Mario Vargas Llosa after winning an award in Spain: “Latin Americans have to be proud of our Spanish heritage”

The Nobel Prize for Literature Mario Vargas Llosa He received the Madrilenian of the Year Award this Monday, October 10, and, during his speech, he said that Latin American citizens have to be proud “of the Spanish heritage.”

“Have you thought about the advantages of that heritage, which is that of so many Latin Americans? What would happen if we (Latin Americans) were Europeans, with that difficulty of orienting oneself in a world of so many languages? The same if we were Africans, because there the languages ​​​​are also numerous “he pointed Vargas Llosa during his speech at the Teatro Real, where the event took place.

The Peruvian writer has continued with a defense of Spanish, where “except for Brazil, a wonderful language is spoken that has been making its way around the world without any government having worked in that direction”. “It has been that ease of the language that has facilitated its expansion throughout the world”he remarked.

The author of ‘The City and the Dogs’ -a novel he wrote in Madrid- has made both a defense of Spain as of its capital. “Spain is experiencing the problems of modernity and it is a profoundly democratic country that will gradually find formulas for peace and friendship”. “Our role, as Latin Americans in Spain, is to help make it a large and important country in the world”, pointed.

On the other hand, he has emphasized the importance of continuing alongside the Spanish “in that beautiful battle for freedom.” “I have seen how freedom has been curdling in Spain until it has become the source from which all Spaniards suck, without exception, and also those who intend to move away from Spain suck from these sources”, has added.

In this sense, Vargas Llosawho admits feeling “deeply Madrid”, has made another defense of the city reiterating that “Madrid and freedom are inseparable”. “Freedom is our best guarantee for the future and it is the perfume that is breathed in the streets of Madrid”he concluded.

The award ceremony was preceded by the previous winner, the president of the Teatro Real, Gregorio Marañón, who highlighted in allusion to Vargas Llosa that there is “recognitions that honor those who grant them”. “Mario Vargas Llosa is not only one of the best writers of our time, but also an intellectual committed to the civic causes in which he believes from his liberal thought”he added.

For his part, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, celebrated “with pride” that the Peruvian writer “I have decided that Madrid is the best city to live in”. “The universality of Madrid is called Mario Vargas Llosa”, defended, to conclude by recalling his “Passionate defense of the freedom and unity of Spain and the rule of law” in an act of October 2017.

Mario Vargas Llosa has been chosen as ‘Madrilenian of the Year’ “In recognition of his love for the capital and for having been Madrid’s ambassador on multiple occasions.” The Madrid of the Year Award is an award organized by the magazine ‘Vivir Madrid’, from the Sganmedios publishing house.