Rabat – Morocco will be the guest of honor at the 21st Panama International Book Fair, taking place from August 11 to 17 at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City.
This is the first time Morocco is participating as a guest of honor in a Latin American country’s book fair.
This reflects the growing and strong ties between Morocco and Panama, as well as Morocco’s expanding cultural relations with many Latin American countries, said the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication in a press release.
The ministry will organize a variety of “intellectual, heritage, and artistic” events at the fair. Visitors will have the chance to explore Morocco’s rich culture and heritage through several exhibitions.
Highlights include a documentary display featuring a collection of books published by the ministry to showcase Morocco’s traditional and modern cultural elements. There will also be replicas of Moroccan manuscripts, as well as printed documents on Moroccan intellectual and creative achievements, including works written in Spanish.
The Moroccan pavilion will also feature heritage exhibitions with panels introducing key aspects of Morocco’s civilization and famous historical figures. There will be displays of traditional local handicrafts, such as carpets.
In addition, the ministry will hold a series of events including talks and seminars about topics shared by Morocco and Panama. These will cover Morocco’s relations with Latin America, the richness of Moroccan culture and its diversity, Moroccan literature and its global openness, and the Andalusian heritage shared between Morocco and Latin America. The program will also include poetry readings and book signings.
For children and youth, Morocco will offer workshops on traditional crafts like weaving, pottery, and mosaic tile work. Storytelling sessions will feature Moroccan folktales, accompanied by performances of Andalusian and Gnaoua music.
Morocco’s growing partnership with Panama has been strengthened by a major diplomatic development in late 2024, when Panama officially suspended its ties with the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and expressed clear support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
This historic shift, reaffirmed during high-level meetings in 2025, reflects Panama’s alignment with Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most credible solution to the dispute.
Panama’s position carries significant international influence as it currently serves as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
