List of Latin Americans

This is a list of notable Latin American people, in alphabetical order within categories.

Actors

Norma Aleandro (born 1936)
Héctor Alterio (born 1929)
Marco Aponte (born 1966)
Imperio Argentina (1906–2003)
Pedro Armendáriz (1912–1963)
Adrian Bellani (born 1982)
Diego Bertie (born 1967)
Sônia Braga (born 1950)
Cantinflas (1911–1993)
Bárbara Carrera (born 1951)
Grecia Colmenares (born 1962)
Ricardo Darín (born 1957)
Dolores del Río (1905–1983)
Lali Espósito (born 1993)
Jade Esteban Estrada (born 1975)
María Félix (1914–2002)
Andres García (born 1941)
Andy García (born 1956)
Gael García Bernal (born 1978)
Diane Guerrero (born 1986)
Dario Grandinetti (born 1959)
Maribel Guardia (born 1959)
Salma Hayek (born 1966)
Pedro Infante (1917–1957)
Oscar Isaac (born 1979)
Raúl Juliá (1940–1994)
Katy Jurado (1924–2002)
Libertad Lamarque (1908–2000)
John Leguizamo (born 1964)
Federico Luppi (born 1936)
Santiago Magill (born 1977)
Christian Meier (born 1970)
Mauricio Merino, Jr. (born 1991)
Carmen Miranda (1909–1955)
Ricardo Montalbán (1920–2009)
María Montez (1912–1951)
Rita Moreno (born 1931)
Jorge Negrete (1911–1953)
Gianella Neyra (born 1977)
Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. (born 1964)
Manny Perez (born 1969)
Silvia Pinal (born 1931)
Anthony Quinn (1915–2001)
Dania Ramirez (born 1980)
Zoë Saldaña (born 1978)
Catalina Sandino (born 1981)
Benicio del Toro (born 1967)
Christy Turlington (born 1969)
Lupe Vélez (1908–1944)
Sofía Vergara (born 1972)
China Zorrilla

Artists and designers

See also List of Latin American artists.

Julio Abril (1911–1979), sculptor
Tarsila do Amaral (1886–1973), painter
Fernando Botero (born 1932), painter and sculptor
Luis Camnitzer (born 1937), conceptual artist
José Campeche (1751–1809), painter
Lygia Clark (1920–1988), painter and sculptor
Marcela Donoso (born 1961), painter
Pancho Fierro (1810–1879), illustrator
Gego (1912–1994), geometric-abstract sculptor
José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913), illustrator and cartoonist, printmaker
Alfredo Jaar (born 1956), installation artist
Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), realist and symbolist painter
Guillermo Kuitca (born 1961), painter
Wifredo Lam (1902–1982), painter
Roberto Matta (1911–2002), painter
Ana Mendieta (1948–1985), performance artist
Lola Mora (1866–1936), sculptor
Hélio Oiticica (1937–1980), painter and sculptor
Francisco Oller (1833–1917), impressionist painter
José Clemente Orozco (1883–1949), mural painter and lithographer
Cândido Portinari (1903–1962), painter
Benito Quinquela Martín (1890–1977), painter
Diego Quispe Tito (1611-1681), Cuzco School painter
Armando Reverón (1889–1954), painter
Diego Rivera (1886–1957), muralist
Emilio Hector Rodriguez (born 1950), painter and photographer
José Sabogal (1888–1956), indigenist painter
David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896–1974), social realist painter and muralist
Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2005), kinetic and op artist
Rufino Tamayo (1899–1991), painter
Joaquín Torres-García (1874–1949), constructivist painter
Remedios Varo (1908–1963), surrealist painter

Fashion

Oscar de la Renta (born 1932), fashion designer
Nina Garcia (born 1965), fashion editor
Alexandre Herchcovitch (born 1971), fashion designer
Carolina Herrera (born 1939), fashion designer
Mario Testino (born 1954), fashion photographer

