FIU hosts author and former Nicaragua VP Sergio Ramírez

WHAT:  Florida International University’s Latin American and Caribbean Center and Department of Modern Languages is hosting a series of lectures focusing on politics and literature with award-winning author and former Nicaraguan Vice-President Sergio Ramírez, from Feb. 17-19.  The first lecture “El Oficio Más Viejo Del Mundo”, will be held in Spanish and will center on his literary work. The second lecture, “Nicaragua: A Lost Revolution,” will be in English and will focus on the politics of Nicaragua. The third lecture, “Una Charla Con Sergio Ramírez”, will be held in Spanish at Books & Books and is a conversation with Ramírez about his experiences as a leader in two very different worlds: the literary world and the world of politics. Acclaimed writer and syndicated columnist Carlos Alberto Montaner will moderate the Books & Books event.

WHO: Sergio Ramírez holds a law degree from the University of Nicaragua. In 1977, he headed the Group of Twelve, an organization comprised of intellectuals, businessmen, and priests united against the Somoza regime. In 1979, after the Sandinista Revolution, Ramírez became Vice President of Nicaragua. As an author, he has been the recipient of several prizes including The International Prize for Human Rights awarded by the Bruno Kreisky Foundation; the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, France; the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Guggenheim Fellowship for creative writing, among others. He was granted the Robert Kennedy Professorship in Latin American Studies at Harvard University in 2009. He is a novelist and essayist whose work offers a powerful vision of culture, politics and society. His literary work has been translated into fifteen languages. His award-winning books include Castigo Divino, Un baile de máscaras, and Margarita está linda la mar.

WHEN AND WHERE:  The lecture “El Oficio Más Viejo Del Mundo,” will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 6:30-8 p.m. in room 220 in the Green Library at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8^th St., Miami.
The lecture “Nicaragua: A Lost Revolution,” will be held on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 12:30 p.m. in the West Ballroom of the Graham Center at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus.
“Una Charla Con Sergio Ramírez” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables.
All events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP: Call the Latin American and Caribbean Center at 305-348-2894.

Media Contact:  Madeline Baró at 305-345-2234.

-FIU- 

About Latin American and Caribbean Center:
School of International and Public Affairs
An integral part of the School of International and Public Affairs, the Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive area studies program at FIU.  The center coordinates a robust program that spans across the disciplines, supporting and enhancing the university’s academic mission.
Designated as a National Resource Center for Foreign Language and Area Studies by the U.S. Department of Education, LACC fosters high quality research, education, and services on Latin America and the Caribbean.  LACC’s academic offerings include graduate and undergraduate certificate programs, a graduate degree program, and a variety of summer and foreign study opportunities. The center’s programs build on the unique assets of FIU’s inter-American setting and the expertise of approximately 200 faculty associates who work on Latin America and the Caribbean.  For more information, contact LACC at 305-348-2894 or by email at lacc@fiu.edu. Please visit our website at http://lacc.fiu.edu.

 About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 12 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.