List of Latin Americans
This is a list of notable Latin American people, in alphabetical order within categories.
Actors
- Wagner Moura
- Fernanda Montenegro
- Norma Aleandro
- Héctor Alterio
- Rafael Amaya
- Imperio Argentina
- Pedro Armendáriz
- Carla Baratta
- Adrian Bellani
- Diego Bertie
- Rubén Blades
- Marcela Bovio
- Sônia Braga
- Richard Cabral
- Cantinflas
- Barbara Carrera
- Grecia Colmenares
- Ricardo Darín
- Colman Domingo
- Dolores del Río
- Lali Espósito
- María Félix
- Andrés García
- Andy García
- Danay García
- Gael García Bernal
- Diane Guerrero
- Darío Grandinetti
- Maribel Guardia
- Salma Hayek
- Pedro Infante
- Oscar Isaac
- Raul Julia
- Katy Jurado
- Libertad Lamarque
- John Leguizamo
- Federico Luppi
- Santiago Magill
- Christian Meier
- Carmen Miranda
- Ricardo Montalbán
- Maria Montez
- Rita Moreno
- Jorge Negrete
- Gianella Neyra
- Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
- Edward James Olmos
- Natalia Oreiro
- J.D. Pardo
- Manny Pérez
- Silvia Pinal
- Danny Pino
- Anthony Quinn
- Dania Ramirez
- Emilio Rivera
- Zoe Saldaña
- Catalina Sandino Moreno
- Christian Serratos
- Benicio del Toro
- Christy Turlington
- Lupe Vélez
- Sofía Vergara
- China Zorrilla
- Gina Rodriguez
- Isabela Moner
Artists and designers
- Aleijadinho, sculptor
- Julio Abril, sculptor
- Tarsila do Amaral, painter, considered one of the leading modernist artists in Latin America
- Fernando Botero, painter and sculptor
- Adriana Melo, comic book artist, notable for her work on the Star Wars: Empire franchise
- Luis Camnitzer, conceptual artist
- Roger Mello, children's book illustrator
- José Campeche, painter
- Lygia Clark, painter and sculptor
- Marcela Donoso, painter
- Pancho Fierro, illustrator
- Gego, geometric-abstract sculptor
- Paulo Mendes da Rocha, architect
- José Guadalupe Posada, illustrator and cartoonist, printmaker
- Alfredo Jaar, installation artist
- Frida Kahlo, realist and symbolist painter
- Ruth Kedar, artist and designer
- Guillermo Kuitca, painter
- Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon, comic book artist
- Wifredo Lam, painter
- Roberto Matta, painter
- Abraham Palatnik, abstract artist and inventor
- Ana Mendieta, performance artist
- Lola Mora, sculptor
- Hélio Oiticica, painter and sculptor
- Francisco Oller, impressionist painter
- José Clemente Orozco, mural painter and lithographer
- Candido Portinari, painter
- Benito Quinquela Martín, painter
- Diego Quispe Tito, Cuzco School painter
- Eduardo Kobra, graffiti artist
- Armando Reverón, painter
- Diego Rivera, muralist
- Emilio Hector Rodriguez, painter and photographer
- Gustavo Ramos, artist and oil painter
- José Sabogal, indigenist painter
- David Alfaro Siqueiros, social realist painter and muralist
- Jesús Rafael Soto, kinetic and op artist
- Rufino Tamayo, painter, artist
- Oscar Niemeyer, architect
- Joaquín Torres-García, constructivist painter
- Remedios Varo, surrealist painter
- Constantine Andreou, painter and sculptor
Fashion
- Gisele Bündchen, fashion model
- Valeria Mazza, fashion model
- Francisco Costa, designer
- Oscar de la Renta, fashion designer
- Nina García, fashion editor
- Hans Stern, jeweler and businessman
- Gabriela Hearst, fashion designer
- Alexandre Herchcovitch, fashion designer
- Carolina Herrera, fashion designer
- Mario Testino, fashion photographer
- Alessandra Ambrósio, fashion person
Film directors
- Andy Muschietti
- Francisco Antônio de Almeida Júnior, important figure in the development of cinematography
- Damian Szifron
- Alejandro Amenábar
- Alfonso Arau
- Carlos Saldanha animator
- Adolfo Aristarain
- Héctor Babenco
- Luis Buñuel
- Juan José Campanella
- Román Chalbaud
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Juan Downey
- Lucrecia Martel
- Sara Gómez
- Guillermo Fantástico González
- Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Alejandro Jodorowsky
- León Klimovsky
- Claudia Llosa
- Fernando Meirelles
- Franco de Peña
- Lucía Puenzo
- Arturo Ripstein
- Raúl Ruiz (director)
- Walter Salles
- Amy Serrano
- Guillermo del Toro
Leaders and politicians
- José Mujica, President of Uruguay
