Carlos Alberto Montaner
Encyclopedia
Carlos Alberto Montaner (born 1943) is an exiled Cuban
author and journalist known for his more than 25 books and thousand of articles, including several novels, the last of which is La mujer del coronel, The colonel's wife. Some of his books are devoted to explain the true nature of the Cuban dictatorship, for example: JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF CUBA. PODER magazine has estimated that more than six million readers have access to his weekly columns. He has been published widely in Latin American newspapers, and published fiction and non-fiction books on Latin America. Since 1968 he has had a syndicated weekly column in many newspapers around the world '. Montaner is a political analyst for CNN in Spanish.
Miami Herald.
, Cuba
, in 1943. After the Cuban Revolution
of 1959, Montaner was imprisoned by the Cuban government on charges of participating in terrorist attacks and working with the CIA. On numerous occasions Montaner has emphatically denied that he has been a terrorist or has worked for the CIA, arguing that these are calumnies spread by the Cuban intelligence through such means as WikiPedia. The texts in which Montaner denies these accusations can be found in www.firmaspress.com and www.elblogdemontaner.com, CIA He later escaped from prison and left Cuba. He has lived in Spain since 1970.In 2007 the government of the Comunidad de Madrid awarded the Prize for Tolerance to Montaner, a distinction that is awarded to those who have fought for the freedom and respect for human rights.
, Montaner taught American literature at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
from 1966 to 1970. During those years he published four books: Los combatientes (1968), Galdós humorista (1969), Póker de brujas (1970), and Instantáneas al borde del abismo (1970). The last two were also published in English.
Montaner began his career in journalism
in 1968, working with Joaquín Maurín
, a Spanish exile who had founded the American Literary Agency in New York
at the end of the 1940s with the objective of disseminating democratic ideas in the United States and Latin America. Maurín was a noted Marxist
theorist whose thinking had evolved toward liberal democracy after the Spanish Civil War
.
Montaner began writing a weekly column which was soon appearing in almost every Latin American country, often in the most widely read newspapers. He also came to be much in demand as a lecturer throughout the hemisphere, speaking about the defense of liberty, economic development, and the important role of culture in the evolution of societies.
dedicated to his columns and books. He established a publishing house, Editorial Playor, in 1972. His first novel, Perromundo, was published in 1972 and subsequently was made into a movie. His Informe secreto sobre la revolución cubana was published in 1975, and was followed a year later by 200 años de gringos, celebrating the bicentennial of the United States and contrasting the evolution of the United States with that of Latin America. This contrast between the levels of development north and south of the Rio Grande and the reasons for it would occupy much of his attention thereafter.
As Spain moved rapidly toward democracy after the death of Franco
, he joined the Liberal Club of Madrid.
In 1980 he received the ABC prize for journalism, awarded by the then Spanish premier Adolfo Suárez
. By then, his columns were being published in a number of newspapers in the United States, and the Miami Herald invited him to join its editorial board. He also edited the opinion page of El Nuevo Herald
between 1987 and 1989.
network were perceived as offensive to Puerto Ricans.The president of Univision, Mr. Joaquin Blaya, supported Montaner, who explained his comment in an article later published in Wall Street Journal.
The controversy resulted in El Diario La Prensa
dropping Montaner as a weekly columnist.
In 1992, the Liberal International named Montaner a vice president. These activities brought him into contact with many of the world's leaders. During the first half of the 1990s, the magazines Ciencia Política of Bogotá
and Perfiles Liberales of Mexico City
invited him to join their editorial boards, and Newsweek
and the Wall Street Journal sporadically began to publish his columns. Montaner produced three books during this period: Cómo y por qué cayó el comuunismo; Libertad, la clave de la prosperidad; and Cuba hoy: la lenta muerte del castrismo. He was also named a visiting professor en universities in Guatemala
, Ecuador
, and Perú
.
The best-selling Manual del Perfecto Idiota Latinoamericano, in which he collaborated with Álvaro Vargas Llosa
and Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, was published in 1996 and in English in 2000 by Madison Books. Its highly popular sequel, Fabricantes de miseria, was published in 1998. Montaner also authored No perdamos también el siglo XXI (1997) and, in 1999, Viaje al corazón de Cuba.