Film directors

Alejandro Amenábar (born 1972)
Alfonso Arau (born 1932)
Adolfo Aristarain (born 1943)
Héctor Babenco (born 1946)
Luis Buñuel (1900–1983)
Juan J. Campanella (born 1959)
Roman Chalbaud (born 1931)
Alfonso Cuarón (born 1961)
Juan Downey (1940–1993)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (born 1963)
Alexandro Jodorowsky (born 1929)
León Klimovsky (1906–1996)
Fernando Meirelles (born 1955)
Franco de Peña (born 1966)
Arturo Ripstein (born 1943)
Raul Ruiz (1941–2011)
Walter Salles (born 1956)
Amy Serrano (born 1966)
Guillermo del Toro (born 1964)

Leaders and politicians

Ali Lenin Aguilera (1967), youngest Venezuelan congressperson
Leandro N. Alem (1841–1896), politician
Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 1940), statesman, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1987)
Romulo Betancourt (1908–1981), statesman, leader President of Venezuela
Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), Libertador and statesman, leader in the Spanish American wars of independence
Anastasio Bustamante (1780–1853), President of Mexico (1930–1932; 1837–1841)
Plutarco Elías Calles (1877–1945), founder of the PRI (1929); President of Mexico (1924–1928)
Fidel Castro (born 1926), marxist revolutionary and Cuba's state ruler from 1959–2008
Alfonso García Robles (1911–1991), diplomat and politician, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1982)
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840), Paraguayan revolutionary, leader and supreme dictator
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928–1967), marxist revolutionary
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811), cleric and statesman, chief instigator of Mexico's war of independence against Spain
Benito Juárez (1806–1872), President of Mexico (1861–1863; 1867–1872)
Juscelino Kubitschek (1902–1976), President of Brazil (1956–1961)
Alberto Lleras Camargo (1906–1990), first Organization of American States Secretary (1948) and 28th President of Colombia
Leopoldo Lopez Lopez (born 1971), Mayor of Chacao, Venezuela
José Martí (1853–1895), writer and leader of the Cuban Independence movement
Rigoberta Menchú (born 1959), activist, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1992)
Chico Mendes (1944–1988), murdered rural leader and martyr of ecological movements in the Amazon
Pedro I (1798–1834), Emperor of Brasil (1822–1831)
Pedro II (1825–1891), Emperor of Brasil (1831–1889)
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (born 1920), diplomat, United Nations Secretary-General (1982–1991)
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (born 1931), activist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1980)
Juan Domingo Perón (1895–1974), President of Argentina (1946–1952; 1952–1955; 1973–1974)
Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1878–1959), academic and politician, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1936)
José de San Martín (1778–1850), Libertador and statesman, leader in the Spanish American wars of independence
Augusto Sandino (1985–1934), guerilla leader and revolutionary
Pancho Villa (1878–1923), guerrilla leader of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917)
Emiliano Zapata (1879–1919), leading figure of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917)

Musicians

Miguel del Aguila (born 1957), composer
Michel Camilo (born 1954), pianist and composer
Simon Diaz (1928-2014), composer, actor and singer
Gilberto Gil (born 1942), singer and composer; founder of the Tropicália movement
Chabuca Granda (1920–1983), singer and composer
Rafael Hernández (1892–1965), composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994), pianist, singer and composer
Agustín Lara (1900–1970), composer
Ernesto Lecuona (1896–1963), composer, pianist and conductor
Vinicius de Moraes (1913–1980), singer and composer
Ástor Piazzolla (1921–1992), tango composer
Tito Puente (1923–2000), Latin jazz and mambo musician
Omar Rodríguez-López (born 1975), guitarist
Carlos Santana (born 1947), composer, songwriter and guitarist
Lalo Schifrin (born 1932), composer and pianist
Pedro Suarez Vertiz (1966), pianist, singer and composer
Caetano Veloso (born 1942), singer and composer; founder of the Tropicália movement
Lito Vitale (born 1961), composer and performer
Atahualpa Yupanqui (1908–1992), folk musician

Classical

Jose Antonio Abreu (born 1939), pianist, conductor and composer
Miguel del Aguila (born 1957), composer
Claudio Arrau (1903–1991), pianist
Daniel Barenboim (born 1942), pianist and conductor
Agustín Barrios (1885-1944), known as "Mangoré", guitarist and composer
Teresa Carreño (1853–1917), pianist, conductor and composer
Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947), music, critic, conductor and composer
Eduardo Marturet (born 1953), conductor and composer
Eduardo Mata (1942–1995), conductor and composer
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959), composer