- Leandro N. Alem, politician
- Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador
- Óscar Arias, statesman, Nobel Peace Prize
- Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina
- Francisco de Miranda, Supreme Chief of First Republic of Venezuela
- Julio A. Roca, President of Argentina
- Antonio Saca, President of El Salvador
- Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela
- Simón Bolívar, Libertador in Spanish American wars of independence
- Javier Milei, President of Argentina
- Anastasio Bustamante, President of Mexico
- Plutarco Elías Calles, President of Mexico
- Fidel Castro, Prime Minister, later President of Cuba
- Alfonso García Robles, diplomat and politician, Nobel Peace Prize
- José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, Supreme Dictator of Paraguay
- Che Guevara, Marxist revolutionary
- Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Chief instigator of Mexican War of Independence
- Benito Juárez, President of Mexico
- Juscelino Kubitschek, President of Brazil
- Alberto Lleras Camargo, President of Colombia
- Leopoldo López, Mayor of Chacao, Venezuela
- José Martí, leader of Cuban Independence movement
- Juan Manuel de Rosas, Caudillo
- Rigoberta Menchú, activist, Nobel Peace Prize
- Chico Mendes, trade union leader and environmentalist
- Antonio Nariño, political and military leader
- Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, United Nations Secretary-General
- Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, activist, Nobel Peace Prize
- Juan Perón, President of Argentina
- Carlos Saavedra Lamas, academic and politician, Nobel Peace Prize
- José de San Martín, Libertador in Spanish American wars of independence
- Augusto César Sandino, guerilla leader and revolutionary
- Pancho Villa, guerrilla leader of the Mexican Revolution
- Emiliano Zapata, guerrilla leader of the Mexican Revolution
- Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
- Pedro Albizu Campos, president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
- Evo Morales, president of Bolivia
Monarchs
- Agustin I, independence leader, Emperor of Mexico
- Pope Francis, Sovereign of Vatican City State
- Pedro I, independence leader, Emperor of Brazil
- Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil
Imperial/royal consorts
- Ana María Huarte, Empress consort of Mexico
- Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress consort of Brazil
- Carlota of Mexico, Empress consort of Mexico
- Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress consort of Brazil
- Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg
- Máxima of the Netherlands, Queen consort of the Netherlands
- Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, Empress consort of Brazil
Musicians
- Carlos Gardel, singer, songwriter, composer and actor
- Gustavo Assis-Brasil, guitarist
- Miguel del Águila, composer
- Alok (DJ), musician, DJ, and record producer
- Michel Camilo, pianist and composer
- Simón Díaz, composer, actor and singer
- Gilberto Gil, singer and composer
- Chabuca Granda, singer and composer
- Rafael Hernández Marín, composer
- Antônio Carlos Jobim, pianist, singer and composer
- Agustín Lara, composer
- Ernesto Lecuona, composer, pianist and conductor
- Vinicius de Moraes, singer and composer
- Ástor Piazzolla, tango composer
- Tito Puente, Latin jazz and mambo musician
- Omar Rodríguez-López, guitarist
- Carlos Santana, composer, songwriter and guitarist
- Eloy Casagrande, drummer
- Lalo Schifrin, composer and pianist
- Pedro Suárez-Vértiz, pianist, singer and composer
- Caetano Veloso, singer and composer
- Lito Vitale, composer and performer
- Laurindo Almeida, guitarist and composer in classical
- Atahualpa Yupanqui, folk musician
- Rosa Antonelli, pianist
- Antônio Meneses, cellist
Classical
- Nelson Freire, classical pianist
- José Antonio Abreu, pianist, conductor and composer
- Miguel del Águila, composer
- Claudio Arrau, pianist
- Clara Ricciolini, ballet
- Daniel Barenboim, pianist and conductor
- Agustín Barrios, guitarist and composer
- Teresa Carreño, pianist, conductor and composer
