Panama/Costa Rica, October 22, 2024. Centroamérica Cuenta and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Latin America and the Caribbean signed a cooperation agreement to promote knowledge and public debate on topics related to democracy and sustainable development through culture.

This partnership will allow both institutions—drawing from their experiences—to collaborate in promoting Latin American and Caribbean literature and its connection to the challenges of democracies and development through dialogues, training workshops, cultural products, and festivals within the Ibero-American space, highlighting local and regional identities.

"Through Centroamérica Cuenta, we offer a platform for the most representative voices from various fields of arts and sciences. Therefore, this alliance represents a special opportunity for the dissemination of these initiatives and their contribution to development and democracy, which are fundamental aspects for building more equitable and just societies," said Claudia Neira Bermúdez, director of Centroamérica Cuenta.

The cooperation will address how cultural expressions and literary creations from various genres can serve as a meeting and exchange point for the multiple identities that coexist in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing a path toward peacebuilding, democracy, and development.

"As UNDP, we recognize culture as a central element of democracy and sustainable development. That is why we are pleased to seal this alliance with Centroamérica Cuenta—one of the most important literary festivals in the region—to generate dialogues and reflections based on the extraordinary cultural richness of Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to the construction of more just and inclusive societies," said Michelle Muschett, UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

This agreement reinforces the commitment of Centroamérica Cuenta and UNDP to elevate culture as a key driver of knowledge and the promotion of values of democratic coexistence, bringing us closer to achieving more informed and sustainable societies.

About Centroamérica Cuenta:

Centroamérica Cuenta is a literary festival that promotes critical thinking through literature and the arts. It was founded in Managua in 2013 by Sergio Ramírez, winner of the 2017 Cervantes Prize, and is currently held in two formats: a virtual one that lasts all year, and a face-to-face and itinerant one in cities in the Central American region, the Caribbean, and Europe. It is the most important literary event in the region, and its main purpose is to contribute to the projection and dissemination of Ibero-American literature from Central America.

Its programming includes dialogues, training workshops, book presentations, and poetry recitals where authors discuss and reflect on literary creation, diaspora, identity, writing, memory, diversity, gender, human rights, freedom of expression, democracy, film, music, science, narrative, and journalism, among other topics.

The festival has held more than 400 events, with the most representative voices from Latin America, Spain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

More information at https://www.centroamericacuenta.com

About UNDP
UNDP is the lead United Nations agency fighting the injustice of poverty, inequalities and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations develop integrated and sustainable solutions for people and planet.

More information at https://www.undp.org/ 

Media Contacts:

 
Centroamérica Cuenta

Alba Rodríguez, prensa@centroamericacuenta.com 

UNDP

Vanessa Hidalgo, vanessa.hidalgo@undp.org (+1 646 338 9462)