Statement regarding the death of Gustavo Gutiérrez

El CLACSO Working Group on Just Transitions and Care for Our Common Home expresses its sorrow at the passing in the city of Lima, Peru, of the renowned Latin American theologian, philosopher and professor Gustavo Gutierrez (1928-2024).

Gustavo is undoubtedly one of the most prominent figures in Liberation Theology. Born in Lima in 1928, he was ordained a priest at the age of 31, after which he published numerous books and articles on theology and social activism, which have been translated into several languages. Throughout his career, he received more than 30 honorary doctorates from universities and institutions around the world.

His contribution to the analysis and denunciation of poverty and inequality on the continent transcended the boundaries of Christianity and made him a leading figure in critical thought from Latin America to the world. This earned him religious, political, and intellectual persecution, and therein lies the value of his life and work, as was mentioned upon receiving the Prince of Asturias Award "for his shared concern for the most disadvantaged sectors and for his independence in the face of pressures of all kinds, which have sought to distort his message."

We recognize in him a reference point of the powerful Latin American tradition that vindicates the here and now of the liberation of the poor of Latin America in "their concrete life, their hunger, the education of their children, their dignity, their right to life" (Gustavo Gutierrez, 1987).

24th October 2024
CLACSO Working Group
Just transitions and care for our common home

This statement expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Group and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.