A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Mario Vargas Llosa.
Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist, and former politician, stands as one of Latin America's most influential writers. A leading figure of his generation, some critics believe he achieved a wider international reach than others associated with the Latin American Boom. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010 for his exploration of power structures and his portrayal of individual resistance. Other accolades include the Rómulo Gallegos Prize, Prince of Asturias Award, Miguel de Cervantes Prize, and Jerusalem Prize. In 2021, he was elected to the Académie française, solidifying his literary legacy.
In 1963, Vargas Llosa's first novel, "The Time of the Hero (La ciudad y los perros)", was published, gaining wide public attention and immediate success but also sparking controversy due to its criticism of the Peruvian military.
In 1971, the 'Padilla Affair,' involving the imprisonment of poet Heberto Padilla by the Castro regime, led to Vargas Llosa's official break with the Cuban government's policies. Vargas Llosa, along with other intellectuals, protested the Cuban political system, marking his shift away from left-wing ideologies.
In 1976, Vargas Llosa punched García Márquez in the face in Mexico City, ending their friendship.
In 1983, Vargas Llosa was appointed to the Investigatory Commission on the Uchuraccay massacre, leading to negative reactions and defamation from the Peruvian press. The commission's conclusion, attributing responsibility to indigenous villagers, drew intense criticism and accusations of a government cover-up.
In 1989, The Washington Post noted that although Vargas Llosa's party appeared center-right, he had ties with far-right politicians in other countries, leading to criticism.
In August 1990, Vargas Llosa attended a conference in Mexico where he condemned the Mexican system of power under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), calling it "the perfect dictatorship".
In 1999, following the arrest of Augusto Pinochet, Vargas Llosa wrote an op-ed in The New York Times questioning why left-wing dictators were not also being arrested.
In 2007, a photograph of García Márquez sporting a black eye from the 1976 incident was published, reigniting public interest in the feud. Despite the decades of silence, in 2007, Vargas Llosa agreed to allow part of his book to be used as the introduction to a 40th-anniversary edition of García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.
During her candidacy in the 2011 Peruvian general election, Vargas Llosa criticized Keiko Fujimori and endorsed Ollanta Humala.
In 2014, Vargas Llosa described Keiko Fujimori as the daughter of a murderer and thief who is imprisoned for murder and theft.
After Fujimori announced her candidacy for the 2016 Peruvian general election, Vargas Llosa condemned her as the daughter of a murderer and thief.
In 2016, Vargas Llosa was named in the Panama Papers, which revealed his ownership of the British Virgin Islands company Melek Investing Inc., used for book royalty profits and real estate sales. His representative stated investments were made "without the consent of Messrs. Vargas Llosa".
In 2021, Vargas Llosa was named in the Pandora Papers. A document showed his signature on a "Consent to Act as Director" form for Melek Investing Inc., though a representative claimed he "was not aware of the ownership of that company".
In the second round of the 2021 Peruvian general election, Vargas Llosa supported Keiko Fujimori as the "lesser of two evils", citing opposition to far-left candidate Pedro Castillo.
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