- Reynaldo Hahn, music, critic, conductor and composer
- Deborah Colker, ballet dancer
- Eduardo Marturet, conductor and composer
- Eduardo Mata, conductor and composer
- Juan Orrego Salas, composer
- Paulo Szot, baritone
- Luigi Alva, tenor
- Fabiana Bravo, soprano
- Antônio Carlos Gomes, opera composer
- Eduardo Brito, baritone
- José Cura, tenor
- Juan Diego Flórez, tenor
- Isabel Rubio Ricciolini, opera
Singers
- Christina Aguilera, pop/R&B singer-songwriter and actress
- Álvaro Torres, singer-songwriter
- Anitta, singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer
- Desi Arnaz, salsa singer
- Rubén Blades, salsa singer
- Roberto Carlos (singer), singer-songwriter
- Cazuza, singer-songwriter
- Gustavo Cerati, alternative rock singer-songwriter
- Celia Cruz, salsa singer
- Kat DeLuna, singer
- Lali Espósito, pop singer-songwriter
- Gloria Estefan, singer-songwriter
- José Feliciano, singer-songwriter
- Juan Gabriel, ranchera and ballad singer-songwriter
- Charly García, rock musician
- Juan Luis Guerra, singer-songwriter
- Pedro Infante, singer and actor
- Víctor Jara, singer-songwriter
- Juanes, singer-songwriter
- Jennifer Lopez, singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, producer
- Jorge Negrete, singer-songwriter
- Fito Páez, singer-songwriter, producer and film director
- Prince Royce, singer-songwriter
- Santaye, singer-songwriter
- Ivete Sangalo, singer-songwriter
- Raul Seixas, composer, singer-songwriter and producer
- Shakira, Latin pop singer-songwriter
- Luis Alberto Spinetta, singer-songwriter
- Lynda Thomas, alternative rock and eurodance singer-songwriter
- Carlos Vives, vallenato singer, composer and actor
- Ricky Martin, Latin pop singer-songwriter and actor
- Bad Bunny, reggaeton and Latin trap singer-songwriter
- Camila Cabello, actor, singer-songwriter
Philosophers and humanists
- Paulo Freire, philosopher
- Juan Bautista Alberdi, political theorist
- Andrés Bello, humanist, philosopher, educator and philologist
- Leonardo Boff, early Liberation theologians
- Mario Bunge, philosopher
- Miguel Antonio Caro, humanist, linguist and politician
- Rufino José Cuervo, philologist and linguist
- Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, writer, journalist and sociologist
- Manuel DeLanda, philosopher, professor
- Roberto Mangabeira Unger, philosopher
- José Ingenieros, philosopher and sociologist
- Enrique Krauze, historian, political and social essayist
- Humberto Maturana, proponent of embodied philosophy
- Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla, humanist, philosopher and educator
- Gilberto de Mello Freyre, sociologist, considered one of the most important sociologists of the 20th century
- Edmundo O'Gorman, philosopher
- Francisco Varela, proponent of embodied philosophy
- José Vasconcelos, thinker, educator and essayist
- Antonio Candido, writer, sociologist
Science and technology
- Manuel de Abreu, physician and scientist
- Josué de Castro, physician
- Milton Santos, geographer
- Giuseppe Cilento, chemist
- Ivan Izquierdo, scientist
- Juan Martín Maldacena, theoretical physicis
- Julio Navarro (astrophysicist), astrophysicist
- Luis Agote, physician and researcher
- Eugenia Kalnay, meteorologist
- Sandra Díaz (ecologist), ecologist
- Ricardo Alegría, physical anthropologist
- Maurício Peixoto, engineer and mathematician
- Luis Caffarelli, mathematician
- Eduardo Arzt, molecular biologist
- Ana Belén Elgoyhen, scientist
- Álvaro Alvim, physician
- Antonio Divino Moura, meteorologist
- Carolina Araujo, mathematician
- Artur Avila, mathematician
- José Antonio Balseiro, nuclear physicist
- Gregorio Baro, radiochemist
- Eduardo D. Sontag, mathematician
- Ana Bedran-Russo, clinician and scientist
- Amina Helmi, astronomer
- Alberto Pedro Calderón, mathematician
- Baruj Benacerraf, immunologist, Nobel Prize Medicine
- Martha E. Bernal, psychologist
- Fernando Brandão, physicist and computer scientist
- Vital Brazil, physician, biomedical scientist and immunologist
- Jorge E. Galán, microbiologist
- Carlos Eduardo Kenig, mathematician
