In a project called “Free Books of Israel,” the Israeli Embassy in Ecuador has distributed more than 200 books of Israeli literature, translated into Spanish, in different cities to encourage Ecuadorians to learn more about Israeli culture.

Ambassador Edwin Yabo and Consul Amir Sagrón said this project is an opportunity to “unite the two cultures through reading.”

Among the Israeli authors whose translated works were distributed in public areas in Quito, Guayaquil, Riobamba, Santo Domingo and the Galapagos Islands are Uri Orlev, Ronny Someck and Zeruya Shalev.

The idea is that when one person finishes reading a book it will be placed somewhere else for another person to enjoy. Each book has a code and instructions inside to enter the code on a website bookcrossing.com to check where the book has traveled and to share comments.

“Free Books of Israel” (“Libros Libres de Israel”) has made Ecuador part of the “bookcrossing” movement that has been taking place for years in different cities in Europe and the United States.

“It is a cultural and social project because it is a way of converting public spaces into large libraries,” Yabo said.