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Madrid Presents Posthumous Arts Medal to Mario Vargas Llosa on First Anniversary

The tribute spotlighted his liberal defense of freedom, drawing pushback from opponents who saw partisan intent.

Overview

  • The Community of Madrid presented the Medalla Internacional de las Artes on Monday at the Real Casa de Correos, where his son Álvaro accepted it.
  • President Isabel Díaz Ayuso praised the Nobel laureate as a steadfast liberal and said his life taught that freedom requires courage.
  • The regional government had approved the posthumous honor in June 2025, noting he had earlier received the same medal in 2004 for earlier achievements.
  • Hours after the ceremony, the Ateneo de Madrid hosted a literary homage with figures such as Fernando Savater, Sergio Ramírez, Carlos Granés, José Sacristán and Magüi Mira.
  • Álvaro Vargas Llosa said his father could not read or write in his final months, the family has found no unpublished works, and Princeton University holds his correspondence.