- Francisco José de Caldas, naturalist, mathematician, geographer and inventor
- Fernando Caldeiro, NASA astronaut
- Víctor A. Carreño, NASA aerospace engineer
- Nabor Carrillo Flores, nuclear physicist
- Carlos Chagas, physician and scientist
- Franklin Chang Díaz, NASA astronaut
- Nitza Margarita Cintrón, NASA Chief of Space and Health Care Systems
- Adelmar Faria Coimbra-Filho, biologist, primatologist
- Jacinto Convit, medical scientist, discoverer of vaccines
- Newton da Costa, mathematician, logician, and philosopher
- Luís Cruls, astronomer and geodesist
- Armando J. Parodi, glycobiologist
- Oswaldo Cruz, physician, bacteriologist, epidemiologist
- Johanna Döbereiner, agronomist
- René Favaloro, cardiologist, created the technique for coronary bypass
- Humberto Fernández-Morán, medical research scientist
- Sérgio Henrique Ferreira, physician and pharmacologist
- Orlando Figueroa, NASA Director for Mars Exploration and for Solar System Division
- Carlos Finlay, medical scientist, researcher
- Leopoldo Penna Franca, mathematician
- Julio Garavito Armero, astronomer
- Marcelo Gleiser, physicist and astronomer
- Otto Richard Gottlieb, chemist and scientist
- José Goldemberg, physicist
- Guillermo González Camarena, inventor of an early color television system
- Hilário de Gouvêa, ophthalmologist
- Juan Gundlach, naturalist, taxonomist
- Celso Grebogi, theoretical physicist
- Salomón Hakim, physician and scientist
- Guillermo Haro, astrophysicist, specialist in observational astronomy
- Bernardo Houssay, physiologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Miguel de Icaza, free software programmer
- Roberto Ierusalimschy, computer scientist
- Madeleine M. Joullié organic chemist
- Warwick Estevam Kerr, agricultural engineer, geneticist, entomologist
- Roberto Landell de Moura, pioneer of telephony and radio
- César Lattes, experimental physicist
- Luis Federico Leloir, biochemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Maria Carmela Lico, physiologist
- Mariana Weissmann, physicist
- Beatriz Barbuy, astrophysicist
- Henrique da Rocha Lima, physician, pathologist and infectologist
- Domingo Liotta, cardiologist, created first artificial heart
- Rosaly Lopes, planetary geologist, volcanologist
- Peter Wilhelm Lund, paleontologist, zoologist and archeologist
- Adolfo Lutz, epidemiologist
- Lúcia Mendonça Previato, biologist
- Humberto Maturana, biologist
- Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, USSR Space Program cosmonaut
- César Milstein, biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Luis E. Miramontes, chemist, co-inventor of the oral contraceptive
- Mario J. Molina, chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Salvador Moncada, pharmacologist
- Nélio José Nicolai, electrotechnician
- Miguel Nicolelis, pioneering work surrounding brain-computer interface
- Hermann Niemeyer, paediatrician and biochemist, pioneer of biochemistry in Chile
- Rodolfo Neri Vela, Ph.D, NASA astronaut
- Belita Koiller, Physics
- Carlos Nobre (scientist), scientist and meteorologist
- Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut
- Antonia Novello, 14th Surgeon General of the United States
- Ruth Sonntag Nussenzweig, immunologist
- Diltor Opromolla, physician and dermatologist
- Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, pathologist, vaccines specialist
- Carlos Paz de Araújo, scientist and inventor
- Jacob Palis, mathematician
- Feniosky Peña-Mora, engineer and educator
- Sérgio Pereira da Silva Porto, physicist
- Felipe Poey, zoologist, specialist in ichthyology
- Aracely Quispe Neira, NASA senior astronautical engineer, professor, researcher
- Silvano Raia, surgeon
- Eduardo H. Rapoport, ecologist, biogeographer
- L. Rafael Reif, engineer, president of MIT
- Andrés Manuel del Río, geologist, chemist
- Maurício Rocha e Silva, physician and pharmacologist
- Helen Rodríguez Trías, pediatrician, early advocate for women's reproductive rights
- Alicia Dickenstein mathematician
- Francisco Rubio (astronaut), NASA astronaut
- Oscar Sala, nuclear physicist
- Roberto Salmeron, electrical engineer and experimental nuclear physicist
