Claudia Sheinbaum Leads Free Distribution of 2.5 Million Books in the FCE’s “25 for 25” Collection

Background on Claudia Sheinbaum and the Fondo de Cultura Económica (FCE)

Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, recently led a free book distribution event in Mexico City’s Zócalo for the FCE’s “25 for 25” collection. This initiative aims to provide young people in Mexico and other Latin American countries with access to literature, fostering a new collective consciousness through reading.

Paco Ignacio Taibo II, the General Director of FCE, emphasized the importance of promoting reading and international cooperation in distributing these books. The collection comprises 27 titles by Latin American authors, distributed across six countries: Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico.

The Significance of the “25 for 25” Collection

Sheinbaum highlighted the value of reading against the backdrop of instant gratification offered by social media. She stated, “Reading a book fosters the construction of consciousness and collective reflection, something that social networks can never provide.”

This initiative distributes 2.5 million free books, with 100,000 copies of each title, targeting individuals aged 15 to 30 in Mexico and other Latin American nations. The goal is to encourage reading and create youth networks centered around literature.

List of Included Titles

1. Cómo tirar contra la muerte, de Juan Gelman
2. Space Invaders, de Nona Fernández
3. El vaso de leche y otras historias, de Manuel Rojas
4. Poemas, de Raúl Zurita
5. Los privilegios del olvido, de Piedad Bonnett
6. Operación Carlota, de Gabriel García Márquez
7. Poemas, de Roberto Fernández Retamar
8. La muerte de Tyrone Power, de Miguel Donoso Pareja
9. Las historias prohibidas de Pulgarcito, de Roque Dalton
10. Réquiem por Teresa, de Dante Liano
11. Vientos de primavera con prólogo de Elena Poniatowska, de Alaíde Foppa
12. Week-end en Guatemala, de Miguel Ángel Asturias
13. Guerra en el paraíso, de Carlos Montemayor
14. Disparos en la oscuridad, de Fabrizio Mejía Madrid
15. Duermevelas, de Adela Fernández
16. Cuentos, de Guadalupe Dueñas
17. Música concreta, de Amparo Dávila
18. El zorro, de Sergio Ramírez
19. Agua, de José María Arguedas
20. Canto villano, de Blanca Varela
21. La maravillosa vida breve de Ernesto Guevara, de Eduardo Galeano
22. Geografías, de Mario Benedetti
23. Habla palabra, de Luis Britto García
24. Los anarquistas expropiadores, de Osvaldo Bayer
25. Cuentos, de Juan Carlos Onetti
26. El atravesado, de Andrés Caicedo
27. Mañana es lejos, de Eduardo Rosenzvaig

Key Questions and Answers

• What is the “25 for 25” collection? It’s a free book distribution initiative by the FCE, providing 2.5 million copies of 27 titles by Latin American authors to young people aged 15-30 in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
• Who are the authors included in this collection? The list includes Juan Gelman, Nona Fernández, Manuel Rojas, Raúl Zurita, Piedad Bonnett, Gabriel García Márquez, Roberto Fernández Retamar, Miguel Donoso Pareja, Roque Dalton, Dante Liano, Alaíde Foppa, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Carlos Montemayor, Fabrizio Mejía Madrid, Adela Fernández, Guadalupe Dueñas, Amparo Dávila, Sergio Ramírez, José María Arguedas, Blanca Varela, Eduardo Galeano, Mario Benedetti, Luis Britto García, Osvaldo Bayer, Juan Carlos Onetti, Andrés Caicedo, and Eduardo Rosenzvaig.
• Which countries are part of this initiative? The books will be distributed in Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico.
• What is the significance of this initiative? The initiative aims to foster a new collective consciousness through reading and create youth networks centered around literature, countering the instant gratification offered by social media.