Youth reading and the creative economy are promoted in Latin America with support from the OEI.

The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) is positioning itself as a key player in promoting cultural development in the region this week, supporting the launch of the virtual event "Read Ibero-America Reads 2025" and launching a major creative economy mission in Brazil.

Two significant initiatives mark the Ibero-American cultural agenda this week, both with the active support of the OEI, demonstrating a coordinated strategy to strengthen the sector.

Under the motto "Bridges of Literature. Youth in Transition," the virtual event Read Ibero-America Reads 2025 kicks off this Tuesday, May 13 (and runs through the 17th). This event, supported by the OEI, seeks to:

* Promote reading among the region's young populations.

* Explore new ways of reading and writing in today's digital and social context.

* Address the changing realities of youth (identity, migration, technology) through literature.

The full program and registration are available on the event website (leeriberoamericalee.com), offering a space for dialogue and exchange for teachers, librarians, reading mediators, and the general public interested in young adult literature.

At the same time, an Ibero-American creative economy mission launched in São Paulo on Monday, May 12th. This initiative, jointly promoted by the OEI, the Brazilian Ministry of Culture, and the Itaú Cultura Foundation, aims to:

* Promote the exchange of experiences and good practices in the cultural and creative industries sector.

* Explore the potential of culture as a driver of economic and social development in the region.

* Includes an international seminar on culture and development, with programming open to the public in São Paulo.

The focus on the "creative economy" directly links culture with innovation, entrepreneurship, and opportunity generation, a strategic area for Latin American growth.

In Chile, also this Monday, Arts Education Week 2025 was inaugurated in the Araucanía Region. The event pays tribute to poet and educator Gabriela Mistral, 80 years after she received the Nobel Prize in Literature, highlighting her legacy through her work "Recados." The inauguration featured music, dance, and theater performances by students.

These diverse activities reflect a regional effort to value and promote culture and education as fundamental tools for Ibero-American development and identity.