MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥 Nicaraguan poet and novelist Gioconda Belli, known for her feminist and erotic literature, was awarded the Reina Sofia Ibero-American Poetry prize Monday.
Considered among Latin America鈥檚 best-known writers, Belli鈥檚 work has been translated into more than 20 languages and includes 15 poetry collections, eight novels, and seven books of essays, testimonials and children鈥檚 stories. The prize is considered the most important for Spanish and Portuguese poetry.
Her first poems were published in the Managua newspaper La Prensa when she was 20 years old. Her first poetry collection, 鈥淪obre la grama,鈥 or On the Grass, was published in 1972.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier than to have won this poetry prize,鈥 Belli said via Twitter Monday. 鈥淚 celebrate the enriching of Nicaragua鈥檚 poetry tradition. I dedicate it to my Nicaragua, mother of my inspiration, sorrowful country of my hope. Long live poetry!!!鈥
Belli was stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship by the government of President Daniel Ortega and lives in Spain. Along with dozens of other prominent critics of Ortega鈥檚 regime, Belli saw her properties in Nicaragua seized by the government in February.
Belli already had Italian citizenship, but also accepted citizenship from Chile.
Ricardo Rivero, rector of Spain鈥檚 Salamanca University, which jointly awards the prize, said in a statement announcing the prize winner that beyond the quality Belli鈥檚 literature she has defended 鈥渧alues like the dignity of a person, the fight against tyranny and the maintaining of a coherent position at all times.鈥
Ortega's government has driven thousands of Nicaraguans out of the government since popular protests erupted in 2018 and expelled more than 200 prisoners considered by many to be victims of political persecution earlier this year, also stripping them of their citizenship.
