Uruguayan writer, Eduardo Galeano, was decorated on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with the Order of Simón Rodríguez. The award was created by the government of Venezuela to acknowledge the work of national and foreign social activists in intellectual, cultural, charity, education or historical fields.
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, also awarded a special prize from the culture fund of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA) to the renowned Uruguayan writer and social activist, who is famous for writing books such as "Las Venas Abiertas de América Latina" and "Días y Noches de Amor y Guerra," among others, informed news website Terra.
"It is a great honor for me to receive this award carrying the name of Simón Rodríguez, who was called crazy, he was known as 'Crazy Rodríguez' in the first half of the XIX century, because this madman was able to create the first education revolution in Latin America, which is still underway, but he was a prophet and put it into practice while he lived," commented Galeano during a ceremony to commemorate 40 years of the Military Coup in Chile.
President Maduro pointed out that ALBA's Council of Culture Ministers decided to give the writer the special prize from the culture fund of the said regional organization.
Eduardo Germán María Hughes Galeano was the winner of the Stig Dagerman Award and is considered one of the most important writers of Latin American literature. He twice received the Casa de las Américas Award for his novel "La Canción de Nosotros" (1975) and his testimonial notebook, "Días y Noches de Amor y Guerra" (1987).
Galeano is also renowned for his leftist political stance, activism and constant participation in Latin American issues.
Watch the video of the ceremony here:
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