This paper analyzes El Paraíso en la otra esquina (2003), a historical novel that traces the socialist and nationalist trajectories of major figures of the nineteenth century. Vargas Llosa’s notion of global citizenship is far from communist or socialist articulations, and emphasizes his well-known liberal positions. My reading shows that the parallel trajectories of Flora Tristán and Paul Gauguin end tragically due to their ideological shortcomings. I contend that Vargas Llosa re-writes the Latin American historical novel by deterritorializing it, that is, by introducing figures and histories that transcend the continent. His re-articulation of this literary genre allows him to discuss contemporary ideas brought about by the era of globalisation, and tackle present-day issues.