'Time' magazine unveils the most influential Hispanics of 2023

Pedro Pascal, Salma Hayek, Leo Messi or Lula Da Silva are some of the Latin Americans that the publication highlights in its list.

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Rosana Rábago Sainz

April 14, 2023

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On Thursday, Time magazine unveiled a list of the most influential Hispanics of 2023. Actors Pedro Pascal and Salma Hayek, soccer player Leo Messi and Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva are just some of the Latin Americans highlighted by the publication in its annual list of the most influential people in the world:

Divided into six categories, with the exception of those corresponding to "pioneers" and "innovators," the rest of the categories do have Hispanic representation. Actors, politicians, soccer players and activists from different parts of Latin America managed to enter the rankings and reach the same level of personalities such as Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Michael B. Jordan and King Charles III of England. These are the Hispanic representatives highlighted by Time magazine:

Pedro Pascal

It is clear that 2023 is the year of Pedro Pascal. The Chilean actor triumphed earlier this year with the adaptation of the HBO video game, The Last of Us, and now, he´s also receiving plaudits for his work in the third season of "The Mandalorian" currently airing on Disney Plus.

Actress Sarah Paulson was in charge of talking about the actor. Pascal, who is accumulating more and more nominations to win an Emmy this year, received compliments from the performer, who said she is lucky to have "his phone number my entire adult life":

Pedro Pascal is the whole motherf****** deal. Sorry, no other word will do. And I’m not biased, in spite of my knowing for 30 years what you all are just coming to understand about Pedro—I’m not showing off, just simply lucky to have had his phone number my entire adult life. (And no, I won’t give it to you.) What I will give you is the guarantee that everything you hope he is, HE IS: powerful, soulful, hilarious, goofy, capable of having the deepest conversations, willing to hold your hair back when you’re sick, and in possession of the broadest shoulders to lean on. He is no figment—he’s real.

Salma Hayek

Actress Salma Hayek, of Mexican origin, also entered the ranking in this category of artists. The performer, who voiced Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021 and is one of the most recognized Latin American actresses in the world:

Penélope Cruz, the Oscar-winning Spanish actress, was in charge of praising Hayek. Cruz recalled how the Mexican helped her when she came from Spain to make a name for herself in Hollywood. The Spaniard recalls that Salma Hayek was at the airport waiting for her and put her up at her house. This was the beginning of a friendship that led Penélope Cruz to dedicate the following words to the Mexican actress:

Salma is a great observer and feels everything deeply. She’s strong yet sensitive, and she can read people very well. That’s what makes her a great actor, her ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes, from her breakthrough portrayal of Frida Kahlo to her most recent performance as Maxandra in 'Magic Mike’s Last Dance'. Her huge heart, great intelligence, and charisma are a winning combination, but the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s always entirely herself. As one of the first Latinas working in Hollywood, she’s opened so many doors for people who followed. She is a total revolutionary, and there’s still so much she will do.

Leo Messi

The Argentine soccer player is the only Hispanic to appear in the "Titans" category. Leo Messi led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup and is one of the most applauded athletes of recent times.

In fact, another sportsman, tennis player Roger Federer, was charged with talking about Messi. Federer emphasized the weight that athletes sometimes carry, and praised the athlete for being able to carry that weight while representing a "world-renowned club" and a "very passionate country." He also noted that Messi will be an "inspiration for future generations":

Messi can inspire future generations. I can only hope we get to see his unique creativity and artistry for a little bit longer. Don’t blink too often as Messi performs on the pitch. You may miss something incredible from the man of the moment.

