García Montero denounces that the RAE “has decided on its own” that Panama be the headquarters of the next Language Congress

The director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, has announced that the director of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Santiago Muñoz Machado, ““has decided on its own” to make Panama the headquarters of the next International Congress of the Spanish Language (CHILE).

“The Cervantes Institute has two situations. The first, that it finds out because other academies tell it about it, which The director of the Academy of the Spanish Language, on his own, has decided that it will be in Panama (the next CILE). From there we have, one, not to offend Panama because we are interested in international relations and not to allow offenses to a State institution, such as the Cervantes Institute, to which the director of the Royal Spanish Academy is accustomed,” García Montero explained during a meeting with the media to review the course data.

Furthermore, the director of Cervantes has assured that ““continues to maintain” his statements about the director of the RAEinsisting that the institution needs a “quality philologist” and not “a business lawyer“.

The controversy between both directors dates back to last October, when García Montero attacked Muñoz Machado, referring to him as a professor of Administrative Law who is an expert in conducting business from his office for multimillion-dollar companies.” During the CILE in Arequipa (Peru), tension remained between both institutions, although no further statements had subsequently been made.

Although it is usual for the organizing institutions, including the Cervantes and the RAE, to announce the new venue of the Congress during the closure of the CILE, this had not happened on this occasion. Neither García Montero nor Muñoz Machado were present at that last event, something that is also not usual.