Rights activist, archaeologist, architect honored in Spain

By ÁLVARO BARRIENTOS
Associated Press

OVIEDO, Spain (AP) — A Polish human rights activist, a celebrated Mexican archaeologist and a Japanese architect are among the winners of prestigious Spanish awards. They were all being honored Friday at a royal gala ceremony. This year’s winners of the Princess of Asturias Awards included Adam Michnik, a former Polish dissident, Mexican archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, and architect Shigeru Ban from Japan. Michnik delivered a passionate speech against Russia’s war in Ukraine and warned against the rise of “populism, nationalism and authoritarianism” in the West. The prizes are handed out annually by a foundation named for Spanish Crown Princess Leonor.