At a press conference, Casa de las Americas President Abel Prieto described the presence of this poet as important because it would mean a sort of recognition of this genre, so affected by the ups and downs of the market, he pointed out.

He considered that defending poetry from Havana, a genre he calls the queen of culture and humanism, and a supreme expression of what humans aspire to be, is very significant.

The speech delivered by Boccanera, who is also a playwright and an essayist, at the Che Guevara Hall at Casa de las Americas will officially open the program of this event, which will start with the formal presentation of the three categories in competition: novel, poetry and essay.

The working sessions will run until January 28, the day when the winners will be announced, among 140 works selected.

The countries with the highest number of participants in this edition are Argentina, Cuba, Mexico and Colombia.

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