Italian Ambassador to Brazil, Francesco Azzarello has ended his official trip to the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The diplomat visited the capital, Porto Alegre and the industrial and wine-growing regions of Caxias do Sul, Bento Goncalves and Pinto Bandeira. On 5 April, the diplomatic mission kicked off with a meeting with staff from the Consulate General of Porto Alegre and the new Committee of Italians abroad, then continued with meetings with the Governor, the President of the Legislative Assembly, the Federation of State Industries and the Commander of the Southern Military Command, among others.
The Rio Grande do Sul – the fourth biggest economy in Brazil – was the destination for the first large-scale Italian emigration, mainly from the northeast and who now represent 30% of the total population.
