More than 55,000 Galicians reside in Brazil as regional president Alfonso Rueda arrives in Rio de Janeiro for a two-day official visit, [lavozdegalicia.es] reported.
Rueda attended the closing meeting of the XIII Council of Galician Communities’ delegate commission on Tuesday at the Associação Recreio dos Anciãos para Asilo da Velhice Desamparada.
The venue is a solidarity institution heavily shaped by the local Galician community in its creation and daily operations.
Brazil represents the second-largest concentration of Galicians living outside Spain. The regional leader will chair the full plenary of the council on Wednesday.
Generational renewal for global diaspora
Rueda thanked the network of Galician centers operating worldwide during Tuesday’s meeting.
“The challenge is to keep going, and that means a generational change, especially in the governing bodies,” Rueda said, according to [lavozdegalicia.es]. Adapting to modern times does not require losing the core character that kept these communities alive for decades, he added.
The full council gathers every three years, while its delegate commission acts as the permanent governing body between sessions. This trip marks Rueda’s second official visit to Brazil following a November 2024 trade mission aimed at boosting commercial ties.
Promoting Xacobeo 2027 in South America
The Xunta de Galicia uses the trip to launch the official promotion of the upcoming 2027 Holy Year, targeting one of South America’s most dynamic pilgrimage markets. Rueda invited Brazilian travelers to walk the different routes leading to Santiago de Compostela.
“We want to invite Brazilians to visit us next year and in the following years,” Rueda said, [lavozdegalicia.es] reported.
More than 564,000 pilgrims received their Compostela certification so far this year, surpassing previous historic figures. Pilgrims from Brazil account for over 8,300 of those arrivals, placing the country eleventh among international nationalities undertaking the route.
The Galician government views the upcoming Holy Year as an opportunity to expand international prestige and open new commercial avenues within the Brazilian market.