In 1999, in Madrid, Montaner received the Premio de Periodismo de la Fundación Independiente and the Medalla de la Cultura de Puerto Rico. In the same year he was the recipient of a Premio América award by the de Centro Interamericano Gerencia Política with the inscription, "His writings on freedom have served as a guide to the oppressed and to the emerging democracies."
to be part of its Editorial Board. Since then his weekly columns are published in English.
Other books were Las raíces torcidas de América Latina (2002), América Latina y la cultura occidental (2004) and La libertad y sus enemigos (2005), all dealing with the roots of Latin America poverty and underdevelopment. In 2006 Brickell Communicatios Group produced a series of 13 lessons on Cuban history for TV written and narrated by Montaner and also published a book with the scripts - Los Cubanos: historia de Cuba en una lección.
In 2007 two more books were published, Las columnas de la libertad and El regreso del idiota, the latter written with Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza and Álvaro Vargas Llosa
.
In March and April 2010, Montaner and Cuban singer Silvio Rodríguez
had a "compelling exchange of letters on Cuba".
Montaner has an honorary doctoral degree from the Universidad Francisco Marroquín
.
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
author and journalist known for his more than 25 books and thousand of articles, including several novels, the last of which is La mujer del coronel, The colonel's wife. Some of his books are devoted to explain the true nature of the Cuban dictatorship, for example: JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF CUBA. PODER magazine has estimated that more than six million readers have access to his weekly columns. He has been published widely in Latin American newspapers, and published fiction and non-fiction books on Latin America. Since 1968 he has had a syndicated weekly column in many newspapers around the world '. Montaner is a political analyst for CNN in Spanish.
Miami Herald.
Background
Montaner was born in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, in 1943. After the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
of 1959, Montaner was imprisoned by the Cuban government on charges of participating in terrorist attacks and working with the CIA. On numerous occasions Montaner has emphatically denied that he has been a terrorist or has worked for the CIA, arguing that these are calumnies spread by the Cuban intelligence through such means as WikiPedia. The texts in which Montaner denies these accusations can be found in www.firmaspress.com and www.elblogdemontaner.com, CIA He later escaped from prison and left Cuba. He has lived in Spain since 1970.In 2007 the government of the Comunidad de Madrid awarded the Prize for Tolerance to Montaner, a distinction that is awarded to those who have fought for the freedom and respect for human rights.
Career
After taking a master's degree at the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, Montaner taught American literature at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
The Inter American University of Puerto Rico —or Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Spanish, and often referred as "Inter"— is a private university system in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1912 in San German, Puerto Rico. The University has campuses in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas,...
from 1966 to 1970. During those years he published four books: Los combatientes (1968), Galdós humorista (1969), Póker de brujas (1970), and Instantáneas al borde del abismo (1970). The last two were also published in English.
Montaner began his career in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1968, working with Joaquín Maurín
Joaquín Maurín
Joaquín Maurín Juliá was a Spanish Communist politician and revolutionary, leader of the Workers and Peasants Bloc and of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification...
, a Spanish exile who had founded the American Literary Agency in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the end of the 1940s with the objective of disseminating democratic ideas in the United States and Latin America. Maurín was a noted Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
theorist whose thinking had evolved toward liberal democracy after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Montaner began writing a weekly column which was soon appearing in almost every Latin American country, often in the most widely read newspapers. He also came to be much in demand as a lecturer throughout the hemisphere, speaking about the defense of liberty, economic development, and the important role of culture in the evolution of societies.
1970s
By 1970, his success as a columnist and speaker had made it possible for him to move on from teaching to a life in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
dedicated to his columns and books. He established a publishing house, Editorial Playor, in 1972. His first novel, Perromundo, was published in 1972 and subsequently was made into a movie. His Informe secreto sobre la revolución cubana was published in 1975, and was followed a year later by 200 años de gringos, celebrating the bicentennial of the United States and contrasting the evolution of the United States with that of Latin America. This contrast between the levels of development north and south of the Rio Grande and the reasons for it would occupy much of his attention thereafter.
As Spain moved rapidly toward democracy after the death of Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, he joined the Liberal Club of Madrid.
