Nicolás Maduro Opens Venezuela’s International Book Fair

President Nicolás Maduro inaugurated the 21st edition of the Venezuela International Book Fair (Filven) today in Caracas. The event will run through July 13 under the theme “Reading Humanizes,” with participation from countries across all five continents.

Speaking from the National Art Gallery, one of the event’s main venues along with the nearby Plaza de la Juventud, President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores held a conversation with Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fouad Abdelsalam Hanno, and the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Ahmed Abdallah Zayed Hegad.

Also present in the discussion were Egypt’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Kareem Amin, Venezuela’s Minister of Culture, Ernesto Villegas, and Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who this year celebrates the 45th anniversary of his literary career.

President Maduro toured several Egyptian stands, where he interacted with publishers and received a selection of books—part of the more than two tons of ancient and contemporary literature brought to the annual literary celebration.

The North African country’s delegation, comprising more than thirty members, also brought a wide array of cultural artifacts to showcase Egypt’s millennia-old heritage at Filven 2025.

During the event, Minister Villegas welcomed the delegations from 18 participating countries and recalled that the Book Fair was founded by the late President Hugo Chávez 21 years ago. He noted that the fair would travel to various regions throughout Venezuela in the coming months.

Villegas emphasized that this year’s guest of honor is Egypt, along with the state of Guayana Esequiba. Five distinguished Venezuelan intellectuals will be honored: Esteban Emilio Mosonyi, Jean Marc Sellier de Civrieux, Judith Valencia, Gonzalo Fragui, and Juan Calzadilla.

He added that the event’s theme is not arbitrary, but a necessary call echoing Venezuelan folk singer Alí Primera’s words: “Let humanity be humane.”

Maduro described the International Book Fair as a celebration of culture and writing and highlighted Venezuela’s “strong identity, built through centuries of struggle.”

He spoke about the cultural diversity present at Filven and affirmed that “humanity has prevailed and will continue to prevail, because supremacism and hegemonism have no place in the 21st century.”

The president invoked the memory of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and praised the Cuban literacy method Yo, sí puedo, which helped over a million Venezuelans learn to read and write.

In that context, Maduro proposed the creation of a permanent national literacy initiative to promote reading and printed books at all levels—in schools, high schools, universities, cultural centers, senior homes, and community councils.

Writers and publishers from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Egypt, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, and Türkiye are participating in the 21st edition of Filven.