Sergio Ramírez, sole candidate for the L seat at the RAE

The full assembly of the Royal Spanish Academy will vote this Thursday on the candidacy of Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez to occupy chair L, vacant following the death of Mario Vargas Llosa. Ramírez, former vice president of Nicaragua and winner of the 2017 Cervantes Prize, has the endorsements of three academics, a mandatory requirement for his election.

Photorealistic cinematic scene of an empty wooden lectern with a gold letter L carved on its front, positioned in a grand academic hall with red velvet chairs and dark wood paneling. A single leather-bound book lies open on the lectern, pages catching soft warm light from a brass chandelier above. In the background, three silhouetted figures in formal attire raise their hands in a voting gesture, their faces shadowed. The scene emphasizes solemnity and transition, with a subtle spotlight illuminating the vacant seat behind the lectern. No text, numbers, or letters visible except the carved L.

The digital voting process and the legacy of Vargas Llosa 🗳️

The vote will be conducted through an internal computer system that guarantees anonymity and transparency. Each academic casts their vote from a secure platform, and the tally is updated in real time. This method, adopted in 2020, streamlines electoral processes. Ramírez, known for his work at the Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano Foundation, fits the profile of chair L, previously held by the Peruvian Nobel laureate.

The chair that no longer trembles: from Vargas Llosa to Ramírez 😅

Chair L goes from a Nobel laureate who argued with anyone to a former vice president who survived Ortega. At least now the sessions will be calmer, without threats of lawsuits among academics. Ramírez arrives with his digital archive under his arm, although the RAE still uses paper for the minutes. That said, he promises not to use the podium for political speeches, only to correct the use of the gerund.