- Wilfredo Santa-Gómez, psychiatrist
- José Santana (economist), specialist in technology and development
- Alberto Santos-Dumont, aviation inventor
- Nise da Silveira, psychiatrist
- Sarah Stewart (cancer researcher), microbiologist, discovered Polyomavirus
- Klaus von Storch, aerospace engineer
- Sérgio Trindade, chemical engineer and researcher
- Pablo DT Valenzuela, biotechnologist, co-founder of Chiron Corporation and Fundación Ciencias Para la Vida
- Francisco Varela, biologist, co-author of the theory of autopoiesis
- Lydia Villa-Komaroff, biologist, early Mexican American PhD in the sciences
- Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini, physician and cardiac surgeon
Social scientists
- Celso Monteiro Furtado, economist
- Eugenio María de Hostos, sociologist and educator
- Miguel León-Portilla, cultural anthropologist and historian
- Milton Santos, human geographer and writer
- Hernando de Soto Polar, economist
- Julio C. Tello, archeologist
- Lorenz Bruno Puntel, philosopher
Sports
Athletics to Cycling
;Athletics- Daniel Bautista, Olympic race walk gold medalist
- Thiago Braz, Olympic pole vault gold medalist
- Delfo Cabrera, Olympic marathon gold medalist
- Ernesto Canto, race walk Olympic gold medalist and World Champion
- Joaquim Cruz, Olympic 800m gold medalist
- Adhemar da Silva, Olympic 2x triple jump gold medalist
- Anier García, Olympic 110 m hurdles gold medalist
- Raúl González (racewalker), Olympic gold medalist
- Alberto Juantorena, Olympic 2x track gold medalist
- Iván Pedroso, Olympic long jump gold medalist and 4x World Champion
- Jefferson Pérez, Olympic 2x race walk gold medalist and 4x World Champion
- Dayron Robles, Olympic 110 m hurdles gold medalist
- Irving Saladino, Olympic gold medalist and World Champion
- Félix Sánchez, Olympic 400m hurdles gold medalist and 2x World Champion
- Javier Sotomayor, Olympic high jump gold medalist and World Record holder
- Juan Carlos Zabala, Olympic marathon gold medalist
- Luis Aparicio, Major League Baseball shortstop, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Miguel Cabrera, MLB first baseman
- Yan Gomes, Brazilian-American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball
- Roberto Clemente, MLB right fielder, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Juan Marichal, MLB pitcher, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Dennis Martínez, MLB pitcher, first Latino to pitch a perfect game
- Pedro Martínez, MLB pitcher, 3x Cy Young Award winner
- Sammy Sosa, MLB right fielder, first Latino to hit 500 home runs
- José Reyes (infielder), MLB player
- Fernando Valenzuela, MLB pitcher
- Oscar Schmidt
- Hortência Marcari
- Carlos Arroyo, National Basketball Association point guard
- Leandro Barbosa, NBA Champion
- J. J. Barea, NBA Champion
- Manu Ginóbili, Olympic gold medalist, NBA 2x Champion
- Al Horford, NBA
- Horacio Llamas, NBA
- Eduardo Nájera, NBA
- Butch Lee, NBA Champion
- Rosendo Álvarez, World Champion
- Alexis Argüello, World Champion, International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Wilfred Benítez, World Champion in 3x weight divisions, International Boxing Hall of Fame
- Jorge Castro (boxer), World Champion
- Julio César Chávez, World Champion in 3x weight divisions
- Juan Martin Coggi, World Champion
- Carlos Cruz (boxer), World Champion
- Oscar De La Hoya, World Champion in 6x weight divisions
- Carlos De León, World Champion
- Roberto Durán, World Champion in 4x weight divisions
- Víctor Galíndez, World Champion
- Wilfredo Gómez, World Champion
- Éder Jofre, World Champion
- Santos Laciar, World Champion
- Raúl Macías, World Champion
- Kina Malpartida, World Champion
- Ricardo Mayorga, World Champion
- Carlos Monzón, World Champion
- José Luis Ramírez, World Champion
- John Ruiz, World Champion
- Salvador Sánchez, World Champion
- José Torres, World Champion
- Félix Trinidad, World Champion
- Esteban Canal, International Master, honorary International Grandmaster
- José Raúl Capablanca, World Champion, International Grandmaster
- Henrique Costa Mecking, Brazilian chess grandmaster