1980s
In the 1980s, Montaner began a weekly television commentary that was aired by satellite throughout Latin America. He also produced three books: Fidel Castro y la revolución cubana, subsequently published in English, Italian, and Russian; La agonía de América; and 1898: La trama.In 1980 he received the ABC prize for journalism, awarded by the then Spanish premier Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF is a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of...
. By then, his columns were being published in a number of newspapers in the United States, and the Miami Herald invited him to join its editorial board. He also edited the opinion page of El Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo Herald is a McClatchy newspaper published daily in Spanish in Miami, Florida, in the United States. El Nuevo Heralds sister paper is The Miami Herald, also produced by the McClatchy Company.-About El Nuevo Herald:...
between 1987 and 1989.
1990s
In 1990, comments Montaner made on the television show Portada on the UnivisionUnivision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
network were perceived as offensive to Puerto Ricans.The president of Univision, Mr. Joaquin Blaya, supported Montaner, who explained his comment in an article later published in Wall Street Journal.
The controversy resulted in El Diario La Prensa
El Diario La Prensa
El Diario la Prensa is the largest and oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper in New York City, and the oldest Spanish-language daily in the United States. Published by ImpreMedia, the paper covers local, national and international news with an emphasis on Latin America, as well as human-interest...
dropping Montaner as a weekly columnist.
In 1992, the Liberal International named Montaner a vice president. These activities brought him into contact with many of the world's leaders. During the first half of the 1990s, the magazines Ciencia Política of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and Perfiles Liberales of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
invited him to join their editorial boards, and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
and the Wall Street Journal sporadically began to publish his columns. Montaner produced three books during this period: Cómo y por qué cayó el comuunismo; Libertad, la clave de la prosperidad; and Cuba hoy: la lenta muerte del castrismo. He was also named a visiting professor en universities in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Ecuador
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...
, and Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
The best-selling Manual del Perfecto Idiota Latinoamericano, in which he collaborated with Álvaro Vargas Llosa
Álvaro Vargas Llosa
Álvaro Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian writer and political commentator on international affairs with emphasis on Latin America. He is also the writer and presenter of a documentary series for National Geographic on contemporary Latin American history that is being shown around the world.Vargas Llosa...
and Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, was published in 1996 and in English in 2000 by Madison Books. Its highly popular sequel, Fabricantes de miseria, was published in 1998. Montaner also authored No perdamos también el siglo XXI (1997) and, in 1999, Viaje al corazón de Cuba.
In 1999, in Madrid, Montaner received the Premio de Periodismo de la Fundación Independiente and the Medalla de la Cultura de Puerto Rico. In the same year he was the recipient of a Premio América award by the de Centro Interamericano Gerencia Política with the inscription, "His writings on freedom have served as a guide to the oppressed and to the emerging democracies."
2000s
In 2004 he was invited by The Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
to be part of its Editorial Board. Since then his weekly columns are published in English.
Other books were Las raíces torcidas de América Latina (2002), América Latina y la cultura occidental (2004) and La libertad y sus enemigos (2005), all dealing with the roots of Latin America poverty and underdevelopment. In 2006 Brickell Communicatios Group produced a series of 13 lessons on Cuban history for TV written and narrated by Montaner and also published a book with the scripts - Los Cubanos: historia de Cuba en una lección.
In 2007 two more books were published, Las columnas de la libertad and El regreso del idiota, the latter written with Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza and Álvaro Vargas Llosa
Álvaro Vargas Llosa
Álvaro Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian writer and political commentator on international affairs with emphasis on Latin America. He is also the writer and presenter of a documentary series for National Geographic on contemporary Latin American history that is being shown around the world.Vargas Llosa...
.
In March and April 2010, Montaner and Cuban singer Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez is a Cuban musician, and a leader of the nueva trova movement.He is considered Cuba's best known folk singer and known for his highly eloquent and symbolic lyrics. Many of his songs have become classics in Latin American music, such as Ojalá, Playa Girón, Unicornio and...
had a "compelling exchange of letters on Cuba".
Montaner has an honorary doctoral degree from the Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
.
External links
- Carlos Montaner's Official Site
- http://newmedia.ufm.edu/gsm/index.php/Listados:Carlos_Alberto_MontanerAudiovisual Media, NewMedia Universidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
] - https://www.ufm.edu/cms/es/honorary-doctoral-degreesHonorary Doctoral Degrees, Universidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
]