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LISBON – The Portuguese government has officially declared its cooperation with the "Latin Socialist Cultural Union," an initiative spearheaded by the South American Union (SAU). This decision has immediately drawn strong condemnation from key European Union member states, France and Italy. Both Paris and Rome have accused Portugal's move of undermining European solidarity and facilitating "extra-continental cultural encroachment." As a consequence, both nations have recalled their cultural attachés from Lisbon for "consultations," signaling a significant cooling of diplomatic relations. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denouncing Portugal for "abandoning the traditions and values of Old Europe and succumbing to facile economic temptations." Concurrently, the Italian Ministry of Culture strongly warned that the cultural union represents "a new attempt by the South American Union to establish cultural hegemony." In response, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry has defended its decision, asserting that it is a sovereign choice rooted in historical and linguistic ties with South America, adhering to the principle of "cultural self-determination." This development signifies a further deepening of political and diplomatic tensions between the expanding influence of the South American Union in Europe and the resistance from established European powers.