Panama will transform into a hub for Iberoamerican literature and thought this May. The Festival Centroam\u00e9rica Cuenta returns for its second Panamanian edition from May 18 to 23, bringing together over 80 writers, artists, and thinkers from 18 countries. The event aims to foster regional dialogue through a diverse program spanning literature, film, journalism, and music.<\/p>\n
Organizers detailed an agenda that moves beyond traditional literary discussions. This year’s festival will also explore creative gastronomy, sports, science, urbanism, and cultural tourism. The inclusion of these themes reflects a broader mission to examine how culture fuels societal development and connection.<\/p>\n
\n“It stands out for its cultural richness, connectivity, and interest in literature,” said festival director Claudia Neira Berm\u00fadez, highlighting Panama’s role as a cultural destination. [Translated from Spanish] Berm\u00fadez added that the event seeks to be a major forum for discussing big ideas and building bridges, ensuring a plurality of voices and diversity of thought.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Panamanian Minister of Culture, Mar\u00eda Eugenia Herrera, stated the country’s participation reaffirms its commitment to regional cultural dialogue. Herrera emphasized the event projects Panama’s own artistic diversity onto an international stage.<\/p>\n
Expanded Reach and New Program Themes<\/h2>\n
A key development for 2026 is the expansion to the city of Col\u00f3n. Activities will launch there on May 18 at the Col\u00f3n Arts and Culture Center. The opening program features literary events, children’s activities, and a cooking workshop led by Panamanian chef Mario Castrell\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
New thematic conversations will feature international experts. Guatemalan chef Sergio D\u00edaz will discuss food, while Mexican neuroscientist Jes\u00fas Ram\u00edrez Berm\u00fadez will explore the link between creativity and the brain. This interdisciplinary approach is a festival hallmark.<\/p>\n
The guest list includes literary luminaries such as Gioconda Belli, Sergio Ram\u00edrez, and Fernanda Melchor. Notable authors like Pilar Quintana and H\u00e9ctor Abad Faciolince will also participate, among others<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Grand Finale with Blades and D\u00edaz<\/h2>\n
The festival will conclude with a powerful dialogue between two storytelling giants. Panamanian singer-songwriter and actor Rub\u00e9n Blades<\/a> will share the stage with Dominican-American writer Junot D\u00edaz<\/a>. D\u00edaz is a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize<\/a> for fiction in 2008.<\/p>\n
Their conversation will focus on narrating the human experience through different artistic lenses, namely song and the novel. The closing program also includes a live vinyl poetry reading, fusing spoken word with experimental sound.<\/p>\n
Events will be held across Panama City’s premier cultural venues. These include the City of the Arts, the Canal Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Library. The festival is organized with support from Panama’s Ministry of Culture and international bodies.<\/p>\n
All festival events are free and open to the public. Admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis until venue capacity is reached. The wide array of free programming underscores the organizers’ goal of making culture and dialogue broadly accessible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Panama will transform into a hub for Iberoamerican literature and thought this May. The Festival Centroam\u00e9rica Cuenta returns for its second Panamanian edition from May 18 to 23, bringing together over 80 writers, artists, and thinkers from 18 countries. The event aims to foster regional dialogue through a diverse program spanning literature, film, journalism, and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[3277,3279,3278,50,3280],"class_list":{"0":"post-12087","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-events-culture","8":"tag-arts-festival","9":"tag-festival-centroamerica-cuenta","10":"tag-literature","11":"tag-panama","12":"tag-panama-arts-festival"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12087"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12088,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12087\/revisions\/12088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}