Writers, Poets and Intellectuals  (Page 2 of 3)

Writers, Poets and Intellectuals
(Arranged by date of birth)

Enrique Ortega Ricaurte (1893-1962) – Historian, academician and lawyer.
Among the prominent historians of the country was Enrique Ortega Ricaurte, member of the Colombian Academy of History and Director of the National Archive of Colombia, who brought to light documents of great importance for the history of Colombia.
He was the author of numerous books including Illustrious People Born in Bogota, The Liberator Unpublished Letters, Colombian Missions in the European Archives, Cemeteries of Bogota, Colombian Heraldry, Documentary History of El Chocó, The Pijaos War 1602-1603, and several monographs such as Villavicencio 1842-1942 and San Salvador de Sopó.

Daniel Samper Ortega (1895-1943) – Writer and professor.
An outstanding cultural and literary figure, Samper's greatest contribution to the nation was the publication of Biblioteca Aldeana de Colombia (The Village Library of Colombia). A series of 100 volumes, also known as Samper Ortega Selection, it integrates the works of the most outstanding writers of the country.
He was the author of Inside the Fog, Mother Del Castillo, Our Beautiful Colombian Country, and was bestowed the “Geografia Patria” prize by the The Geographical Society of Colombia.

Federico Rivas Aldana - Fray-Lejón - (1900-1982) – Journalist and poet.
A writer for El Tiempo newspaper for about 40 years, Rivas also worked in collaboration with many magazines and other newspapers. His column “Buenos Dias” (Good Morning) was written in humouristic verse and criticized the politicians of his time.
He was also famous for his daily humourous crossword puzzles and his other columns “Hace 25 Años” and “Gazapera” helped make him one of the most read columnists in Columbia.

Germán Arciniegas Angueyra (1900-1999) – Historian, essayist, humanist, politician, attorney, professor, academic and journalist.
This brilliant Colombian, one of the best Ibero-American historians, was known as "the man of the Americas".
His numerous accomplishments at home an aboard, included Minister of Education, president of the Academy of History, member of the Colombian Academy of Language and member of several culturual institutions.
Arciniegas founded the National Museum and the Colonial Museum. He facilitated the creation of the "Caro y Cuervo Institute", founded several magazines, authored more than 60 books, and wrote more than 15,000 newspaper articles.
His works include The Student of the Round Table, Biography of the Caribbean, Between Freedom and Fear, The Reverse of History, America in Europe and Life and Death of the Liberator.

Emilia Pardo Umaña (1907-1961) – Journalist, chronicler and novelist.
The first female journalist in Colombia, Pardo wrote the politically critical column “Emilia” for El Espectador, El Siglo, and El Tiempo newspapers. Aside from “Emilia”, she also wrote “Ki-ki, la Doctora en Amor” (Ki-ki, the Doctor on Love) which was widely read.
In addition, Pardo wrote for Sucesos Magazine and the weekly newspaper Sábado. Her one novel, A Dead Person in the Legation was published in 1951.

Eduardo Zalamea Borda (1907-1963) – Writer, poet and journalist,
Zalamea began his career in journalism at La Tarde newspaper where he published his poem Bahíahonda, Puerto Guajiro.
He was eventually appointed Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper El Liberal. Zalamea also wrote a column for El Espectador under the pseudonym “Ulysses” and was the director of the cultural section of the same paper.
He is perhaps most famous for his novel Four Years Aboard Myself.

Carlos Lleras Restrepo (1908 -1994 ) – Intellectual, lawyer, writer and journalist. President of Colombia from 1966 to 1970.
The distinguished politician, Carlos Lleras Restrepo, received the degree of Doctor of Law from the National University.
He began his brilliant political career very young as Vice-President of the National Liberal Convention. He was a representative to the Assembly of Cundinamarca, Secretary of Government, President of the House of Representatives, Controller General of the Nation, Treasury Minister, Vice-President of the United Nations Social and Economic Council and a delegate to international monetary and commerce conferences. He was the director of the National Coffee Fund, the Industrial Development Institute, the Institute of National Credit and the Augustin Codazzi Geographic Institute.
He also was a university professor, Director of El Tiempo newspaper, founder of the Nueva Frontera magazine and lawyer to many national and international businesses.
He was elected President of Colombia in 1966. During his administration, the following institutions were created: National Savings Fund, the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare, Proexpo, Colciencias, Colcultura, ICFES and Coldeportes.
Internationally, he founded and set in motion the Andean Pact.
Dr. Lleras ran an excellent government, according to the majority of Colombians.

