The inauguration of the monument and the unveiling of the bust of Eleftherios Venizelos at the Greek Embassy in the Brazilian capital, Brasília, took place on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in the presence of many members of the Greek diaspora. The project was funded by the Hellenic Parliament and completed under the care and supervision of the National Research Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos.” The initiative for the installation of the bust belonged to Ambassador Ioannis Tzovas-Mourouzis. The unveiling was performed by the ambassador, the President of the Greece–Brazil Friendship Group of the Hellenic Parliament Theodoros Karaoglou, the President of the Venizelos Foundation USA and President of the World Council of Cretans Nickos Kastrinakis, and the President of the Greek Community of Brasília Konstantinos Bokos.
In his remarks, Mr. Kastrinakis referred to Venizelos’ relationship with immigrants, America, and Latin America, and presented a commemorative gift to Mr. Tzovas-Mourouzis on behalf of the Foundation, as a gesture of gratitude for his initiative and overall contribution. Mr. Karaoglou spoke about the work of Venizelos and the importance of the monument, while Mr. Tzovas-Mourouzis thanked all those who contributed to its creation and commented on its symbolism. A written greeting was sent by the Foundation’s Director General, Giorgos Koukourakis, who expressed his gratitude to the President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, who as Speaker of Parliament had adopted the proposal of the late Director General of the Foundation Nikolaos Papadakis for the national representation to fund the project, to the Speaker of Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis for ensuring its completion, and to the ambassador for his initial initiative.
The monument consists of a bust of Venizelos, created by the renowned sculptor Praxiteles Tzanoulinos, mounted on a marble base that is framed by marble benches and a fountain, forming an elegant and welcoming space for visitors. Olive trees from Crete have been planted on both sides of the monument, and the area is impressively illuminated at night. The design was created by architect Dimitris Koutsogiannis, and the technical supervision of the project was carried out by Dionysios Klavdianos.
Earlier that same morning, a special session was held at the Brazilian Parliament to celebrate the Day of the Greek Immigrant, in accordance with a law recently signed by President Lula da Silva following a unanimous decision of the Parliament. The session was presided over by the bill’s sponsor, Zachariah Calil. Speeches on the importance of this legislative initiative were delivered by Ambassador Tzovas-Mourouzis, Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Thessaloniki B’ Theodoros Karaoglou, Brazilian Member of Parliament Jonas Donizette, and the Presidents of the Greek Community of Brasília and the Federation of Greek Communities of Brazil, Konstantinos Bokos and Stavros Kyriopoulos. Present at the session were Bishop Meletios of Brasília, the Ambassador of Cyprus Vasilis Philippou, the Greek-descended Ambassador of Canada Emmanuel Kamarianakis, the Consul General of Greece in São Paulo Thomas Matsoukas, the President of the American Branch of the Venizelos Foundation and President of the World Council of Cretans Nikos Kastrinakis, diplomats from other countries, and distinguished members of the Greek diaspora.
The day concluded with a formal dinner hosted by the Greek Ambassador in honor of the official guests, during which Greek wines imported into Brazil were prominently showcased. At all the events, the dance groups of the Greek Community of Brasília performed Cretan dances, along with the world-famous syrtaki by Mikis Theodorakis.
* The Venizelos Foundation, USA, operates in the United States to honor Eleftherios K. Venizelos. Its purpose is to work in lockstep and in collaboration with the National Research Foundation ‘Eleftherios K. Venizelos’ in Greece to educate, preserve, and promote the research and study of the Greek politician and statesman’s life and work, as well as his impact on Modern Greek history and world affairs.
