The director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, has accused the director of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Santiago Muñoz Machado, of trying to unilaterally impose Panama as the next headquarters for the International Congress of the Spanish Language (CILE) without consulting the Cervantes Institute. Montero recalled this at a press conference called to present the data for the 2024-2025 academic year and prior to the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, which is chaired by the kings and attended by the President of the Government and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Culture. Montero stated that the institution he leads 'finds out, because other academies tell it, that the director of the RAE has decided on his own that Panama will be the next headquarters.' The director of the Cervantes Institute said he does not want to 'offend Panama' for the sake of international relations, 'because of the tension there is against the Spanish language' and due to interests related to the Panama Canal, but at the same time he has declared himself offended by Muñoz Machado's attitude. 'When we stop offending Panama and we stop feeling offended, we will launch the next international congress,' said García Montero, reiterating the statements he made last October that originated the public dispute between the RAE and the Cervantes Institute.
