Raquel Peña defines the 2025 Book Fair as a mirror of the identity and hope of the Dominican people

Santo Domingo. – The Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, highlighted the importance of the Santo Domingo 2025 International Book Fair (FILSD 2025) by defining it as a space that reflects the identity of the Dominican people and, at the same time, projects hope towards the future. During the inaugural event held at the Eduardo Brito National Theater, Peña greeted the authorities present and stated that the fair “is not a simple point on the cultural calendar, but a mirror in which we look at ourselves, which reflects what we have been, what we are and what we aspire to be.” The vice president highlighted that the literary meeting constitutes much more than a book exhibition.

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“When thousands of Dominicans cross the doors of the fair, they will not simply be buying books or observing shelves, they will be claiming a right: the right to imagine, to create and, above all, to be free,” he stated.

Peña called to understand reading as an act of hope and an exercise in dialogue and coexistence that strengthens the construction of a more just country.

“I have faith that our children and grandchildren will inherit a better future, because culture and knowledge are the foundations for achieving it,” he stated.

In her speech, the vice president paid an emotional tribute to the historian Frank Moya Pons, to whom this edition of the FILSD is dedicated, calling him a “synonym for research and love for Dominican history.”

“Thank you, Maestro Moya, for reminding us of our history with passion and truth, as you have been doing throughout your life,” he expressed.

He also highlighted the fair’s commitment to children and young people, considering them the key to ensuring the continuity of culture and national values.