A renowned Mexican author and sociologist, whose appearance would have cost NIU more than $9,000, cancelled his speech and press conference scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Nobel Prize nominee Carlos Fuentes’ appearance was intended to be one of the highlights of National Hispanic Month. His expected payment of more than $9,000 was to be funded by the Campus Activities Board and the Student Association Finance Committee.

CAB gave almost $5,200 for the speech and the University Resources for Latinos would have requested the additional funding from the SA at the senate meeting April 1, said Yolanda Trevino, programming coordinator for the Latino group.

Because Fuentes was scheduled to appear Wednesday, three days after the senate meeting, the Center for Latino and Latin-American Studies was concerned about not having enough time for publicity, Trevino said.

Fuentes’ agent cancelled Friday, March 30. Fuentes will speak in Florida Wednesday and then return to Spain rather than travel to NIU, Trevino said.

Fuentes has taught at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Columbia University, New York, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. He received the Cervantes Prize and was nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature.