"If it hadn't happened on that day, that morning, I wouldn't be here with you today (Thursday)", said José Ludovice, with a red carnation on the lapel of his suit, at the opening of the 48th edition of the event.

Lisbon's program for the Buenos Aires Book Fair does not include any ceremony or initiative commemorating, or even alluding to, the 25th of April, being only indirectly addressed in an event that celebrates the "three Marias".

A film series will show a documentary about the three authors of the "New Portuguese Letters", Maria Velho da Costa, Maria Teresa Horta and Maria Isabel Barreno.

"There is also an essay by Joana Meirim, called 'The Essentials about the Three Marias', and there will be a conversation about literary works that are also political facts, based precisely on, and starting from, the 'New Portuguese Letters' and Joana Meirim's essay", curator Carla Quevedo told Lusa.

The opening session took place at the end of the day, with a panel that brought together two illustrators (André Letria and Sara Feio), two poets (Frederico Pedreira and Rosa Oliveira) and two comic book authors (Júlia Barata and Filipe Abranches), to talk about Lisbon, about what city it is, for each of them, and how it inspires them.

Even before the opening panel, a Support Line for the Translation of Portuguese-Language Authors was launched, aimed not only at works by Portuguese authors, but also by African and Timorese Portuguese-language authors, by the Instituto Camões and the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries.

Also on Thursday, several exhibitions were opened, which will be on display until the end of the fair, on May 12: Casa Fernando Pessoa will have a program of reading excerpts from "The Book of Disquiet"; an international exhibition that brings together illustrators selected by the Guimarães Illustration Biennial with those of an Argentine drawing association; and an exhibition of 10 paintings by André Letria and Sara Feio, which illustrate what Lisbon represents and what unites it to Buenos Aires.

Portuguese comic book author Júlia Barata, who lives in Buenos Aires, led a drawing workshop based on Alexandre O'Neill, which included readings of poems - in Portuguese and Spanish - and exchanges of ideas about the author and his work.

In what is one of the largest book fairs in the world, the opening ceremony was marked by criticism of the budget cuts for culture imposed by the new ultra-liberal President Javier Milei.

Book sales fell by about 30% in January in Argentina, due to the economic situation, high inflation, the rising cost of paper and low wages.

Read Also: Lisbon at the Buenos Aires Book Fair (without evoking April 25) (Portuguese version)