Benjamín Carrión
Encyclopedia
Manuel Benjamín Carrión Mora (1897–1979) was an Ecuador
ian writer and cultural promoter.
He was born into an aristocratic family in Loja
. He was a lawyer by training, and occupied various positions in the public arena, including Minister of Education, legislator, diplomat in several countries of Europe
and America
Carrión was also a Professor at the Central University
, and a journalist. In this later capacity He founded the newspaper
El Sol with Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco
. Due to his political views, he was close to the socialist and later communist realms of Ecuadorian society.
In 1944, he founded the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
(House of Ecuadorian Culture) and became its first President. He was a tireless crusader for the House, and despite great odds, was able to inaugurate its first and main building in May 1947. The building stands now as an icon of the city of Quito
.
From the beginning he emphasized the importance of the House's Museums, Library and Press. He published the influential literary magazine Letras del Ecuador under the direction of among others, his nephew Alejandro Carrión
. He also published a number of key Ecuadorian authors.
The House of the Culture has, in its more than 20 years of work, supported a multitude of writers and painters both inside and outside the country. It has also allowed for Ecuadorian culture to be known in the international field. Though his legacy as a writer can be considered controversial in importance, he stands as Ecuador’s foremost promoter of culture.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian writer and cultural promoter.
He was born into an aristocratic family in Loja
Loja, Ecuador
Loja is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and El Oro, and with Peru in the south...
. He was a lawyer by training, and occupied various positions in the public arena, including Minister of Education, legislator, diplomat in several countries of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Carrión was also a Professor at the Central University
Central University of Ecuador
The Central University of Ecuador is a national university located in Quito, Ecuador. It is the oldest university in Ecuador, and one of the oldest in the Americas...
, and a journalist. In this later capacity He founded the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
El Sol with Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco
Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco
Alfredo Pareja Diez Canseco — born Alfredo Pareja y Diez Canseco — was a prominent Ecuadorian novelist, essayist, journalist, historian and diplomat. An innovator of the 20th century Latin American novel, he was a member of the literary Grupo de Guayaquil...
. Due to his political views, he was close to the socialist and later communist realms of Ecuadorian society.
In 1944, he founded the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
La Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is a cultural organization founded by Benjamín Carrión on August 9, 1944, during the presidency of Dr Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra. It was created to stimulate, to direct and to coordinate the development of an authentic national culture. It maintains several...
(House of Ecuadorian Culture) and became its first President. He was a tireless crusader for the House, and despite great odds, was able to inaugurate its first and main building in May 1947. The building stands now as an icon of the city of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
.
From the beginning he emphasized the importance of the House's Museums, Library and Press. He published the influential literary magazine Letras del Ecuador under the direction of among others, his nephew Alejandro Carrión
Alejandro Carrión
Alejandro Carrión Aguirre was born in Loja, Ecuador. A poet, novelist and enthusiastic journalist, he published two important novels, La manzana dañada and La espina, many books of short stories, and numerous poetry books...
. He also published a number of key Ecuadorian authors.
The House of the Culture has, in its more than 20 years of work, supported a multitude of writers and painters both inside and outside the country. It has also allowed for Ecuadorian culture to be known in the international field. Though his legacy as a writer can be considered controversial in importance, he stands as Ecuador’s foremost promoter of culture.