Event Summary
On 19 August 2025, publisher Ediciones Achawata was excluded from the 9th Huancayo International Book Fair (FILH) despite having completed registration, paid fees, and been assigned a booth. When the team arrived to set up, they were ordered to vacate the space and later informed via WhatsApp that the booth had been reassigned due to “miscoordination” with the Institute of Youth and Culture. The director of the Institute of Youth and Culture, stated that the decision was made by the Junín Decentralized Directorate of Culture but stressed that the fair should be inclusive.
The publishing house accused the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Huancayo of harassment and persecution. The exclusion drew strong criticism from writers, publishers, and the wider cultural community. For instance, some writer and historian cancelled scheduled presentation, calling the measure discriminatory and harmful to both the publishing house and the community.
This is the third time Ediciones Achawata has reported censorship. In 2023, it was excluded from the La Independiente Book Fair after publishing a book critical of the Ministry of Culture’s funding practices. In July 2025 its presentation of Revolución en los Andes at the Lima International Book Fair was cancelled by the Peruvian Book Chamber for alleged advocacy of terrorism.
This trend reflects shrinking space for cultural actors to participate freely in public events. The exclusion of a legitimate publisher undermines freedom of expression and access to cultural participation, potentially discouraging independent publishers and writers from engaging in similar platforms due to fear of arbitrary exclusion or retaliation.