<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The 10th International Congress of the Spanish Language (CILE), held from October 14 to 17 in the Peruvian city of Arequipa, concluded this past Friday with an “indispensable defense of the rights and freedoms” of the Spanish language.</strong></h4> This was one of the conclusions announced by the Secretary General of the 10th CILE and Academic Director of the Instituto Cervantes, Álvaro García Santa-Cecilia, during the solemn closing session, which took place at the Municipal Theater of Arequipa. During the session, the main milestones of the meeting were detailed. Also speaking at the event were Francisco Javier Pérez, Secretary General of ASALE; Eduardo F. Hopkins, Academic Secretary of the 10th CILE and President of the Peruvian Academy of the Language; Carmen Noguero, Secretary General of the Instituto Cervantes; Alonso Ruiz Rosas, General Coordinator of the 10th CILE; Hugo Rojas Flores, rector of the National University of San Agustín, and Víctor Hugo Rivera Chávez, mayor of Arequipa. "In this world on the move, in which we have lived for several years now, it seems clear that the democratic values and principles on which we have based our coexistence for decades are rapidly eroding, even in the most advanced democracies," warned the Secretary General of the Congress. García Santa-Cecilia emphasized that the Arequipa meeting put "the focus on three major challenges" facing Spanish that require, from the Hispanic American cultural community, "a decisive response in defense of the rights and freedoms we refuse to relinquish": mestizaje, clear language, and Artificial Intelligence. “The first challenge, that of mestizaje, appeals to the importance of understanding that the intersection of races and the blending of cultures are perhaps the only option for a viable world,” stated García Santa-Cecilia, who explained that the participants presented Spanish “as a language of integration and intercultural articulation, capable of generating plural and critical citizenships, counteracting prejudices and linguistic hierarchies that still persist.” Regarding clear language, the participants “defended the rights of citizens against the abuse of power or manipulation” that authorities or public administrations may incur through the “obscurantist or devious” use of language. “Citizens have the full right to be spoken to clearly,” warned García Santa-Cecilia. “In a context marked by post-truth, censorship, and media manipulation, clarity emerges as a categorical imperative for institutions,” she added. Regarding the emergence of artificial intelligence, the speakers acknowledged that it is a tool that "offers new possibilities and risks." This conference hosted a total of 270 speakers, 500 registered attendees who attended in person, 100 authorities, 100 special guests, more than 200 accredited journalists, and an average of 62,000 impressions on social media such as Facebook and Instagram, along with more than 6,600 views on YouTube, where all the sessions and cultural events were broadcast live. In total, nine plenary sessions, six roundtable discussions, and 44 parallel panels were held, all within the three main thematic areas that framed the conference content. The cultural program, meanwhile, featured more than 220 intellectuals, artists, and journalists in a total of 46 activities organized by the Instituto Cervantes, the Royal Spanish Academy, and the hosts from Peru's academic and cultural institutions. Regarding the economic impact on the city of Arequipa, this event brought together more than a thousand visitors throughout the week, resulting in more than 1,500 hotel nights booked, 5,400 restaurant meals booked, and 600 airfares booked.
