Latin American Literature Giant Mario Vargas Llosa Passes Away

Kolkata: Mario Vargas Llosa, the Latin American literature giant, passed away on April 13. He was 89.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that our father, Mario Vargas LLosa, passed away peacefully in Lima today, surrounded by his family," a letter signed by his children Álvaro, Gonzalo and Morgana read. It was posted by Álvaro Vargas Llosa on X.

The letter said that no public ceremony will take place for the Peruvian novelist and asks for privacy.

"His departure will sadden his relatives, his friends and his readers around the world, but we hope that they will find comfort, as we do, in the fact that he enjoyed a long, adventurous and fruitful life, and leaves behind him a body of work that will outlive him. We will proceed in the coming hours and days in accordance with his instructions. No public ceremony will take place," it says.

"Our mother, our children and ourselves trust that we will have the space and privacy to bid him farewell in the company of family members and close friends. As was his will, his remains will be cremated," it adds.

Vargas Llosa is famed for his novels like The Time of the Hero, Death in the Andes and Feast of the Goat, which deal with prickly subjects like the Peruvian military, Senderista guerrilla attacks and the reign of Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo.

John Updike, New York Times writer and novelist, had written in 1986 that Vargas Llosa “has replaced Gabriel García Márquez” as the South American novelist North American readers must catch up on. In 2010, Vargas Llosa was awarded the literature Nobel.

A Cuban revolution supporter turned critic of the Left, Vargas Llosa ran for president of Peru in 1990 but lost. He moved to Spain in the aftermath of the loss but was a visceral presence in the politics of Latin America.

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