Mexican Author Carlos Fuentes Died

Carlos Fuentes, one of Latin America’s leading authors and intellectuals, died on Tuesday at the age of 83.

Born in Panama, Fuentes was a prolific writer whose works included "The Death of Artemio Cruz" and "Destiny and Desire." For his writing he won numerous awards including Spain’s coveted Cervantes Prize for literature in 1987.

His bestseller "The Old Gringo" was turned into a Hollywood film in 1989 that starred Gregory Peck.

Fuentes was not afraid to express his political views on topics affecting the Americas. In his novel “The Crystal Frontier,” Fuentes blasted U.S. immigration policy, while more recently he criticized Mexican presidential frontrunner Enrique Perez Nieto and called for drug legalization.

The below video comes from an interview via the AARP. In it, Fuentes describes how loneliness can become an impetus for writing and explains the advantages to being an artist:

Video Source – YouTube via AARP

Online Sources – Reuters, New York Times