Venezuela Launches the 19th World Poetry Festival Honoring Belen Ojeda

The Silk Road Today, Caracas, Venezuela — May 29, 2025

At a vibrant press conference today, Venezuela officially launched the 19th World Poetry Festival, to be held from July 14 to 20, 2025, gathering voices from the five continents in a celebration of poetic expression, cultural dialogue, and political consciousness.

The event was inaugurated by a distinguished panel of cultural and literary figures Ana María Oviedo Palomares, beloved Venezuelan poet and main organizer of the festival, Freddy Ñáñez, poet and Minister of Communication and Information, Ernesto Villegas, writer and Minister of Culture, The Ambassador of Palestine in Caracas, representing solidarity in this year’s theme and the festival’s honoree, the acclaimed Venezuelan poet, translator, musician, and researcher Belén Ojeda.

Also present were internationally renowned poets Luis Alberto Crespo, Leonardo Ruiz, José Javier Sánchez, and Antonio Trujillo, who joined in celebrating this poetic milestone.

This year, the festival takes a bold step toward decentralization and inclusion: for the first time, poetry will arrive in the Essequibo, giving birth to a new chapter — the Festival of Poetry and the Sun, a symbolic act of cultural affirmation and territorial presence.

Honoring Belén Ojeda

The festival pays tribute to Belén Ojeda, one of Venezuela’s most important poetic voices. In her address, Ojeda expressed deep gratitude:

“I thank the organizers of this event for making poetry a space of permanence and diversity.”

Her life’s work bridges music, language, and resistance — themes that will echo throughout the readings and performances across the country.

Poetry with a Purpose

More than a literary gathering, the World Poetry Festival of Venezuela continues its commitment to denouncing injustice. This edition stands in firm solidarity with Palestine, condemning what the organizers describe as “the war of extermination carried out by the Nazi-fascist and Zionist state of Israel against the Palestinian people.”

“We will not tire of using every possible medium to raise our voice in support of Palestine,” affirmed Ana María Oviedo Palomares.

A Nation of Poets

Oviedo Palomares recalled the rich national participation in the festival’s previous edition, highlighting 22 poets from across Venezuela’s diverse regions:

• Alejo Vivas (Táchira), Daniel Arella (Mérida), Edgar Méndez (Zulia), Edy Barboza Blanco (Yaracuy), Eloísa Soto (Miranda/Mérida), Esmeralda Torres (Sucre), Franklin Fernández (Sucre), Gabriel Jiménez Emán (Yaracuy), Jasmil Mendoza León (Mérida), Jhon Gallardo (Amazonas), José Ángel Fernández (Wayuu Nation), Julio Borromé (Trujillo), Kristel Guirado (Miranda/Aragua), Luis Alberto Angulo (Valencia/Barinas), Milagro Meleán (Zulia/Mérida), Miriam Caldera (La Guaira/Caracas), Mohammed Abí Hassan (Anzoátegui/Carabobo), Morela Maneiro (Kariña Nation), Raúl García Palma (Barinas), Simón Zambrano (Portuguesa/Mérida), Venus Ledezma (Zulia), and Víctor Manuel Pinto (Carabobo).

Poets residing in Caracas but with roots in other parts of the country also enriched the festival, creating a tapestry of voices representative of Venezuela’s poetic landscape.

In past editions, the festival has honored revered figures such as:
Ramón Palomares, Anne Enriqueta Terán, Juan Calzadilla, Reynaldo Pérez Só, Luis Alberto Crespo, Edmundo Aray, Luis Camilo Guevara, Gustavo Pereira, Pedro Ruiz, Leonardo G. Ruiz, Tarek William Saab, and Enrique Hernández de Jesús.

“It’s Worldwide, it’s Poetry, and it’s Venezuela,” stated Oviedo Palomares.

Global Voices in Dialogue

Among the special international guests for the 19th edition is Alexandra Cretté, who shared her excitement:

“I have great pleasure to be invited this year as a poet at the 19th Venezuela International Poetry Festival. It’s an honor and a joy.”

With readings, recitals, music, and political commitment, Venezuela’s 19th World Poetry Festival promises to be a landmark edition — a poetic uprising from the heart of Latin America to the world.

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For media inquiries, interviews, or more information, contact:
Festival Press Office
Email: [festivalpoesia@cultura.gob.ve]
Website: [www.festivalmundialpoesia.ve]