List of Latin American Nobel laureates

The Nobel Prize is an annual, international prize first awarded in 1901 for achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace, with an associated prize in Economics awarded since 1969.[1] As of November 2022, Nobel Prizes had been awarded to 954 individuals,[2] of whom 17 were Latin American recipients (1.7% of the 954 individual recipients).

Latin Americans have received awards in four of the six award categories: six in Literature (35.3% of the Latin recipients), six in Peace (35.3%), three in Physiology or Medicine (17.6%), and two in Chemistry (11.8%). The first Latin American recipient, Carlos Saavedra Lamas, was awarded the Peace Prize in 1936. The most recent, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded the Peace Prize in 2016.

Among the Latin American laureates, two served as heads of state or government of their respective countries upon receiving the Nobel Prize. Those include Óscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, who were presidents; both of them were awarded the Peace Prize.

Chemistry

Two Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

YearImageLaureateCountryComment
1970
Luis F. Leloir  Argentina[3] First Hispanic to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
1995
Mario J. Molina  Mexico

Physiology or Medicine

Three Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

YearImageLaureateCountryComment
1947
Bernardo Alberto Houssay  ArgentinaFirst Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1980
Baruj Benacerraf  Venezuela
 United States
1984
César Milstein  Argentina
 United Kingdom

Literature

Six Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Prize in Literature.

YearImageLaureateCountryComment
1945
Gabriela Mistral  ChileFirst Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in literature
1967
Miguel Ángel Asturias  Guatemala
1971
Pablo Neruda  Chile
1982
Gabriel García Márquez  Colombia
1990
Octavio Paz  Mexico
2010
Mario Vargas Llosa  Peru

Peace

Six Latin Americans have been given the Nobel Peace Prize.

YearImageLaureateCountryComment
1936
Carlos Saavedra Lamas  ArgentinaFirst Latin American to win a Nobel Prize, first Hispanic to win a Nobel Peace Prize
1980
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel  Argentina[4]
1982
Alfonso García Robles  Mexico
1987
Óscar Arias Sánchez  Costa Rica
1992
Rigoberta Menchú  Guatemala
2016
Juan Manuel Santos  Colombia

See also

References