‘Delhi is a country in itself… India is like a continent’: Argentine Ambassador on why he is fond of Capital

Caucino has served as the Argentine Ambassador to Costa Rica (2016-17), Ambassador to Israel (2017-19), and Non-resident Ambassador to Cyprus (2018-19). Since 2024, he has been serving as the Argentine Ambassador to India. This year, he took charge as the Non-Resident Ambassador to Bhutan.

Caucino speaks to The Indian Express as part of a series of interviews with Ambassadors about Delhi — their home.

Excerpts:

One place in the city that you like visiting often.

The bookstores — Bahri Sons and Faqir Chand & Sons in Khan Market. I love bookstores all around the world, in my country, and in every place where I go. But here I find them very interesting. You have a great collection of books. Very accessible, and I think people write and read a lot here. I wish I had more time to read. I try to read one hour a day, but I’m not always able to do that. If I have a lot of work, sometimes I can’t. I try to read one book a week. But, sometimes, you are very busy and you can just read one book in a month.

What has stood out in Delhi during your stay?

I love the tuk-tuks (autos). I like Lodhi Garden very much. I think the city is very nice in terms of its plan, Rajpath, and the great boulevards. The amount of greenery you have here is enormous.

How do you deal with pollution?

Unfortunately, you have to be indoors. I wish I could be outdoors more often. I think you are going to solve that in a few years, thanks to technology. But I think I’m not going to be here. Maybe in five years. During the winter, the temperature is nice in the city because it’s not very cold.

What about the traffic? How do you deal with that?

I think it’s bad, but not so bad. It depends on the area you go to. Traffic is a problem all around the world, as long as you don’t have a good public transport system. I won’t say that the traffic here is worse than in other parts of the world. Which doesn’t mean that it’s perfect… no, of course.

Memories or encounters in Delhi that you’ll never forget?

I came here before becoming an ambassador, for a vacation some years ago with my wife. I have had the privilege to travel to more than 70 countries in the world. But India stood out to us the moment we arrived. It was amazing. When I was asked where I would be useful to serve as an ambassador, I requested to come here. Since India is a country that is developing so much…it is becoming one of the most important countries in the world. You are already the fifth-largest economy in the world, but you are going to soon become the third-largest economy.

It is a fascinating time to be in such an important country at this point in history. I liked India and Delhi very much from the very beginning, even before becoming an ambassador. I think the mix of cultures, the diversity, Hindu tradition, the legacy of the British period, and the Mughal era is also very interesting. Delhi is a country in itself, and India is like a continent.

Favourite food in the city?

I like Indian food very much, especially, when it’s not extremely spicy. You have to develop a different sort of Indian cuisine for foreigners. I like paneer. But it’s not good for me to eat a lot of it. I like chicken tikka very much

What is the one thing that you’ll miss the most about the city once you’re gone?

I think the one thing you miss the most when you leave a place is its people. And also, the routine that you become used to when you spend a certain amount of time in one place. I miss some things about the places where I’ve served before. I like Delhi very much. People are very nice to the ambassadors. They treat you very well. But the weather here is very complicated.

Are there any other similarities between Delhi and Argentina?

No, I don’t find stark similarities. This city is a mix of ancient Indian culture, influences from the Mughal period, and British culture. My country was part of the Spanish Empire before. We got independence more than 200 years ago. But it’s still a Latin country, so it’s different. I find things similar to my country in Spain, or even in Italy, but not here.

I found things here in Delhi that remind me of the United Kingdom, as I studied in the UK. Some parts of New Delhi, the language spoken in the city, the way they dress, the way they speak… even the political system. The newspapers, in some way, are also similar.

How is Delhi different from the other cities that you visited?

Each city in the world has its characteristics, its personality. What is amazing here is that the city is too extended. Delhi has nearly 30 million people living in the city. But in the city centre, there are no tall buildings. So, at least in this area where we live, where the ministries work, and that has the diplomatic enclaves, you don’t feel like Delhi is such a big city. My country has 45 million. So, my country is Delhi and a little more. This scale is very difficult for us to comprehend.