“The minority of Mexicans who are aware of their own selves do not make up a closed or unchanging class. They are the only active group, in comparison with the Indian-Spanish inertia of the rest, and ever day they are shaping the country more and more into their own image.”

Mexican poet, philosopher, and diplomat

Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican poet, philosopher, and diplomat. He is best known for his body of work, which brought him major international recognition across literature and ideas. His career bridged poetry, thought, and public service. He received the Jerusalem Prize in 1977, the Miguel de Cervantes Prize in 1981, the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1982, and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990.