Renowned linguist, activist, and social critic Noam Chomsky is currently hospitalized in Brazil, where he is recovering from a massive stroke he suffered a year ago, as confirmed by his wife, Valeria Chomsky, on June 11.
Valeria Chomsky stated via email that her 95-year-old husband is receiving treatment in a Sao Paulo hospital, where she transported him with medical assistance from the United States following the stroke in June 2023. The couple has resided in Brazil since 2015.
She verified the information reported by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo on Monday, which mentioned that Noam Chomsky is experiencing difficulty speaking and has mobility issues on the right side of his body. He is under the care of a neurologist, speech therapist, and lung specialist who visit him regularly.
Valeria Chomsky disclosed to the newspaper that her husband remains engaged with current events, expressing his emotions regarding the conflict in Gaza by raising his left arm in a gesture of sorrow and frustration.
Widely recognized as a symbol of dissent and intellectual freedom, Noam Chomsky is a prominent activist and critic known for challenging U.S. policies in various regions, including the Middle East and Central America, as well as criticizing what he perceives as a biased media. His writings and lectures have garnered a global following and sparked discussions on critical social issues.
Chomsky, who previously taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, currently holds the position of Laureate Professor of Linguistics, Agnese Helms Haury Chair, at the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson since 2017.
His groundbreaking work in linguistics began with the publication of his seminal book “Syntactic Structures” in 1957, where he proposed that humans possess an innate capacity for language acquisition, enabling them to comprehend and construct complex sentences without prior exposure.
Valeria Chomsky also mentioned to Folha de S.Paulo her consideration of relocating to an apartment near the sunny beaches of Rio de Janeiro, as studies suggest that a warm climate can benefit stroke recovery patients.
