Quito’s International Book Fair will not take place in 2026, with city officials pointing to recent legal changes that prevent the event from moving forward.
Jorge Cisneros, Secretary of Culture for the Municipality of Quito, said the decision is not tied to planning or management, but to new legal limits that affect how large-scale events can be funded and organized.
The issue stems from a reform to the COOTAD law, which took effect on February 23, 2026. The update redefines what qualifies as public investment and removes cultural activities from priority spending categories. As a result, the financial mechanism typically used to organize events like the book fair is no longer available.
The fair had an approved budget of USD 416,262, but the key funding channel cannot be used under the new framework. Without that mechanism, the city is unable to contract services or move ahead with production.
Key factors behind the cancellation:
- Legal reform no longer prioritizes cultural events as public investment
- Budget item 730205, used to fund and contract events, is now restricted
- No alternative mechanism currently available to organize the fair
Officials emphasized that this is not a matter of choosing between cultural events. The same limitation affects other major activities, including the Summer of the Arts and Quito’s annual festivals.
The cancellation is expected to impact a wide range of people connected to the event, including writers, publishers, bookstores, artists, and technical staff. It also removes a key space for public engagement with books and cultural programming.