- Santiago Botero, World Time-Trial Champion
- Henrique Avancini
- Lourival Mendes França, world champion in draughts-64,, International grandmaster in draughts-64, International master in International draughts
Football to Volleyball
;Football- Pelé, co-winner FIFA Player of the 20th Century, Named athlete of the 20th century
- Alfredo Di Stéfano, 5x Champions League winner with Real Madrid and 3x Ballon d’Or winner
- Diego Maradona, co-winner FIFA Player of the 20th Century
- Lionel Messi, 6x World Footballer of the Year
- Ronaldo
- Ronaldinho
- Kaká
- Rivaldo
- Romário
;Golf
- Chi-Chi Rodríguez, World Golf Hall of Famer
- Bento Assis 4 x World Champion US Kids Golf
- Javier Castellano, jockey, 3x U.S. Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
- Ramon Domínguez, jockey, 3x U.S. Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
- T. J. Pereira
- Johnny Cecotto, 2x Motorcycle World Champion
- Eric Granado, He was the 2017 FIM CEV Moto2 European Championship winner
- Juan Manuel Fangio, 5x Formula One World Champion
- Emerson Fittipaldi, 2x Formula One World Champion
- Carlos Lavado, 2x Motorcycle World Champion
- Juan Zanelli, Le Mans and European Hill Climb and Formula One race winner
- Juan Pablo Montoya, 1x CART Champion, 2x Indianapolis 500 winner, Formula One and NASCAR race winner
- Nelson Piquet, 3x Formula One World Champion
- Ayrton Senna, 3x Formula One World Champion
- Bob Burnquist, better known as Bob is the most medalist in X Games history, with a total of 30 medals
- Letícia Bufoni, considered one of the greatest names in the history of the sport
- Sofía Mulánovich, 3x World Champion, Surfing Hall of Fame
- Phil Rajzman, 2x World Champion
- Gabriel Medina
- Ítalo Ferreira
- Filipe Toledo
- Adriano de Souza
- Maria Bueno, 19x Champion of Grand Slam events, International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Rosemary Casals, 12x Champion of Grand Slam events
- Gigi Fernández, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
- Mary Joe Fernández, 2x Champion of Grand Slam events, 2 Olympic gold medals
- Gastón Gaudio, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
- Andrés Gómez, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
- Fernando González, 2x Olympic medalist
- Gustavo Kuerten, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
- Anita Lizana, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event, first Latin American to be ranked World Number One
- Nicolás Massú, 2x Olympic gold medals
- David Nalbandian, Tennis Masters Champion
- Alex Olmedo, 3x Champion of Grand Slam events
- Rafael Osuna, 4x Champion of Grand Slam events
- Monica Puig, Olympic gold medalist
- Marcelo Ríos, first Latín Américan man ranked World Number One in the ATP
- Gabriela Sabatini, 2x Champion of Grand Slam events
- Pancho Segura, International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Paola Suárez, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
- Guillermo Vilas, 1x Champion of Grand Slam event
; UFC
Writers
A-L
- Paulo Coelho, lyricist and novelist
- Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, dramatist
- Isabel Allende, best selling novelist
- Arambilet, created first Latin American story using computerized linetext/ASCII art
- Julia Alvarez, poet, novelist and essayist
- Jorge Amado, modernist writer
- José María Arguedas, novelist
- Roberto Arlt, short-story writer, novelist, and playwright
- Miguel Ángel Asturias, Nobel Prize in Literature
- Mario Benedetti, novelist and poet
- Adolfo Bioy Casares, novelist, Cervantes Prize
- Roberto Bolaño, novelist, Rómulo Gallegos Prize
- Jorge Luis Borges, Cervantes Prize
- Giannina Braschi, poet, novelist, and essayist
- Alfredo Bryce, novelist and short story writer
- Carlos Drummond de Andrade poet and writer
- Guillermo Cabrera Infante, novelist and essayist, Cervantes Prize
- Alejo Carpentier, novelist and essayist, Cervantes Prize
- Carlos Castaneda, New Age and Shamanism author
- Julio Cortázar, novelist and short story writer
- Juana Inés de la Cruz, poet and dramatist
- Rubén Darío, modernist poet
- Virgilio Dávila, poet
