The work of the former diplomat—who has also represented his country in Argentina and Spain—stands as a reaffirmed commitment to historical truth, national memory, and the defense of sovereignty.

Speaking to the newspaper *La Estrella de Panama*, Nieto—who also won the 1975 Casa de las Americas Prize—noted that the work’s title transcends the mere act of becoming visible; instead, it expresses the ethical responsibility of taking a stand regarding history and refusing to remain indifferent to injustice.

The newspaper emphasizes that the book was conceived during a pivotal period for Panamanian national consciousness, a time when the existence of the then-Canal Zone symbolized the fragmentation of the country’s sovereignty and the wounds inflicted by the colonial presence on the isthmus.

According to the published analysis, Nieto’s poetry transforms that historical reality into a literary expression in which the homeland emerges as a living experience—shaped by memory, collective dignity, and resistance—without resorting to slogans or polemical rhetoric.

The article underscores that *Dar la cara* engages with the tradition of Panamanian literature committed to building national consciousness, while simultaneously incorporating deep reflection on the responsibility to preserve the memory of victims, denounce forms of domination, and assert the identity of the Panamanian people.

For the news outlet, the poetry collection’s enduring value also lies in its ability to link emotion with historical interpretation through language of great symbolic power; it remains relevant today by inviting reflection on sovereignty, justice, memory, and new forms of dependency.

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