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Eduardo Caballero Calderón (1910-1993) – Writer and journalist.
The distinguished essayist, columnist, novelist, and journalist Eduardo Caballero, received the “Nadel Prize” in 1965 for his book The Good Savage.
He was also the author of A Landless Servant and The Backwards Crucifix. His many literary works include the essays A Private History of the Colombians, Americans and Europeans, and Breviary of Don Quijote.
Caballero Calderón was a member of the Colombian Academy of Language and cofounder of the radio station HJCK El mundo en Bogotá (HJCK The World in Bogota). He was the director of the literary supplement of El Tiempo newspaper and wrote a column for it under the pseudonym “Swan”.

Lucas Caballero Calderón -Klim- (1913-1981) – Journalist and writer.
This renowned journalist wrote columns for El Tiempo newspaper for forty-five years. His writing was extraordinarily successful not only because of his talent as a writer, but also because of his humourous criticism of the politicians of his time.
Among his many books are Memory of The Thousand Days War, KLIM, 45 Years of Humour, and Memories of an Amnesiac.

Nicolás Gómez Dávila (1913-1994) – Philosopher.
The musings of Gómez Dávila, the most outstanding Colombian philosopher of the 20th Century, were first published in a private edition of a book titled Texts.
In 1977, his new writings came out in the book New Notes to an Implicit Text , published by Colcultura. In 1992, a new publication by the “Caro y Cuervo Institute”, titled Subsequent Notes to an Implicit Text, was released. In 2006, the complete work of this great philosopher, was published in Bogotá.

Indalecio Liévano Aguirre (1917-1982) – Historian and politician.
A distinguished diplomat, politician, and historian, Liévano occupied important political and diplomatic posts, as well as being the Ambassador of Colombia to the United Nations.
He was also a member of the Colombian Academy of History. As a writer, his most important books were Bolívar, Rafael Núñez, and The Big Economic and Social Conflicts of Our History.
He was decorated with such great distinctions as the Cross of the Order of Boyacá and received honours from eight countries in Europe and the Americas.

Álvaro Gómez Hurtado (1919-1995) – Writer, journalist, politician, and professr,
Immense sadness and indignation befell the nation when, in 1995, this honourable man was assassinated. Though he was one of the most celebrated journalists in the country his life was not an easy one. In 1953 he was expelled from Columbia following the Coup d'Etat of General Rojas Pinilla and several years later he was abducted by the M-19 guerrillas.
Gómez Hurtado, a prominent lawyer, was the director the Economic Synthesis Journal and the Cultural Colombian Magazine. He was the owner and director of El Siglo newspaper and the newscast 24 Hours, as well as being a founder and professor of the Sergio Arboleda University, where the library has been named in his memory.
In 2006, the university further remembered this great man by erecting a bust of his likeness. He was leader of the conservative party and held important governmental and diplomatic positions. His many writings include the books I Am Free, The Revolution in America, and Culture and Civilization. In 1977, he was awarded the National Prize of Journalism.

Álvaro Valencia Tovar (1923-2014)  – Academic, historian and Army General,
An upstanding man of brilliant intellect and great courage, General Valencia Tovar has made many valuable contributions to the country.
He held high ranking positions throughout his military career. Amongst others, he was Captain of the Battalion Colombia during the Korean War, Major-General in the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Egypt, Principal of the Military School of Cadets, Commander of the National Army, and Head of the Colombian Delegation at the Pan-American Meetings in Washington.
Valencia Tovar is a full member of the Colombian Academy of History and the Geographical Society of Colombia.
He has penned numerous books, including General of Division José María Cordoba, The end of Camilo, The Warrior's Being of El Liberator, Testimony of an Epoch, Contemporary Military History and My Adversaries, the Guerrillas.

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