The directory «Plots»

Ortiz Guerrero Manuel
(1897—1933)

Manuel Ortiz Guerrero was born in Paraguay on July 16, 1894. He died in Asunción on May 8, 1933. He is credited with being one of the most popular and prolific writers in Paraguay. His poems are immersed in the literary currents of the modern era and reflect the profound difficulties of his life, which apparently included having leprosy and being isolated from society.

Manuel Ortiz Guerrero found in Guarani (an indigenous and official language of Paraguay) a genuine way of expressing intense beauty in his poems. His works include: “Eirete” (1921), “Surgente” (1922), “El Crimen da Tintalila” (1922), “La Conquista” (1926), “Nubes del Este” (1928), “Pepitas” (1930). Poetry written in his native language included “Panambi vera”, “Nde rendape ayu” and “India”. “Complete Plays”, which included poetry and theater in verse, was edited in 1952 and 1959, after his death. “Arenillas de mi Tierra” (“Sand from My Country”) was printed in 1969. Some of his poems were set to music by his good friend and one of Paraguay’s most noted musicians, Jose Asunción Flores, and are still sung today. This includes “India”, which was declared an official song of the country in 1944. Jose Asunción Flores said of his friend: “Manuel’s best work is his life.”

Paraguay, 2003, Manuel Ortiz Guerrero