The Government of Mexico included Cuba in the educational and cultural project “25 para el 25”, a regional initiative aimed at promote reading among young people in Latin America through the free distribution of books.
The program, promoted by the president Claudia Sheinbaum Through the Economic Culture Fund (FCE), it plans to deliver 2.5 million copies to people between 15 and 30 years old in 14 countries in the region, including Cuba.
The collection brings together 27 titles by authors considered fundamental to Latin American and universal literature, reported an office from EFE.
Today we participate in the launch of the “25 for 25” project, from #Cubabeautiful initiative from the dear President @Claudiasheinwhich we interpret as a bridge of paper and ink that unites the youth of our America: more than 2 million free books for them! pic.twitter.com/DETCRmwJvL
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) December 18, 2025
During the presentation event, held at the National Capitol in Havana before around a thousand young people, Miguel Díaz-Canel described the initiative as “generous” and stressed that it will allow thousands of Cuban adolescents and young people to access relevant literary works for free.
He stated that the books “give continuity to an endearing and profound dialogue” between Cuba and Mexico, with shared historical and cultural roots, he said. Granma.
Relations between Cuba and Mexico
The president defined the project as “a bridge of paper and ink that unites the youth of our America” and pointed out that each volume constitutes an invitation to reflect on the past and present of the region from multiple perspectives.
The collection includes texts by authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Benedetti, Eduardo Galeano, Juan Gelman, Miguel Ángel Asturias, Amparo Dávila, Blanca Varela, Piedad Bonnett, Juan Carlos Onetti, Andrés Caicedo and Sergio Ramírez, among others.
According to official information, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and Argentina actively participated in the editorial production of the bookswhile distribution will also extend to countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru and Mexico.
The project is supported by a network of alliances with governments and cultural institutions for printing, distribution and copyright management.
The president @Claudiashein led the delivery of the collection in the capital’s Zócalo #25ForThe25an initiative to promote reading through the free distribution of 2.5 million books in Mexico and Latin America.
During the event, he invited young people to… pic.twitter.com/iELXG4mcyp
— Secretary of Culture (@cultura_mx) December 18, 2025
The Mexican ambassador to Cuba, Miguel Díaz Reynoso, also participated in the event, highlighting the symbolism of the place and the broad youth presence, and conveyed greetings from President Sheinbaum.
The diplomat stressed the importance of giving a central space to books, culture and hope in a regional context marked by social and economic challenges.
