Mario Monteforte Toledo
Encyclopedia
Mario Monteforte Toledo (1911 – 2003) was a Guatemala
n writer
, dramatist
, and politician
. Born in Guatemala City
, he played important roles in the governments of both Juan José Arévalo
and Jacobo Arbenz, including periods as Ambassador
to the United Nations
between 1946 and 1947, as a deputy in the National Congress from 1947 to 1951, and being both leader of the Congress and Vice-President between 1948 and 1949 before retiring from politics in 1951. With the fall of the Arbenz administration in 1954, Monteforte went into exile in Mexico
until 1987.
In 1993, Mario Monteforte was awarded the Guatemala National Prize in Literature
for his body of work.
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...
n writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, dramatist
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, and politician
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Born in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, he played important roles in the governments of both Juan José Arévalo
Juan José Arévalo
Juan José Arévalo Bermejo was the first of the reformist presidents of Guatemala. Preceded by military junta interregnum after a definitive pro-democracy revolt in 1944...
and Jacobo Arbenz, including periods as Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
between 1946 and 1947, as a deputy in the National Congress from 1947 to 1951, and being both leader of the Congress and Vice-President between 1948 and 1949 before retiring from politics in 1951. With the fall of the Arbenz administration in 1954, Monteforte went into exile in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
until 1987.
In 1993, Mario Monteforte was awarded the Guatemala National Prize in Literature
Guatemala National Prize in Literature
The Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature is the most important literary award in Guatemala...
for his body of work.
Novels
- Anaité (1948)
- Entre la piedra y la cruz (1948)
- Donde acaban los caminos (1952)
- Una manera de morir (1958)
- Llegaron del mar (1966)
- Los desencontrados (1977)
- Unas vísperas muy largas (1996)
- Los adoradores de la muerte (2000)
Short stories
- La cueva sin quietud (1949)
- Cuentos de derrota y esperanza (1962)
- Casi todos los cuentos (anthology) (1982
- Pascualito (children's story) (1991)
- La isla de las navajas (1993)
- Cuentos de la Biblia (2001)
Essays
- Guatemala. Monografía sociológica (1959-1965)
- Las piedras vivas (1965)
- Centroamérica, subdesarrollo y dependencia (1973)
- Mirada sobre Latinoamérica (1975)
- Palabras del retorno (1992).