Zoe Saldana

Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar actress, Dominican native, Zoe Saldaña, also entered the ranking in the "Artists" category. The performer is present in the four highest-grossing films in history and will release, in just under a month, the third and final installment of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Her cinematographic achievements are not the only thing that Mila Kunis, also a performer, highlights. She also focuses on her more human side and dedicates a few words in Time Magazine, to talk about what a good mother Saldaña is:

Zoe Saldaña is the ultimate badass in the entertainment industry, known for her powerful onscreen presence and ability to take on any role with ease. Whether she’s kicking butt in 'Guardians of the Galaxy', saving humanity in 'Avatar', or making you bawl your eyes out in 'From Scratch', she’s always on top of her game. Zoe has also been a trailblazer for women and people of color in Hollywood, breaking down barriers and advocating for greater diversity and representation. She’s not afraid to speak out for what she believes in, and uses her platform to make a positive impact. And let’s not forget her killer fashion sense, which makes her a style icon too. In short: Zoe Saldaña is a total boss who can do it all. She’s beloved by fans for her talent, attitude, and fierce spirit, but I value her most for her undying friendship, the inspiration she offers as a parent and a partner, and more than anything her unique ability to make any situation a hundred times more fun.

María Herrera Magdaleno

The Mexican activist also enters Time magazine's ranking for her tireless work searching for missing persons in her country. María Herrera Magdaleno began her mission in 2008. In August of that year, recalls La Jornada, two of her sons, Raul and Jesus Salvador, disappeared. Two years later, in September 2010, two of her other eight children, Gustavo and Luis Armando, also disappeared without a trace.

Far from sinking, María Herrera Magdaleno, 73, became an activist who began to search tirelessly for missing persons in Mexico. This work was highlighted by Time magazine journalist Ciara Nugent in her review of the Mexican woman:

Mexican activist María Herrera Magdaleno, 73, helps lead a thousands-strong movement that no one wants to join. Four of her eight children—Jesús Salvador, Raúl, Luis Armando, and Gustavo—have been missing for over a decade. They are among the more than 111,000 people currently missing in Mexico amid endemic violence sown by drug cartels. Known affectionately as Doña Mary, she helped found in 2014 a national network of local collectives that teach people how to investigate a loved one’s disappearance. In May 2022 she met with Pope Francis, and in November she sued the Mexican state in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for its failure to investigate her sons’ disappearances. Human-rights advocates say such efforts are piling pressure on Mexico’s leaders to respond to the crisis.

Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva

Political leaders, especially those of the left, are also part of the ranking that Time magazine makes every year and, in this case, the publication decided to highlight Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva. The politician became Brazil's president on January 1, 2023 after winning the elections in October 2022.

Former U.S. Vice President and environmental activist, Al Gore, dedicated a few words to the Brazilian president. He emphasizes, precisely, Da Silva's environmental aspect:

As President, Lula has pledged to bolster Brazil’s standing in the world—renewing the country’s commitment to democracy, justice, and economic fairness. But in no other area does he stand to make a more significant impact than on the twin climate and biodiversity crises. Brazil is home to one of our planet’s most important natural wonders: the Amazon rain forest. After many years of rising deforestation and wildfires, the Amazon is transforming from a carbon sink into a net source of emissions. President Lula has pledged to protect the Amazon, and he has done it before—reducing deforestation by 72% in his previous term. From tackling forest loss to accelerating Brazil’s clean-energy transition, President Lula’s leadership will be critical in this decisive decade for climate action.

Gustavo Petro

Gustavo Petro is the other Hispanic politician to be named by Time magazine among the most influential people of 2023. The politician and economist became Colombia's president on August 8, 2022.

Chilean politician Gabriel Boric is the one who talks about fellow politician Gustavo Petro in Time:

When Gustavo Petro assumed the presidency of Colombia in August 2022, I was lucky enough to be there to see the streets of Bogotá full of people—and of hope. Gustavo, the leader of a historic political coalition, has built an ambitious and transformative program. With the pragmatism required to exercise power, he has built broad alliances that allow him to dialogue with most of the democratic forces in his country. His north star is deepening Colombia’s peace plan, using all of the knowledge gained in recent years in a territory that was besieged by violence for far too long, along with rebuilding Latin American unity beyond rhetoric—a goal we share. Gustavo also dares to speak about complex issues, like the failure of the antidrug policy championed by the U.S. and the need to overhaul it; the fair distribution of wealth in his country and in the world; and the imperative to care for the environment in the context of a global climate crisis. He’s a leader who makes difficult decisions and learns fast. I deeply respect him and the projects he embodies.

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