World Poetry Movement participants hailed by Venezuelan President, ministers

(From left): Pedro Ruiz, Hanan Awwad, President Nicolás Maduro, Fernando Rendon, Francis Combes, Nimrod Bena , and Rati Saxena

By Ashraf Aboul-Yazid

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro received the icons of the World Poetry Movement (WPM), headed by the General Coordinator of the Movement, the Colombian poet Fernando Réndon.

President Maduro expressed his country’s pride in hosting the 17th World Poetry Festival and the First World Congress of World Poetry Movement (WPM), with the participation of 70 international poets and 200 national poets.

The festival, which concluded on July 23, was held in the capital, Caracas, and 12 other Venezuelan states, where poets and poetesses participated in concerts, poetry readings, discussion tables and literary workshops.

“Poetry is the strength of the soul that is expressed through creativity coupled with the beauty of words,” Maduro said on state television in his regular program (With Maduro), welcoming all international poets to his country.

Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas, who accompanied Maduro in his program, said that “the Venezuelan people, with their heroic resistance, have obtained the right of poetry and culture to make its way to the public agenda.”

“We can gather here because there has been conscious Venezuelan people who defeated fascism and today, they can host an activity like this. Male and female poets are welcome, because where there is poetry, fascism is not allowed,” Villegas said.

The minister had inaugurated the World Poetry Movement Conference in Caracas, accompanied by the poet Freddy Ñañez, Vice President for Communication, Culture and Tourism, and Fernando Rendón, General Coordinator of the World Poetry Movement (WPM).

The inauguration of the first world congress of the World Poetry Movement (WPM)

WPM – which held its first World Congress in Medellin (Colombia) and Caracas (Venezuela) – issued a five-year strategic plan (2023-2028), aimed at consolidating poetry and culture as creative elements for peoples, a message of peace and a call to protect the planet.

President Maduro highlighted the participation of more than 2,500 youths from Venezuelan high schools and educational institutions who were trained at the “Juan Calzadilla” National School of Poetry in the meetings.

The delegation welcomed by the Venezuelan president included iconic Palestinian poet Hanan Awwad who represented the Arab poets participating in the World Poetry Movement Conference (Ashraf Aboul Yazid, Egypt, Ashour Fenni, Algeria, Khaled al-Raysouni, Morocco, Tarik El Tayyib, Sudan, Ali al-Ameri, Jordan-Palestine).

Chadian poet Nimrod Bena represented African poets, French poet Francis Combes represented European poets, Indian poet Rati Saxena represented Asian poets. The honored Venezuelan poet Pedro Ruiz also attended the session.

An evening of the 17th edition of the Venezuelan International Poetry Festival (July 2023)

Maduro applauded the opening night of his guests who took turns reciting poetry.

After placing the Palestinian keffiyeh on his shoulders, Awwad presented a selection of her books to the Venezuelan president.

She also read one of her poems, which she dedicated to the late President Yasser Arafat.

Her presence at the Venezuelan International Poetry Festival received a warm welcome and great cheers for Palestine.