"First of all, I express my sincere condolences to all the loved ones of José Saramago, and especially to Pilar del Río and Violante Saramago. The loss of José Saramago is not an isolated event that concerns only a small circle of people but is a universal event that, in some way, has plagued the planet.
José Saramago has left and Humanity has been orphaned, but above all, we have been orphaned, the weakest, those of us who struggle day by day to survive, to put a crumb of freedom in our mouths, to breathe airs of equality and respect. That is why José Saramago will always be with us.
Saramago's spirit will eternally accompany us with his unconditional solidarity and his free and honest support, as he did with me personally and, through me, with the entire Saharawi people. I still remember that last public appearance of his at the Lanzarote airport, where the eternal battle between good and evil, the weak and the strong, the oppressed and the oppressor, was being waged once again.
He calmly appeared on the front line and greeted me with sweet words and a display of unparalleled empathy. I will never forget his wise words in those fateful and hard moments with which he advised me "don't die, you still have a lot to do and many battles to fight". Now, he is gone, but he is and will be present in all battles for freedom, equality and justice.
Saramago's legacy will live forever in the minds of thousands of generations, as it is a compendium of love for human values and respect for the human being and his dignity. And as he himself said, "if human beings do not solve the serious problems that affect the world, the living conditions of humanity will worsen." Let's hope that the human being takes note.
See you later, Saramago, we all love you."
