Rómulo Gallegos: The innovator of the 20th century Spanish-American narrative (+seeding)

In the city of Caracas, on April 5, 1969, the physical departure of Rómulo Gallegos, a giant of Hispanic letters and master of prose and verb, who with his pen was able to portray the strength and magic of this land and its untamed people who, between battles, couplets, joys and cries, has cemented his glorious history of struggle for freedom and sovereignty.

Born in the city of Caracas on August 2, 1884, Gallegos stood out for his virtuosity with the pen that helped him create works such as “Doña Barbara”, “Cantclaro”, “La Trepadora”, “Canaima”, “Poor Negro”, as well as countless stories and theatrical scripts, creations that made him an obligatory reference for the study of Spanish-American and universal literature.

A forerunner of magical realism, Gallegos drew in every inch of his great works, the image of the immensity of the plain, and the reality of a story that, between black maroons, fierce centaurs and gallant women, is a beacon for the peoples of our America.

In addition to this legacy that made him a giant of universal literature, this man from Caracas by birth became the first directly, secretly and universally elected president in Venezuela, a position he held from February 17, 1948 to November 24 of that same year, because he was overthrown by a coup d'etat, sponsored by foreign oil companies that rejected the new Hydrocarbons Law that increased taxes on oil exploiters in the country, and who was executed by a group of right-wing soldiers and the adeco Romulo Betancourt, who was already beginning to show his pro-imperialist vision.

As a result of this action that expelled him from power, Gallegos had to go into exile in Cuba and later in Mexico, returning in 1958 after the fall of the dictatorship of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez.

Today, 56 years after the planting of this universal Venezuelan, the people honor the memory of Rómulo Gallegos, the giant of letters who is and will always be, teacher and example of a country that, like Florentino, launches its life and rebellion to resist and defeat the conspiracies of those who seek to give the death blow to the Fatherland between obscurity and deserts.

Mazo News Team