Mario Vargas Llosa (1936–2025) was a Peruvian novelist, essayist, journalist, and political figure, widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. A central figure in the Latin American literary boom, he gained international acclaim with works such as The Time of the Hero, Conversation in the Cathedral, and The Feast of the Goat, which explore themes of authoritarianism, corruption, and individual resistance. In 2010, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his "cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat" . Beyond literature, Vargas Llosa was politically active, notably running for the Peruvian presidency in 1990. His ideological journey took him from early Marxist sympathies to a staunch defense of liberal democracy and free markets. He passed away in Lima at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape global literature and political thought.