Peruvian writer and Nobel literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa died on Sunday at the age of 89, his family announced, ending the era of Latin America's literary golden generation.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that our father, Mario Vargas Llosa, passed away peacefully in Lima today, surrounded by his family," his eldest son Alvaro wrote in a message on X also signed by his siblings Gonzalo and Morgana Vargas Llosa.

Born into a middle-class Peruvian family, Vargas Llosa was one of the greats of the Latin American literary "boom" of the 1960s and 1970s, along with Colombia's Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Argentina's Julio Cortazar.

Rumors of the writer's deteriorating health had spread in recent months, during which he had been living out of the public eye.

In October, his son Alvaro said he was "on the verge of turning 90, an age when you have to reduce the intensity of your activities a little."

The writer's "passing will sadden his relatives, his friends and his readers around the world," the family statement read.

"But we hope that they will find comfort, as we do, in the fact that he enjoyed a long, adventurous and fruitful life, and leaves behind him a body of work that will outlive him."

Peru declared a day of mourning for the author on Monday, with flags flying at half-mast on government premises.

'Enduring legacy'

The family said that "no public ceremony will take place," in accordance with instructions left by Vargas Llosa himself.

"Our mother, our children and ourselves trust that we will have the space and privacy to bid him farewell in the company of family members and close friends," the siblings added.

Vargas Llosa's body will be cremated, in accordance with his wishes, they said.

Gustavo Ruiz, a reader of Vargas Llosa's works, was among a small group of young people gathered around the writer's home to pay tribute.

"I didn't believe it and I wanted to come close to his house since they are not going to give him a wake," Ruiz told national radio station RPP.

David Marreros, a 30-year-old visual artist, told AFP that Vargas Llosa proved "one can live doing what one is most passionate about."

The writer's "intellectual genius and enormous body of work will remain an enduring legacy for future generations," Peru's President Dina Boluarte posted on X.

"We express our sincerest condolences to the family, to his friends and to the whole world. Rest in peace, illustrious Peruvian for the ages."

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe called Vargas Llosa a "Master of Masters."

"He leaves us a path for the future," Uribe said on X.

Fellow Peruvian writer Alfredo Bryce Echenique hailed Vargas Llosa's "enormity," telling RPP his friend's death was "a sorrow for Peru."

US Deputy State Secretary State Christopher Landau said that "to label him as just Peruvian would be a disservice because his themes and interests were timeless and universal."

"He will live on in my bookshelves and many others in Latin America and around the world," Landau wrote on X.

Mario Vargas Llosa moved to Lima last year and celebrated his 89th birthday on March 28.

A few days before, his son Alvaro posted on X three photos of him showing the writer in spots around Lima where he wrote his last two novels, "Cinco Esquinas" ("Five Corners", 2016) and "Le Dedico Mi Silencio" ("I Dedicate My Silence To You," 2023).

Vargas Llosa was hailed for his close description of social reality in works like "La ciudad y los perros" ("The City and the Dogs", 1963) and "Conversacion en la catedral" ("Conversation in the Cathedral", 1969).

But he was criticized by some South American intellectuals for his conservative stances.

Vargas Llosa's works were translated into around 30 languages.

A Francophile, he lived in Paris for several years, becoming in 2016 the first foreign author added to the prestigious Pleiade literary collection during his lifetime.

He was named to France's Academy of prominent intellectuals in 2021.