Opera singers

Luigi Alva (born 1927), tenor
Fabiana Bravo, soprano
Eduardo Brito (1906–1946), baritone
José Cura (born 1962), tenor
Juan Diego Flórez (born 1973), tenor

Singers

Desi Arnaz (1917–1986), salsa singer
Ruben Blades (born 1948), salsa singer
Roberto Carlos (born 1941), singer and songwriter
Cazuza (1958–1990), singer and songwriter
Gustavo Cerati (1959–2014), alternative rock singer-songwriter
Celia Cruz (1925–2003), salsa singer
Kat DeLuna (born 1987), singer
Lali Espósito (born 1993), pop singer and songwriter
Gloria Estefan (born 1957), singer and songwriter
José Feliciano (born 1945), singer-songwriter
Juan Gabriel (born 1950), ranchera and ballad singer-songwriter
Charly García (born 1951), rock musician
Juan Luis Guerra (born 1957), singer and songwriter
Pedro Infante (1917–1957)
Víctor Jara (1932–1973), singer-songwriter
Juanes (born 1972), singer-songwriter
Jennifer Lopez (born 1969), Latin pop, singer, dancer, actress, record producer, movie producer, songwriter, model, fashion designer
Jorge Negrete (1911–1953), singer-songwriter
Fito Páez (born 1961), singer, songwriter, producer and film director
Prince Royce (born 1989), Bachata singer and songwriter
Ivete Sangalo (born 1972), singer and songwriter
Raul Seixas (1945–1989), composer, singer, songwriter and producer
Shakira (born 1977), Latin pop singer and songwriter
Luis Alberto Spinetta (1950–2012), singer and songwriter
Lynda Thomas (born 1981), alternative rock and eurodance, singer-songwriter
Carlos Vives (1961), vallenato singer and composer

Philosophers and humanists

Juan Bautista Alberdi (1810–1884), political theorist
Andrés Bello (1781–1865), humanist, poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist
Leonardo Boff (born 1938), one of the most known first Liberation theologians
Mario Bunge (born 1919), philosopher, author of the Treatise on Basic Philosophy (8 volumes, 1974–1989)
Miguel Antonio Caro (1843–1909), humanist, linguist and politician
Rufino José Cuervo (1844–1911), philologist and linguist
José Ingenieros (1877–1925), philosopher, sociologist and science theoretician
Enrique Krauze (born 1947), historian, political and social essayist and publisher
Manuel de Landa (born 1952), philosopher, professor at Columbia University
Humberto Maturana (born 1928), major proponent of the embodied philosophy
Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla (born 1925), humanist, philosopher and educator
Antonio Nariño (1765–1824)
Edmundo O'Gorman (1906–1995), philosopher
Francisco Varela (1946–2001), major proponent of the embodied philosophy
José Vasconcelos (1882–1959), thinker, educator and essayist

