Latin Americans Mourn the Death of “Chespirito”

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Roberto Gómez Bolaños, the Mexican comedian who created, wrote, and played the iconic television characters “El Chavo del Ocho” and “El Chapulín Colorado,” died on November 28, 2014 at the age of 85. Gómez Bolaños got his nickname, derived from the Spanish pronunciation of “Shakespeare” (“Chespir”) with the common diminutive “ito” added to the end, because of his prolific pen and short stature.  Chespirito was beloved by generations of Latin Americans who acclaimed his “universal” humor with its wholesome, but socially conscious perspective.  Millions mourned him, while one hundred thousand Mexicans crammed into Estadio Azteca to bid him farewell.