Thaindian News

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) — Carlos Fuentes, one of the best-known novelists and essayists in the Spanish-speaking world, passed away at a hospital in the Mexican capital on Tuesday. He was 83.

The death of Fuentes came as a surprise to many as he was believed to be in a generally good health condition and was not believed to be suffering from any illness. The cause of death was not immediately released, but some Mexican news organizations said Fuentes had been checked into a hospital on Monday evening after suffering heart problems.

The famed author died at Mexico City’s Hospital Angeles del Pedregal.

Considered the father of the modern novel in Mexico, Fuentes was born to Mexican parents in Panama on November 11, 1928, but moved to Mexico City at the age of 16 before becoming a nationalized citizen. His work is known to be one of the most influential in Latin America and in Spanish-language literature, although he never received the Nobel Prize.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, through his Twitter account, expressed sadness following Fuentes’ death. “I deeply lament the death of our dear and admired Carlos Fuentes, universal Mexican writer. Rest in Peace,” he wrote on his verified Twitter account.

Mexican Interior Secretary Alejandro Poiré Romero also expressed his condolences on behalf of the Mexican government. “The death of Carlos Fuentes is a great loss for our country. His thought and work are essential to understand the history of our country and the world,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement, urging everyone to keep reading his work.

Some of Fuentes’ most important works include ‘The Most Transparent Region’ (1958), ‘Aura’ (1962), ‘The Death of Artemio Cruz’ (1962), and ‘The Old Gringo’ (1985), which was made into a film starring Jane Fonda and Gregory Peck.