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Venezuelan Minister of Culture Ernesto Villegas and the director of Books and Publications of the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa, Cathrine Mokoena, accompanied by distinguished guests, inaugurate the International Book Fair of Venezuela 2024. Photo: FILVEN.
This Thursday, the 20th Venezuela International Book Fair (FILVEN 2024) was inaugurated by the Venezuelan Minister of Culture Ernesto Villega at the National Art Gallery (GAN) headquarters in Caracas. The book fair will continue until Sunday, July 21, and there will be 630 programs, including book presentations, forums, conferences, lectures, round tables, and shows at the Children and Youth Pavilion. Benito Yrady is the author of honor, and South Africa is the guest of honor at this year’s FILVEN.
“This house of modern arts is combined with books and reading to promote culture,” said Minister of Culture Ernesto Villegas during the opening ceremony on July 11. He was accompanied by Venezuela’s deputy minister for the Promotion of Cultural Economy and president of the National Book Center (CENAL), Raúl Cazal, and the director of Books and Publications at the South African Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, Cathrine Mokoena.
Minister Villegas thanked the special guests from South Africa for their brotherhood and recalled the example of Nelson Mandela. He said that this fair will help strengthen ties and bring the Venezuelan people closer to the culture, literature, and history of South Africa, which is celebrating 30 years since the end of apartheid and has brought its motto: “30 steps for freedom” to FILVEN 2024.
Minister Villegas also underscored South Africa’s solidarity with Palestine and valued the courage of its government in promoting an international trial against the genocide committed by the Zionist entity against Palestinians.
He toured the South African pavilion, which, through virtual reality and 3D glasses, will allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauties, historical sites, and other features of South Africa.
He also congratulated the Peruvian-Venezuelan artist and muralist Felipe García, who is exhibiting his works at FILVEN for the first time.
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Four books by Benito Yrady and other titles
Minister Villegas announced that at FILVEN 2024, homage will be paid to the renowned Venezuelan author Benito Yrady. In addition, Delta Amacuro state will have significant participation as a special guest. He also said that homage will be paid to the publishing house Biblioteca Ayacucho for 50 years since its founding, to the magazine Tricolor for 75 years since its founding, and to the novel Ifigenia by Venezuelan author and feminist icon Teresa de la Parra for the centenary of its publication.
The deputy minister of Culture and president of CENAL, Raúl Cazal, explained that in homage to Benito Yrady, several books of his authorship will be presented, among them a new edition of the winner of the Stefania Mosca National Literature Award El Libro de Cruz Quinal, along with Un siglo con María Magdalena Rodríguez, La caja de los truenos, and Historia del señor Cody.
“Benito is usually associated with the defense of cultural and material heritage, but he is a prolific writer,” Minister Villegas said.
Minister Villegas greeted the participating publishers, including those of the Ministry of Culture’s book platform, such as Monte Ávila, which has published a new edition of Teresa de la Parra’s novel Ifigenia with a prologue by Laura Antillano for the 100th anniversary of its publication, and Biblioteca Ayacucho, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has published Memorias de una paria y otros textos by Flora Tristán with a prologue by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
Among the books available at FILVEN, Minister Villegas highlighted De Hitler a Milei. Curiosidades de mentes criminales by Carlos Rozanski, from Ciccus publishing house. He urged visitors to visit the book’s presentation on Tuesday, July 16, at 2:00 p.m.
Minister Villegas further explained that FILVEN will honor the Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity (RED-H), celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Its chapter in Venezuela is headed by writer and intellectual Luis Britto García, who attended the inauguration ceremony.
Ten days of celebration of books and reading
“I hope you can not only participate in this ceremony but also take advantage of these 10 days ahead. Ten days of celebration of books and reading, where we will also see the arts accompanying our people who read,” said Minister Villegas to those present at the inauguration.
Diplomatic representatives from South Africa, Serbia, Honduras, Russia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Colombia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Korea were present at the inauguration. Other distinguished guests were also present, such as Spanish political scientist Juan Carlos Monedero and poet and Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab.
This is the second time that FILVEN is being held at the National Art Gallery (GAN). “We come back here with a huge square to be inaugurated, several thousand square meters that will be added to the public spaces available in Caracas. After the inauguration of the square, this GAN building will have a beautiful façade,” commented Minister Villegas, illustrating the progress achieved in the cultural field since 2022, when FILVEN was held at the GAN for the first time, despite the unilateral coercive measures.
“It is not only about maintaining a cultural agenda; the goal is to increase the cultural space available for Venezuelans in a very rough, very difficult, complex context. But that context exalts every step we take on the path to ensure greater cultural rights for the Venezuelan people,” Villegas said.
He recalled that Commander Hugo Chávez created FILVEN 20 years ago. “And it has not stopped. Instead, it continues to expand,” he said.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