Science and technology

Manuel de Abreu (1894–1962), physician and scientist, inventor of abreugraphy
Joseph M. Acaba (born 1967), first Puerto Rican astronaut
Luis Agote (1868–1954), physician and researcher, first doctor in Latin America to perform a non-direct blood transfusion using sodium citrate as an anticoagulant
Ricardo Alegría (1921–2011), physical anthropologist, pioneer in the anthropological studies of the Taino culture
José Antonio Balseiro (1919–1962), Physicist, study on nuclear fusion and nuclear physics
Gregorio Baro (1928–2012), Radiochemistry, he created the first MRI contrast agent
Baruj Benacerraf (1920–2011), immunologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureate (1980)
Martha E. Bernal (1931-2001), psychologist, first Latina to receive a psychology PhD in the United States
Francisco Jose de Caldas (1768-1818), commonly known as "el sabio" (the wise)
Fernando Caldeiro (born 1958), NASA astronaut
Víctor A. Carreño (1911–1967), NASA aerospace engineer
Nabor Carrillo Flores (1911–1967), nuclear physicist
Carlos Chagas (1879–1934), physician and scientist, pioneer in Chagas disease
Franklin Chang-Diaz (born 1950), NASA astronaut who flew on seven spaceflights
Nitza Margarita Cintron (born 1950), chief of NASA's (JSC) Space and Health Care Systems Office
Jacinto Convit (born 1913), medical scientist, discoverer of vaccines against leprosy and leishmaniasis
Oswaldo Cruz (1872–1917), physician, bacteriologist, epidemiologist and public health officer
René Favaloro (1923–2000), cardiologist; created the technique for coronary bypass surgery (1967)
Humberto Fernandez Moran (1924–1999), medical research scientist
Orlando Figueroa (born 1955), Director for Mars Exploration and Director for the Solar System Division in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters
Carlos Finlay (1833–1915), medical scientist, prominent researcher on yellow fever
Julio Garavito Armero (1865–1920), Colombian astronomer
Guillermo González Camarena (1917–1965), inventor of an early color television transmission system
Juan Gundlach (1810–1896), naturalist and taxonomist; over sixty species were named after him
Salomon Hakim (1922–2011), physician and scientist, Inventor of valve and procedure to treat hydrocephalus
Guillermo Haro (1913–1988), astrophysicist, made many important contributions to observational astronomy
Bernardo Houssay (1887–1971), physiologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureate (1947)
Miguel de Icaza (born 1972), free software programmer, best known for starting the GNOME and Mono projects
Luis Federico Leloir (1906–1987), biochemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureate (1970)
Domingo Liotta (born 1924), cardiologist, he created the first artificial heart
Adolfo Lutz (1855–1940), physician and scientist, pioneer in Infectious disease
Humberto Maturana (born 1928), biologist, co-author of the theory of autopoiesis
César Milstein (1927–2002), biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureate (1984)
Luis E. Miramontes (1925–2004), chemist, co-inventor of the first oral contraceptive (1951)
Mario J. Molina (born 1943), chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureate (1995)
Salvador Moncada (born 1944), pharmacologist, discoveries related to nitric oxide function and metabolism
Rodolfo Neri Vela (born 1952), Ph.D, NASA payload specialist and astronaut
Carlos I. Noriega (born 1959), NASA astronaut
Antonia Novello (born 1944), 14th Surgeon General of the United States
Manuel Elkin Patarroyo (born 1947), pathologist, works on improving a vaccine for malaria
Feniosky Peña-Mora, engineer and educator
Felipe Poey (1799–1891), zoologist, specialist in ichthyology
Eduardo H. Rapoport (born 1927), ecologist, contributions to biogeography (see Rapoport's rule)
L. Rafael Reif (born 1950), engineer, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Andrés Manuel del Río (1764–1849), geologist and chemist, discovered vanadium (as vanadinite) in 1801
Helen Rodríguez Trías (1929–2001), pediatrician, advocate for women's reproductive rights
Wilfredo Santa-Gómez, psychiatrist
José Santana (born 1962), specialist in technology and development; Executive Director of the Dominican Republic Presidential Commission of Science and Technology; Research Associate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sarah Stewart (1905-1976), microbiologist, discovered the Polyomavirus
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (born 1942), first Cuban cosmonaut
Francisco Varela (1946–2001), biologist, co-author of the theory of autopoiesis
Lydia Villa-Komaroff (born 1947), biologist, third Mexican American woman in the United States to receive a PhD in the sciences
Klaus von Storch (born 1962), Chilean aerospace engineer

Social scientists

Eugenio María de Hostos (1839–1903), educator and sociologist
Miguel León-Portilla (born 1926), anthropologist and historian, prime authority on Nahuatl thought and literature
Milton Santos (1926–2001), geographer, writer and university professor
Hernando de Soto (born 1941), economist, known for his work on the informal economy
Julio César Tello (1880–1947), archeologist, specialist in Pre-Columbian Andean cultures

Sports

Athletics
- Iván Pedroso (born 1972), long jump gold medalist: 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001 World Champion, and 2000 Olympic Champion
- Felix Sanchez (born 1977), 400m hurdles gold medalist: 2001 and 2003 World Champion, and 2004 Olympic Champion
- Javier Sotomayor (born 1967), high jump gold (1992 Olympics) and silver (2000 Olympics) medalist; World Recordman (since July 23, 1993)
Baseball
- Luis Aparicio (born 1934), Major League shortstop; member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Miguel Cabrera (born 1983), Major League first baseman
- Roberto Clemente (1934–1972), Major League right fielder, NL MVP Award winner (1966), member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Juan Marichal (born 1937), Major League pitcher; member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Dennis Martínez (born 1955), first Latino to pitch a perfect game in major league history
- Pedro Martínez (born 1971), three-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher; Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP award winner (1999)
- Sammy Sosa (born 1968), MVP award winning Right Fielder; first Latino to ever hit 500 home runs; ranked 5th on the list of the 500 home run club
- José Reyes (born 1983), Major League shortstop
- Fernando Valenzuela (born 1960), Major League pitcher
Basketball
- Carlos Alberto Arroyo (born 1979), Detroit Pistons point guard
- Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns
- , Jose Juan Barea, Dallas Mavericks
- Emanuel "Manu" Ginóbili (born 1977), NBA Champion (with San Antonio Spurs, 2003 and 2005) and Olympic Champion (with Argentina, 2004)
- Al Horford, Boston Celtics
- , Horacio Llamas, Phoenix Suns
- Eduardo Najera, New Jersey Nets
- , Butch Lee, Los Angeles Lakers
Boxing
- Rosendo Alvarez (born 1970), World Champion and the only person to hold the undefeated flyweight champion to a draw
- Alexis Argüello (born 1952), World Champion, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Wilfred Benítez (born 1958), World Champion in three separate weight divisions, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame since 1996
- Jorge Castro (born 1967), World middleweight Champion
- Julio César Chávez (born 1962), World Champion (five titles in three different divisions)
- Juan Martin Coggi (born 1961), three-time WBA's World Jr. Welterweight Champion
- Carlos Cruz (1937–1970), world Lightweight champion
- Oscar De La Hoya (born 1972), first six division world champion in boxing history
- Carlos De León, four-time world Cruiserweight Champion
- Roberto Durán (born 1951), World Champion (six titles in four different divisions); first Hispanic to be four-time World Champion
- Víctor Galíndez (1948–1980), World light heavyweight Champion
- Wilfredo Gómez (born 1956), three-time World Champion
- Éder Jofre (born 1936), retired Brazilian professional boxer and former Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion
- Santos Laciar, three-time World Champion
- Raul Macias World Bantamweight Champion
- Kina Malpartida, World Boxing Association Champion in the Super Featherweight
- Ricardo Mayorga (born 1973), former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and former WBC Junior Middleweight Champion of the world
- Carlos Monzón (1942–1995), World Middleweight Champion
- Jose Luis Ramírez, two-time World Lightweight Champion
- John Ruiz (born 1972), two-time WBA's World Heavyweight Champion, first Latino to be world Heavyweight champion in history
- José Torres, first Latino world Light Heavyweight champion in boxing history
- Félix Trinidad (born 1973), World Champion
Chess
- Esteban Canal (1896–1981), honorary International Grandmaster (1977), creator of the Peruvian Immortal game
- José Raúl Capablanca (1888–1942), International Grandmaster, World Champion (1921–1927)
Cycling
- Santiago Botero (born 1972), 2002 World Time-Trial Champion
Football (soccer)
- Alfredo Di Stéfano (born 1926), five consecutive times European Champion (with Real Madrid, 1956–1960; scored 49 goals)
- Diego Armando Maradona (born 1960)
- Lionel Andrés Messi (born 1987)
- Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento, born 1940), "FIFA best football player of the century" (people's choice in 2000)
Golf
- Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez (born 1935), eight PGA Tour and 22 Champions Tour titles winner; World Golf Hall of Famer (1992)
Motor sports
- Johnny Cecotto (born 1956), 350cc GP motorcycle racing World Champion (1975)
- Juan Manuel Fangio (1911–1995), five-time Formula One World Champion
- Emerson Fittipaldi (born 1946), 1972 and 1974 Formula One World Champion
- Carlos Lavado (born 1956), 250cc GP motorcycle racing World Champion (1983 and 1986)
- Juan Zanelli (1906–1944), Double Le Mans winner, European Hill Climb Championship winner and the first Latin American to win a Grand Prix motor racing in Europe.
- Juan Pablo Montoya, Indianapolis 500 winner, also won Formula One and NASCAR races
- Nelson Piquet (born 1952), triple Formula One World Champion (1981, 1983 and 1987)
- Ayrton Senna (1960–1994), triple Formula One World Champion (1988, 1990 and 1991)
Surfing
- Sofia Mulanovich (born 1983), 2004 Women's World Champion
- Phil Rajzman (born 1982), 2007 ASP OXBOW World Championship
Tennis
- Maria Bueno (born 1939), 19 Grand Slam titles winner (7 singles, 12 doubles); International Tennis Hall of Famer since 1978
- Rosemary Casals, former tennis player and winner of multiple Grand Slams
- Gigi Fernández, Wimbledon doubles Champion
- Mary Joe Fernández (born 1971), won two Grand Slam Doubles titles, two Olympic gold medals and one Olympic bronze medal
- Gastón Gaudio (born 1978), 2004 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Andrés Gómez (born 1960), 1990 French Open Men's Singles Champion
- Fernando González 2007 Australian Open finalist and double Olympic medalist
- Gustavo Kuerten (born 1976), three-time French Open Men's Singles Champion (1997, 2000 and 2001)
- Anita Lizana (1915–1994), 1937 US Open champion; first Latin American, and first Hispanic person, to be ranked World Number 1 in tennis
- Nicolas Massú, double Olympic gold medalist winner
- David Nalbandian (born 1982), 2005 Tennis Masters Cup Champion
- Alex Olmedo (born 1936), 3 Grand Slam titles winner (2 singles, 1 doubles)
- Rafael Osuna (1938–1969), four Grand Slam titles winner (one singles, three doubles)
- Marcelo Ríos (born 1975), ATP World Number One, 1998; Australian Open finalist
- Gabriela Sabatini (born 1970), 1990 US Open Women's Singles and 1988 Wimbledon Women's Doubles Champion
- Pancho Segura (born 1921), International Tennis Hall of Famer since 1984
- Paola Suárez (born 1976), eight Grand Slam Doubles titles winner
- Guillermo Vilas (born 1952), four Grand Slam Singles titles winner

