The Ministry of Public Education and the Ministry of Culture and Youth in Costa Rica marked World Book and Copyright Day with a national civic event at the Fidel Gamboa Amphitheater, located in the National Center for Culture, on April 23. More than 300 students from various schools attended the celebration, which also brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives from educational and cultural sectors.
The event served as the official launch of “Costa Rica Lee,” a nationwide initiative designed to encourage daily reading by dedicating fifteen minutes each day to literature. The program is coordinated by several ministries including Culture and Youth, Public Education, National Planning and Economic Policy, as well as Labor and Social Security. As part of this strategy, participants took part in the first “National Reading Pause,” featuring an oral narration of Carlos Luis Sáenz’s story “El Sisimique” by Wilmer Oconitrillo.
Minister of Culture and Youth Jorge Rodríguez Vives said that this effort places reading at the center of everyday life: “la lectura es un derecho cultural y una herramienta poderosa para el encuentro, la imaginación y la construcción de ciudadanía. Cuando abrimos espacios para leer juntos, fortalecemos nuestra identidad, ampliamos oportunidades y acercamos la cultura a la vida diaria de las personas.”
Artistic performances were also included in the program. Children and young people presented acts such as “El último guardián de las historias,” a circus show integrating literature with art through music performed by students from Castella Conservatory’s Intermediate and Advanced Bands.
Minister of Public Education José Leonardo Sánchez Hernández said that these initiatives are central to his Strategic Priority Work Plan for strengthening literacy skills: “estas iniciativas son clave para consolidar los aprendizajes esenciales. Me siento orgulloso de ver a tantos niños y jóvenes disfrutar de la literatura; solo así podemos garantizar que nuestros estudiantes cuenten con bases sólidas para su formación académica.”
The ceremony concluded with a symbolic book donation to students as part of an institutional commitment to expand access to reading materials across Costa Rica.
