Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa on Wednesday participated in an international forum on Democracy in Latin America organized by "Fundacion Internacional para la Libertad" (International Foundation for Freedom), which he leads.
While opening the event, the renowned writer highlighted democracy is not merely a custom, but rather a set of ideas.
In this respect, Vargas Llosa noted Latin American countries share various issues, and one of their challenges is to learn to co-exist amidst diversity, a major feature of the region.
The event took place at Arequipa's Bar Association headquarters in the presence of international political figures, like Argentina's Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers Marcos Peña.
Book handover
As is known, the author of "Conversation in the Cathedral" arrived in hometown Arequipa on Tuesday morning to celebrate his 81st birthday.
Corresponding activities included a handover ceremony of more than 7,000 books from his personal collection to a regional library.
In this sense, the novelist's eldest son Alvaro Vargas Llosa announced his father's entire book collection will be shipped to the White City in periodic deliveries over his coming birthdays.
The writer's firstborn affirmed his father is committed to donating his whole bibliographic heritage.
"It is a decision my father made a long time ago, and it is coming true," Alvaro told Andina news agency.
Half of the books in question feature Vargas Llosa's handwritten notes, as well as the year they were read.
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