RAE Director Muñoz Machado Defends Language Freedom in Response to Dialectal Usage

On October 30, 2026, Álvaro Muñoz Machado, the director of the Real Academia Española (RAE), asserted that 'the dictionary does not prohibit people from speaking as they wish.' The remark was made in response to increasing use of regional dialects and informal speech patterns across Spain. The RAE, which is responsible for standardizing the Spanish language, has faced criticism for its rigid approach to linguistic norms. The statement was published by Infobae at two different times, with one version appearing at 12:01:42 and another at 12:16:16 on the same day. Both versions were identical in content, though the timing discrepancy remains unexplained. The comment has sparked discussions among linguists and the public about the role of official institutions in shaping language use. No significant divergence was noted between the sources, as both reports cited the same statement from Muñoz Machado. The RAE has not issued a formal response to the remarks, leaving the implications of the statement open to interpretation.