- Julia de Burgos, poet
- João Guimarães Rosa, novelist, considered by many to be the greatest Brazilian writer of the 20th century and a of the greatest of all time
- Jorge Edwards, Cervantes Prize
- Laura Esquivel, novelist
- Rosario Ferré, poet, novelist, and essayist
- Carlos Fuentes, novelist and essayist, Rómulo Gallegos Prize, Cervantes Prize and Prince of Asturias Award
- Rómulo Gallegos, novelist
- João Cabral de Melo Neto, poet
- Gabriel García Márquez, novelist and journalist, Nobel Prize Laureate
- Nicolás Guillén, poet
- José Hernández (writer), poet and journalist
- Vicente Huidobro, poet, initiator of Creacionismo movement
- José Lezama Lima, novelist
- Amelia Denis de Icaza, romantic poet
- Clarice Lispector, novelist
- Luis Lloréns Torres, poet
- Luis López Nieves, best-selling novelist and tale writer
- Dulce María Loynaz, poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate
- Leopoldo Lugones, poet
- Mário de Andrade, poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, he was a pioneer of the field of ethnomusicology
M-Z
- Alejandra Pizarnik, poet
- Machado de Assis, realist novelist, poet and short-story writer
- Monteiro Lobato, novelist and short story writer, One of the greatest names in children's literature of all time
- Jorge Majfud, novelist and essayist
- José Martí, poet and essayist
- Gregório de Matos, baroque poet
- Leopoldo Minaya, Cervantes Cultural Association Award
- Pedro Mir, poet and writer, Poet Laureate of Dominican Republic
- Gabriela Mistral, poet, Nobel Prize
- Augusto Monterroso, short story writer, Prince of Asturias Award
- Manuel Mujica Láinez, novelist, essayist, journalist and short story writer
- Álvaro Mutis, poet, novelist, and essayist, Cervantes Prize, Prince of Asturias Award
- Ana Maria Machado, writer, She received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2000 for her "lasting contribution to children's literature"
- Pablo Neruda, poet, Nobel Prize
- Amado Nervo, modernist poet
- Juan Carlos Onetti, novelist and short-story writer, Cervantes Prize
- Nicanor Parra, anti-poet
- Fernando del Paso, novelist, essayist and poet, Rómulo Gallegos Prize
- Octavio Paz, Cervantes Prize and Nobel Prize
- Sergio Pitol, novelist, short story writer and translator, Cervantes Prize
- Elena Poniatowska, novelist
- Manuel Puig, novelist
- Horacio Quiroga, short story writer
- José Eustasio Rivera, poet and novelist
- Augusto Roa Bastos, novelist, Cervantes Prize
- Gonzalo Rojas, poet, Cervantes Prize
- Juan Rulfo, novelist, Prince of Asturias Award
- Ernesto Sabato, novelist and essayist, Cervantes Prize
- Jaime Sabines, poet
- Alfonsina Storni, postmodernist poet
- Lygia Fagundes Telles, novelist and short-story writer, Camoens Prize
- Arturo Uslar Pietri, novelist, Prince of Asturias Award
- César Vallejo, poet
- Fernando Vallejo, novelist, Rómulo Gallegos Prize
- Mario Vargas Llosa, novelist and essayist, Cervantes Prize, Nobel Prize
- Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, first mestizo author in Spanish language
- Xavier Villaurrutia, poet
Others
- Silvia Renate Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
- Óscar González-Quevedo, parapsychologist
- Egon Albrecht-Lemke, Luftwaffe fighter pilot
- Luigi Cani, skydiver
- Ali Lenin Aguilera, businessman
- Frei Galvão, saint
- Eike Batista, businessman
- José Antonio Bowen, jazz musician and college president
- Enrique Gratas, television journalist
- Chico Xavier, philanthropist and spiritist medium
- María Julia Mantilla, Miss World 2004
- Graças Foster, business person
- Denise Quiñones, Miss Universe 2001
- Sebastião Salgado, photographer
- Geraldo Rivera, television journalist
- Amyr Klink, explorer
- Mike Krieger, entrepreneur and software engineer who co-founded Instagram
- Ricardo Salinas Pliego, businessman
- Alex Kipman, engineer
- Carlos Slim, businessman and billionaire
- Gérard Moss, pilot
- Alex Atala, cook
- Ademar José Gevaerd, ufologist
- Karol Meyer, diver
- Maria da Conceição, alleged witch
- Roche Braziliano, pirate
- Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook