The King opened this Monday, March 27, the IX Congress of the Spanish Language at the Teatro de Falla in Cadiz with an act in which he affirmed that the time had come for Spanish “with all its accents”. “Language unites us now and therefore it is a future project for tomorrow. We must be able to seize the moment, and the time has come for Spanish, with all its voices, its twists and nuances, with all its accents, with all its richness and diversity,” Felipe VI defended.

So, the monarch stressed that the 21st century “should be the century of the Spaniards.” “Let’s make it possible,” he said. For the king, the Spaniards cannot “miss the opportunity that History gives”.

The monarch arrived at the Falla theater around 12:00, accompanied by Queen Letizia, to open the Congress, which was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albarez, and the director of the RAE and the Instituto Cervantes, Santiago Muñoz. Machado and Luis Garcia Montero, respectively.

“If we have this power, this power, if a new horizon for Humanity opens before us, we have the opportunity for our language, being universal, to become more and more global. Language is one of our greatest assets that we must preserve, care for and also promote,” said Felipe VI in front of an audience full of scientists.

The King referred to intermarriage – the central theme of this Congress – recalling that America is a continent “in which you can cross different and diverse peoples from north to south without changing your language: Spanish, with all its rich diversity that makes our language is a living language,” he added, to later express the value of Spanish in numbers.

Thus, Spanish is the second most common native language in the world after Chinese and the second language of international communication, second only to English, among other data. “Spanish has been a mestizo language from the very beginning, and this mixing of races goes beyond social coexistence, education and the entire cultural world,” he stressed.

Felipe VI noted that Nahuatl, Quiché, Quechua or Guaraní words would be heard at this Congress and considered this event “the most important event in the Spanish language”. He also had the words for the previously chosen headquarters in Arequipa, which finally had to be replaced a few months earlier due to political instability.

“Instead of meeting in the hometown of our adored Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, we meet here in Cadiz. But, of course, we hope and hope that Peru will again host the Congress,” the monarch concluded.

Sergio Ramirez and “exile”

One of the most notable participants was that of the Nicaraguan writer and Cervantes Prize winner Sergio Ramirez, who lamented the recent renunciation of his Nicaraguan citizenship, arguing that “expulsion is impossible” due to the language that is his “homeland”. “No one can take that away from me or cast me out,” he added.

Ramirez attended the opening ceremony with a speech in which he was combative about his situation with his country of origin. Ramirez was one of 94 Nicaraguans affected by the decision of the government of this country to deprive the citizenship of those accused of “treason”.

“We have always been running from someone or something: from earthquakes, epidemics or tyrants. The tyrant who grows old in his bed and on his throne is always the same: he goes astray in his arbitrariness, imposes silence and dooms himself to exile, the writer pointed out before the eyes of the king and queen of Spain and in front of a full hall of scientists.

Meanwhile, Albarez celebrated the launch of the Congress in Cadiz, a city that woke up with various posters all over the center with famous words like “agua tapá” or “biruji” – “symbol of brotherhood” between Spain and Latin. America. “It was not easy to organize it in such a short time. Spanish is one of the few global languages ​​on the planet and the language of the future,” he said.

RAE director Santiago Muñoz Machado spoke of the “most beautiful legacy” of his institution and its “sister academies”: the care and enrichment of the language and the “retention” of those who seek “to take away from the people the exclusive rights to create and transform language.” The scientist also noted the role of Cadiz, “the starting point of the language of freedom.”

Football Club Cadiz

For his part, the director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, defended the Spanish language “as a common territory of unity and diversity.” “There are theorists who don’t like the word ‘mixing races’ because they understand that it hides an insult to indigenous peoples,” he lamented.

“Without ignoring the fact that there are many mestizos who despise the indigenous population, just as there are many white supremacists who despise mestizos, I dare to suggest that awareness of mestizos is a way of recognizing historical processes,” he pointed out. to then pay tribute to the city of Cadiz and its football team – he also quoted Lola Flores’ popular saying “if you love me, go away” as an example of speech in western Andalusia.

“When it comes to intermarriage, intercultural relations and language, I would like this Congress to endorse one of the most popular slogans of the Cádiz football club: “The struggle is not discussed.” So be it,” he concluded.

The president of the Junta of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, also took part in the praise of the Spanish language, “the language that has shaped the belt of brotherhood throughout the country.” “The planet has been speaking the same language for a long time, all in Spanish, which we speak and build together a mosaic of mestizos, full of color, nuances and possible shapes,” he said.

Finally, the mayor of Cadiz, José María González “Kichi”, stated that hosting this Congress in Cadiz was “difficult for the time being”. “This city welcomes you with great enthusiasm and enthusiasm. And we embrace Peru from the bottom of our hearts: this Congress should be yours, and I hope that in 2025 you can celebrate it smoothly,” he added.