Carlos Fuentes, iconic Mexican writer, died on Tuesday of an internal hemorrhage. He leaves behind a legacy of words which spoke of his ideals, but also of the complicated nature of man, love, and politics. Mexican president Felipe Calderon tweeted about the country’s loss today.
“I deeply regret the passing of our beloved and admired Carlos Fuentes, writer and universal Mexican. May he rest in peace,” he wrote.
Fuentes dabbled in a little bit of everything, from novels to plays to short stories to nonfiction. He tended to draw inspiration from real life and gained praise in the states for his portrayal of historic figures, such as Ambrose Bierce–an American writer who disappeared during the Mexican Revolution–in the novel The Old Gringo. The book went on to become a best-seller and was later made into a movie.
His politics were regarded as odd by some and revolutionary by others, as he tended to side with only some of the beliefs of world leaders; if they made a change or came out in favor of an idea he didn’t support, he was quick to speak against them. Such was the case with Fidel Castro, whom Fuentes initially supported during the revolution in Cuba but later spurned as his manner became increasingly authoritarian.
Fuentes recently said in an interview that he had just finished a writing project and was about to start on another; no word yet if a posthumous publishing date is in the works.
Lamento profundamente el fallecimiento de nuestro querido y admirado Carlos Fuentes, escritor y mexicano universal. Descanse en paz.
“Don’t classify me, read me. I’m a writer, not a genre.”? Carlos Fuentes #quotes #amwriting
RIP Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes. Writers as public intellectuals now replaced by economists. http://t.co/giQ2mX1V
RIP Carlos Fuentes, Mexican writer whose books helped me understand a lot about life, Latin America and Mexico