FILVEN 2025, held between July 3-13, has an extensive program comprising workshops, lectures, and recitals. (filven.com)
Caracas, July 9, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – President Nicolás Maduro inaugurated the 21st edition of the Venezuelan International Book Fair (FILVEN), showcasing 18 publishing houses from 10 countries.
Maduro opened the event last Thursday, emphasizing the importance of celebrating the diversity of knowledge, culture, and identity. He called for a stand against “supremacism” and in favor of inclusivity.
“Venezuela is a nation with a resilient identity, forged through centuries of struggle. Our history, culture, and perseverance stand in defiance of Eurocentrism and Northcentrism,” Maduro affirmed. “We reject Nazism and its legacy of supremacism, which today continues against the people in Gaza”.
The Venezuelan president also announced a special plan to distribute printed books to schools nationwide, with the aim of “strengthening book culture among the younger generation.”
FILVEN was founded by President Hugo Chávez in 2005 as a key policy of Venezuela’s “cultural revolution,” the term used to describe the cultural renaissance the country experienced during his government.
It is held annually, attracting thousands of attendees and featuring numerous international invitees. This year’s guest of honor was the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The latest edition’s motto is “Reading Humanizes”, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the passing of revolutionary Venezuelan folk singer Alí Primera and his famous lyric, “Let humanity be human.”
FILVEN 2025 features an extensive program comprising workshops, lectures, and recitals, organized around three main themes: Venezuelan narrative; the commune as a space for transformation through reading; and a cultural journey through Egypt, from the Library of Alexandria to the digital age.
Held at Caracas’ National Art Gallery (GAN) and Plaza de la Juventud, the book fair includes a spacious children’s area dedicated to reading and craft activities. This section features the Orinoco and Nile rivers—key geographical elements of Venezuela and Egypt, respectively—symbolically connecting the histories of South America and Africa.
As the guest of honor, Egypt has its dedicated pavilion showcasing a diverse selection of national authors, along with a variety of handicrafts. The Egyptian delegation includes more than thirty writers, editors, and government officials. The cultural initiative also marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Egypt.
The event has likewise featured numerous book presentations, including Cuban historian Yadira Rachel Vargas Horta’s “Afroestima Stories: My Curly Hair,” which explores Afro-descendant heritage, acceptance and self-love from an early age.
Argentine author and representative of Editorial Sudestada, Natalia Bericat, debuted her book “Malparidas,” which sheds light on gender violence from a historical perspective. She also praised FILVEN’s diversity, especially the number of women, poets and writers.
On Monday, Rosinés Chávez Rodríguez, the youngest daughter of Hugo Chávez, made her authorial debut with “The Boat of Our Unfinished Dreams,” a collection of 70 poems written since 2013 that narrate her emotional journey of coping with her father’s loss.
This year’s fair honored writers Judith Valencia, Esteban Emilio Mosonyi, Marc de Civrieux, Gonzalo Fragui, and the cherished Venezuelan poet, plastic artist, and art critic, Juan Calzadilla, who recently passed away.
The 21st FILVEN edition will conclude on July 13 before traveling to other states across the country over the coming months.
Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja in México City, México.
