Borges's death and two wishes for his fate: rest in Geneva or repatriation

Jorge Luis Borges's final resting place became a point of contention after his death in Geneva 40 years ago. While the renowned writer died at 86 from liver cancer in a rented apartment, his wife María Kodama was by his side. Borges had previously expressed a desire to be buried in the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, alongside his family.

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I dictate this prologue in one of my homelands, Geneva.

However, in the preface to "Los conjurados," one of his less-read works, Borges indicated Geneva was one of his "homelands." He also wrote a letter to the Spanish agency EFE in May 1986, stating his decision to remain in Geneva. He explained that his Buenos Aires was no longer the city of his youth and that he felt "strangely happy" in Geneva, a decision he felt should be respected.

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I foresee a burial in the Recoleta pantheon, where my father, my grandfather, Colonel Borges, my great-grandfather, Colonel Suárez, my other grandparents are... But all that doesn't concern me, because as I will not be present...

Despite these expressed wishes, Borges's sister, Norah, his nephews, and other friends and politicians called for his remains to be repatriated to Argentina. This debate resurfaced in 2009 when a proposal was made to bring his body back. The article notes that the issue may not be entirely closed, with some individuals in Geneva indicating they will continue to push for his return to Argentina.

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I am a free man. I have decided to stay in Geneva, because Geneva corresponds to the happiest years of my life. My Buenos Aires is still the one of guitars, of milongas, of cisterns, of patios. None of that exists now. It is a great city like so many others.