Writers

See also List of Latin American writers (by country).

A-L

Juan Ruiz de Alarcón (c. 1581–1639), dramatist
Isabel Allende (born 1942), best selling novelist
Angel Luis Arambilet Alvarez (born 1957), creator of the first Latin American short story using computerized linetext art or ASCII art
Julia Julia Álvarez (born 1950), poet, novelist, and essayist
Jorge Amado (1912–2001), modernist writer
Mário de Andrade (1893–1945), poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic
José María Arguedas (1911–1969), novelist
Roberto Arlt (1900–1942), short-story writer, novelist, and playwright
Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899–1974), Nobel Prize Laureate (1967)
Mario Benedetti (born 1920), novelist and poet
Adolfo Bioy Casares (1914–1999), novelist, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1990)
Roberto Bolaño (1953–2003), novelist, Rómulo Gallegos Prize Laureate (1999)
Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986), Cervantes Prize Laureate (1979)
Alfredo Bryce Echenique (born 1939), novelist and short story writer
Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929–2005), novelist, essayist, translator, and critic, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1997)
Alejo Carpentier (1904–1980), novelist and essay writer, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1977)
Julio Cortázar (1914–1984), novelist and short story writer
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648/1651–1695), poet and dramatist
Rubén Darío (1867–1916), modernist poet
Virgilio Dávila (1869–1943), poet
Jorge Edwards (born 1931), Cervantes Prize Laureate (1999)
Laura Esquivel (born 1950), novelist
Rosario Ferré (born 1938), poet and essayist
Carlos Fuentes (born 1928), novelist and essayist, Rómulo Gallegos (1977), Cervantes (1987) and Prince of Asturias (1994) awards laureate
Rómulo Gallegos (1884–1969), novelist
Gabriel García Márquez (born 1928), novelist and journalist, Nobel Prize Laureate (1982)
Nicolás Guillén (1902–1989), poet
José Hernández (1834–1886), poet and journalist, author of the epic poem "Martín Fierro"
Vicente Huidobro (1893–1948), poet, initiator of the Creacionismo movement
José Lezama Lima (1910–1976), novelist
Clarice Lispector (1925–1977), novelist
Luis Lloréns Torres (1878–1944), poet
Luis López Nieves (born 1950), best-selling novelist and tale writer
Dulce María Loynaz (1902–1997), poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1992)
Leopoldo Lugones (1874–1938), poet

