The Royal Spanish Academy has held a historic plenary session in León, breaking its three-century tradition by meeting outside Madrid. The event served to support the candidacy of Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez for seat L, highlighting his weight in Hispanic American letters and the need to renew the academic canon.
The Backstage of the Candidacy: Processes and Technical Criteria 📜
The election of academics follows a rigorous protocol: candidates must be proposed by three members of the institution and pass a secret ballot with an absolute majority. In Ramírez's case, his candidacy is supported by a body of work spanning novels, essays, and journalism, with translations into more than fifteen languages. Seat L, vacant since the death of philologist Emilio Lledó, also requires a profile that combines literary creation with critical thinking, something Ramírez fulfills by having led cultural movements in Central America.
The RAE Discovers That León Also Has Wi-Fi Outlets 😅
While the academics debated seat L, the residents of León wondered whether the RAE had come to fix the city bus service or to order a coffee with garlic soup. The news that the institution chose the city for its heritage and not for its 5G coverage has been a relief: at least the speeches won't be cut off due to lack of signal. That said, if Ramírez wins, he better not think about requesting a video call to accept the position.