Live
Audio Only
"Books have changed our lives; they gave us our ideologies. Reading must be part of the construction of a new society," said Arce
On Oct 6, the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, inaugurated the 14° Cochabamba International Book Fair, the first face-to-face event of its kind in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
"I was always an avid reader and loved to visit this type of event," said the President during the ceremony. He also praised the event for its economic potential. "The fair has had an average of 35,000 visitors. We hope that this version can surpass that so that we can have many buyers, and little by little, we can transform our economy," said the statesman.
He was accompanied by Cristian Camara, Mayor of Trinidad, Pedro Gutierrez, Mayor of Sacaba, Councilwoman Marilyn Rivera, and board members of the Cultural Foundation of the Central Bank of Bolivia. According to Bolivia TV, Arce is the first president to inaugurate a book fair in Bolivia.
The rituals and celebrations of Bolivia’s miners created spaces for radical organizing and helped build solidarity during the 1952 National Revolution @bendanglhttps://t.co/g7Lnog0QUL
— ZNet (@UnofficialZnet) October 7, 2021
In his address, he recommended parents be an example for youth and show them that reading can increase the cultural levels of the country. He emphasized the potential books hold over society: "Books have changed our lives, they gave us our ideologies. Reading must be part of constructing a new society," said Arce.
Biosecurity concerns were a priority. The fair has a vaccination site to encourage those still unvaccinated. There are a wide array of buses to ease transportation, and visitors who show a vaccination certificate will enter the event for free.
Newsletter
