"In this globalized world, culture is one of the main shelters for identity, autonomy and distinctive characterization, culture is what still strongly confronts the homogenizing attempts of such attitudes", Borja told the Prensa Latina news agency during a working visit to France.

He said that to this end, Ecuador is organizing an Ecuadorian festival in France, as part of an agreement reached in 2013 by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and French President Francois Hollade.

Borja said that the program of the event, to be held in 2016, includes art exhibitions, meetings with writers and poets, symposia, performances by musical groups, singers and other activities.

The core of the festival will be the exhibition of 250 pre-Columbian archaeological pieces from Ecuador, related to shamans and gods of their native peoples.