You're reading: Nobel Prize winner praises Ukraine’s fight for freedom

Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010 Nobel Prize winner for literature, came to Ukraine for the first time on Nov. 11 to address the students of Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

The famous Peruvian author was friendly and joked a lot as he spoke to several hundred students and guests in a jam-packed hall about Ukraine’s European perspective, literature, philosophy, and even bullfighting. His main focus, however, was the fight for freedom and the liberal spirit.

Sitting at a desk on a dais, the 78-year-old Vargas Llosa explained that he became attracted to Ukraine by all the global attention it was receiving lately.

“Ukraine is going through harsh times and I support all those people who are fighting for freedom,” said Vargas Llosa, known for his liberal political views.

According to the author of such popular books as “Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter” and “The Bad Girl,” the events in Ukraine have changed the attitude of intellectuals throughout the world on the importance of democracy and the EU. It has made those who “used to be cynical about the idea of countries being united” change their minds.

“Intellectuals throughout the world had lost enthusiasm and confidence in the future. Ukraine was the sole exception. Even those who were not engaged in politics suddenly found solidarity with Ukraine,” he said to the delight of the audience.

However, society still needs to be critical of government and have the desire to continue reforms, he added.

“That’s what freedom is,” Vargas Llosa stressed.

The writer believes that Ukraine’s desire to overcome corruption and abuse of power by the authorities is “terrifying” for modern-day dictatorships.

“[President Vladimir] Putin’s policy in Russia, which, unfortunately, has the support of society, is not free from authoritarianism,” says Vargas Llosa.

He is confident that the two self-proclaimed separatist republics in the east of Ukraine are Russia’s puppet states and a way for Putin to ensure the failure of democracy in Ukraine.

Hailing from Peru but now living in Spain, Vargas Llosa compared the Ukrainian conflict to the situation with Spain’s Catalonia. Raising his voice for the only time during his address, he claimed that the image of Catalonia being exploited as a colony by the Spanish represents a systematic falsification of facts.

“Democratic Spain doesn’t want to appear non-democratic; therefore, it hasn’t resolved the situation,” Vargas Llosa explained.

He condemns the nationalism and separatism that lead to the “terrible war with the most violent killings.”

Speaking about the rebel conflict in Ukraine’s east, the writer twice stated that the EU is not taking enough steps to support the Ukrainian government.

Vargas says that EU membership is vital for promoting Spanish culture.He calls the EU “a realistic utopia that is based on a culture of freedom, common values between countries with different cultures and traditions, and maintains diversity.”

While he talked a great deal about the political situation, Vargas Llosa did not forget about the impact of the books on society. The writer identifies literature as a driving force behind reforms because “good books make us critical of life.”

Kyiv Post staff writer Anna Yakutenko can be reached at [email protected].