be elected to the Revere City Council, also delivered remarks at the ceremony.
