Third International Congress of the Spanish Language

The Third International Congress of the Spanish Language (Tercer Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española) was a cultural event that took place in Rosario, Argentina, on November 17-19, 2004.

Commemorating the fourth centennial of the first publishing of Don Quixote, a brand-new special edition was released by the Real Academia Española and Editorial Santillana, with the support of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language.

The Rosario-born novelist, comics artist and humorist Roberto Fontanarrosa broke the ice in a debate about the importance of insults in interpersonal communication.

The Congress met opposition on the part of activist groups representing some linguistic and ethnic minorities, and became a focus for the confluence of many movements related to the left, from anti-globalization sympathizers to revisionists of the historic role of Spain and the Church in the colonization of the Americas (and the ensuing decline of native languages and cultures).

In line with these protests, there was another gathering, the Congreso de laS LenguaS, to discuss linguistic and cultural diversity in the region.