M-Z

Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839–1908), realist novelist, poet and short-story writer
Jorge Majfud (born 1970), novelist and essayist writer
José Martí (1853–1895), poet and essayist
Gregório de Matos (1636–1696), baroque poet
Leopoldo Minaya (born 1963), Miguel de Cervantes Cultural Association Award winner (2001)
Pedro Mir (1913–2000), poet and writer, named Poet Laureate of the Dominican Republic by Congress in 1984
Gabriela Mistral (1889–1957), poet, Nobel Prize Laureate (1945)
Augusto Monterroso (1921–2003), short story writer, Prince of Asturias Award Laureate (2000)
Manuel Mujica Láinez (1910–1984), novelist, essayist, journalist and short story writer; author of Bomarzo (1962)
Álvaro Mutis (born 1923), poet, novelist, and essayist; Cervantes Prize (2001) and Prince of Asturias Awards (1997) laureate
Pablo Neruda (1904–1973), poet, Nobel Prize Laureate (1971)
Amado Nervo (1870–1919), modernist poet
Juan Carlos Onetti (1909–1994), novelist and short-story writer, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1980)
Nicanor Parra (born 1914), anti-poet
Fernando del Paso (born 1935), novelist, essayist and poet, Rómulo Gallegos Prize Laureate (1982)
Octavio Paz (1914–1998), Cervantes Prize (1981) and Nobel Prize (1990) laureate
Sergio Pitol (born 1933), novelist, short story writer and translator, Cervantes Prize Laureate (2005)
Elena Poniatowska (born 1932), novelist.
Manuel Puig (1932–1990), novelist, author of The Kiss of the Spider Woman (1976)
Horacio Quiroga (1878–1937), short story writer
José Eustasio Rivera (1888–1928), poet and novelist
Augusto Roa Bastos (1917–2005), novelist, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1989)
Gonzalo Rojas (born 1917), poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (2003)
Juan Rulfo (1917–1986), novelist, Prince of Asturias Award Laureate (1983)
Ernesto Sabato (1911–2011), novelist and essay writer, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1984)
Jaime Sabines (1926–1999), poet
Alfonsina Storni (1892–1938), postmodernist poet
Lygia Fagundes Telles (born 1923), novelist and short-story writer; Camoens Prize Laureate (2005)
Arturo Uslar-Pietri (1906–2001), novelist, Prince of Asturias Award Laureate (1990)
César Vallejo (1892–1938), poet
Fernando Vallejo (born 1942), novelist, Rómulo Gallegos Prize Laureate (2003)
Mario Vargas Llosa (born 1936), novelist and essayist, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1994) and Nobel Prize Laureate (2010)
"El Inca" Garcilaso de la Vega (1539–1616), first mestizo author in Spanish language
Xavier Villaurrutia (1903–1950), poet

Others

Ali Lenin Aguilera (born 1967), businessman
Carlos Castaneda (1925–1998), New Age and Shamanism author
Javier Castellano (born 1977), jockey winner of three consecutive Eclipse Awards, in 2013, 2014 and 2015
Ramon Dominguez (born 1976), jockey winner of three consecutive Eclipse Awards, in 2010, 2011 and 2012
Enrique Gratas, television journalist
María Julia Mantilla García (born 1983), Miss World 2004
Denise Quiñones (born 1980), Miss Universe 2001
Geraldo Rivera (born 1943), television journalist
Ricardo Salinas Pliego (born 1956), businessman
Carlos Slim Helú (born 1940), businessman, Latin America's richest man and #1 in the world (according to Forbes' August 2007 ranking)