Mary Grueso, Afro-Colombian poet, joins the Colombian Academy of Language as a corresponding member.

This Monday, June 7, the Colombian Academy of Language will formalize the admission of Afro-Colombian poet Mary Grueso as a corresponding member.

Cristina Maya, the Academy's secretary general, explained to this newspaper that the ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.

"There's a ceremony because it's the presentation of the diploma, the presentation of the shield, and there's a glass of wine," Maya explained.

The news of Mary Grueso's entry as a corresponding member was known in December of last year, when it also became known that Bárbara Muelas, a Misak professor and in charge of translating sections of the 1991 Constitution into the Namtrik language, would be part of the Academy.

Maya, in fact, explained to this newspaper that Muelas has already formally entered the academy.

For the first time in the history of the Colombian Academy of Language—founded in 1871—a woman of African descent and another of indigenous origin were appointed as new corresponding members of the institution.

Grueso, born in Guapi (Cauca) 77 years ago, is a poet, graduate of the University of Quindío, and a specialist in Literature Teaching. She is the author of the books "La Muñeca Negra," "La Cucarachita Mandinga," and "El Gran Susto de Petronila," among others.

Bárbara Muelas is a Misak teacher who was tasked with translating excerpts from the 1991 Colombian Constitution into the Namtrik language. She was born in Silvia (Cauca) in 1945 and is the sister of former Indigenous constituent Lorenzo Muelas. She holds a degree in Primary Education and a master's degree in Linguistics and Spanish. She is also responsible for preserving her language by writing and reading textbooks for children in the Guambia reservation in her hometown.

Also appointed as corresponding members were Carmiña Navia (Cali, 76), winner of the 2004 Casa de las Américas Prize; Cecilia Caicedo Jurado (Pasto), novelist and literary critic; María Clara Ospina (Bogotá, 75), poet, novelist, journalist, diplomat, and columnist for the Miami Herald, among others; María Alejandra Jaramillo (Bogotá, 53), Colombian writer, teacher, and cultural critic; and Ángela Camargo Uribe, professor at the National Pedagogical University, with an Interinstitutional Doctorate in Education.

A corresponding member of the Colombian Academy of Language is a person recognized for their significant contributions to Spanish language and literature. They may be writers, linguists, academics, or other prominent figures in the field of the Spanish language.

"Corresponding members don't have voting rights, but they must work for the academy and submit publications. After a certain period of time and based on their performance, they can be appointed full members, who already have voting rights and are part of the Royal Spanish Academy," Maya explains.

There is also the category of honorary members, who are writers of great experience and recognition.

This institution, which is the oldest of its kind in Latin America, was founded in 1871 by linguists and writers, including Rufino José Cuervo (the father of Hispanic American philology) and Miguel Antonio Caro, also founders of the Caro y Cuervo Institute.

Other members include writers such as Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Juan Esteban Constaín, Pedro Alejo Gómez, Guiomar Cuesta, Daniel Samper Pizano and Pablo Montoya, and the late Dora Castellanos and Maruja Vieira.