GALLEGOS Romulo (Gallegos Romulo)

(1884-1969)
Born in Caracas on Aug. 2, 1884. He started his career with teaching activities. In 1929 became a senator during the reign of H. B. Gomez, but soon resigned and went into voluntary exile in Spain, where he lived until the death of the dictator in 1935. On his return he was Minister of Education, and the first democratic elections in Venezuela (February 1948) became president of the country. However, his liberal policies did not suit the conservative circles, and in November the same year in a bloodless coup, he was dismissed from his post. Gallegos went into exile in Mexico and returned home only after ten years. Subsequently, he headed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Gallegos literary career began with stories that are published from 1909. In 1920 published his first novel, Reinaldo Solar (Reinaldo Solar); was followed by novels Convolvulus (La Trepadora, . 1925), . Doц?a Barbara (Doa Barbara, . 1929), . Kantaklaro (Cantaclaro, . 1934), . Canaima (Canaima, . 1935), . Poor Negro (Pobre negro, . 1937), . At the same land (Sobre la misma tierra, . 1943), . The earth under our feet (La tierra bajo los pies, . publ,
. 1971). Effects of the novel's most famous writer, Doц?a Barbara, against a background of wild nature and the Venezuelan conflict is based on barbarism and civilization. Symbolic protagonists impracticable, because directly reflect the author's ideas. Fully Gallegos artistic talent manifested itself in the novel Kantaklaro. The novel tells the story of epic journeys and adventures of the hero, a wandering singer.

Gallegos died in Caracas on April 4, 1969.