Spanish poet, essayist, and translator José Luís Puerto was unanimously awarded the 2026 Eduardo Lourenço Prize this Monday, April 20, as announced by the Guarda City Council. Established in 2004, the 7,500-euro award recognises individuals or institutions with significant contributions to Iberian culture, citizenship, and cooperation. The jury for the 22nd edition met at the Centre for Iberian Studies (CEI), a partnership between the Universities of Coimbra and Salamanca, the Guarda City Council, and the local Polytechnic Institute. The jury highlighted Puerto's deep knowledge of Portuguese language and culture, his translations of Portuguese poets, and his ethnographic work. The municipality praised his ability to bridge the local and the universal, noting his influence by figures such as Eduardo Lourenço, Eugénio de Andrade, and Miguel Torga, and his unique poetic voice that interprets traditions as humanist responses to universal questions.