President Arévalo Highlights the Values of Reading and the Phenomenon of Migration
The Guatemalan president inaugurated the International Book Fair in Guatemala, themed around migration, reports AGN. Arévalo emphasized the values of reading as a foundational element of national identity and migration, a modern social phenomenon impacting the hemisphere.
In his opening speech at Filgua 2024, he stated that reading builds identity and highlighted the significance of this year’s theme of migration. He noted that migration, on one hand, “puts pressure on our identity, but on the other, strengthens and broadens it.”
For many migrants, the written word is a link that anchors their spirit to a land and community from which they may be physically distant for years but never cease to belong.
He quoted writer Lucrecia Méndez de Penedo, honored at Filgua 2024, who reflects on the transformative power of reading, which allows us to gain a critical perspective and open up to often invisible and silenced voices.
¡La @FILGuatemala vuelve a abrir sus puertas (y portadas ?)!
Ven a la Feria para celebrar la literatura y la cultura como motores de nuestro desarrollo. Descubriendo y aprendiendo, Guatemala sale adelante. ??? pic.twitter.com/gKEF7zKpoo
— Gobierno Guatemala (@GuatemalaGob) July 4, 2024
A Passion for Reading
President Arévalo, who confessed to having acquired this passion for reading from a young age, mentioned that he has been a regular attendee of Filgua editions with his children and grandchildren. He remarked that he has participated in previous editions as a reader, an author, and even as a presidential candidate last year, presenting his government project for the 2023 elections.
Additionally, he highlighted the homage Filgua pays to one of Guatemala’s literary icons, Nobel Prize laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias, marking 50 years since his death and 125 years since his birth.
Guatemala and Reading
The inauguration of Filgua 2024, held in its usual venue in Zone 11 of the capital, was attended by the Ministers of Culture and Sports, Liwy Grazioso, and Education, Anabella Giracca, and the city’s mayor, Ricardo Quiñónez, among other officials.
Writers, academics, members of the Guatemalan Publishers Association (AGEG), and the general public also attended the opening, which will run until July 14.
President Arévalo emphasized that the fair’s existence showcases the drive of those who dare to think big despite adversity.
He noted the significant effort in shaping and disseminating Guatemala’s narrative capital in a country where many still lack the opportunity to learn to read, leisure time is limited, and independent thought was repressed until recently.
He stressed that the government is working hard to ensure democracy, including the right to free expression and access to literature, becomes a permanent reality in Guatemala, and to guarantee these events take place in maximum freedom.
En la Sala Marilena López se presentó la revista Franco-colombiana”Figuras maestras de las Américas en el surrealismo: tomo II Rodolfo Abularach”, que busca exponer las voces de los artistas en la diaspora.#Filgua2024#VeníAlaFilgua #HablemosdeMigración pic.twitter.com/BLigRwzvsK
— FILGUA (@FILGuatemala) July 4, 2024
Migration: “A Narrative of Resilience and Courage”
Minister Grazioso highlighted that migration, the theme of this year’s Filgua, represents not only a social phenomenon but also a narrative of resilience and courage.
She celebrated the written word and the cultural diversity intertwined in Guatemala due to various human movements, noting that everyone is a migrant in the journey of life.
The XXI International Book Fair in Guatemala, organized by AGEG and MCD, with the theme “Let’s Talk About Migration,” is dedicated to writer and journalist Francisco Pérez de Antón, author of over 26 books and winner of the 2011 Miguel Ángel Asturias National Literature Prize.
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