The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, under the administration of Alberto Fernández, financed the translation of the book "Cometierra" by Dolores Reyes into three languages for $9,400. The work, which contains explicit sexual content, was translated into Portuguese, Swedish, and Danish, and published in Brazil, Sweden, and Denmark, respectively.
The funding for this translation was carried out through the SUR program that supports translations from the aforementioned ministry. The management generated controversy when it was discovered that the book was distributed in numerous educational institutions in Buenos Aires.
The project had the approval and support of Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, and the distribution of "Cometierra" took place in 2,350 high schools, 443 technical high schools, 195 teacher training and technical institutes, among other educational places in the Province of Buenos Aires. The inclusion of the book in the educational environment triggered a debate about the suitability of its content for young students.
The funding from the government of Axel Kicillof made the translation of the work into the three mentioned languages possible. The translations and publications were carried out in collaboration with publishers from each respective country. For example, in Brazil, the Moinhos publishing house received a subsidy of $3,000 to print one thousand copies of the Portuguese translation.
The translation project of "Cometierra" has sparked criticism from various sectors of society, questioning the use of public funds to support works with controversial content. The Argentine Embassy in Denmark and Sweden, as well as local publishers, actively participated in the dissemination and presentation of the book in different countries. The controversy surrounding the funding of such literary initiatives has called into question the effectiveness and relevance of programs like SUR.
