Alcides Arguedas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alcides Arguedas
Senator for La Paz
In office 1940–1942
Minister of Agriculture, Immigration, and Colonization
In office 15 April 1940 – 11 November 1940
President	Enrique Peñaranda
Preceded by	Carlos Salinas Aramayo
Succeeded by	Edmundo Vásquez as Minister of Agriculture Demetrio Ramos as Minister of Immigration Carlos Blanco Galindo as Minister of Colonization
Member of the Chamber of Deputies for La Paz
In office 1916–1918
Personal details
Born	Alcides Arguedas Díaz 15 July 1879 La Paz, Bolivia
Died	6 May 1946(1946-05-06) (aged 66) Chulumani, Bolivia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Laura Tapia Carro
Children	3
Parents	Fructuoso Arguedas Sabina Díaz
Education	Higher University of San Andrés

Alcides Arguedas Díaz (born July 15, 1879, in La Paz, Bolivia – died May 6, 1946, in Chulumani, Bolivia) was an important Bolivian writer and historian. His books greatly influenced how people thought about Bolivian society in the early 1900s. He wrote about big topics like what it means to be Bolivian, the mixing of different cultures (called miscegenation), and the lives of Indigenous peoples.

His most famous book is Raza de bronce ("Bronze Race"), published in 1919. This book is seen as one of Bolivia's most important literary works. It also helped start a movement called indigenism, which focused on the rights and culture of Indigenous people.

Early Life and Public Service

Alcides Arguedas was the son of Fructuoso Arguedas and Sabina Díaz. He studied at the Ayacucho school. Later, he went to the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés to study Law and Political Science. He also studied sociology in La Paz.

Starting in Media and Diplomacy

Arguedas began his career in media while still a student. He wrote for newspapers like El Comercio in Peru and El Diario in Bolivia. He also contributed to magazines such as Revista de América and El Mundial. By 1915, he became a deputy editor for El Debate.

His diplomatic career started in 1910. He became the second secretary for Bolivia in Paris, France. There, he met famous writers like Rubén Darío. He later worked in London.

Political Roles in Bolivia

After returning to Bolivia, Arguedas was elected as a representative (deputy) for the Liberal Party in 1916. In 1918, he represented Bolivia when the League of Nations was created. This organization was an early attempt at international cooperation.

He continued his diplomatic work, serving as consul general in Paris in 1922. In 1929, he became a minister in Colombia. However, he was removed from this position in 1930 for criticizing the Bolivian President Hernando Siles.

Arguedas often spoke out against government actions he disagreed with. Because of this, he sometimes lost his jobs or had to leave the country. He later became a senator for the La Paz region. He even became the leader of the Liberal Party.

In 1940, under President Enrique Peñaranda, Arguedas served as the Minister of Agriculture, Colonization, and Immigration. In 1941, he went to Venezuela as a minister.

A Famous Writer

Alcides Arguedas is one of Bolivia's most recognized writers. His books often looked at the relationship between Bolivian society and its Indigenous peoples. He sometimes wrote with a critical view. Through his detailed social analysis, he hoped to find solutions for Bolivia's ongoing challenges.

Key Themes in His Works

Arguedas explored important topics in his books. These included conflicts between different cultures and the complex nature of mestizaje (the mixing of Indigenous and European cultures). He also wrote about the sometimes difficult relationship between Indigenous people and those of mixed or European descent. These ideas were later explored by other writers, especially those in the indigenismo movement.

His first novel, Pisagua, was published in 1903. The next year, he wrote Wata-Wara. He continued writing novels, including Vida criolla (1912), before his most famous novel, Raza de bronce.

Pueblo enfermo and Raza de bronce

In 1909, Arguedas published an important essay called Pueblo enfermo ("Sick People"). This book made him well-known in Latin America. Famous writers like Miguel de Unamuno praised it. However, it also caused a lot of debate in Bolivia. Arguedas described his views on Indigenous issues as "radical pessimism." He believed that a mix of biological, historical, and environmental factors had made Indigenous people "atrophied or infirm." These ideas were controversial and some critics today disagree with his views.

Despite the controversy, his novel Raza de bronce ("Bronze Race") is very important. It explores several themes that shaped Bolivian literature. These include the unfair treatment of Indigenous peoples by those of mixed or European descent. It also shows the Indigenous people's ability to resist these abuses. The book also looks at the social place of the "cholo-mestizo" (a term for people of mixed Indigenous and European heritage). It highlights the divide between European-descended and Indigenous societies in Bolivia.

Arguedas worked on Raza de bronce for many years. He first published it in 1919. He kept correcting and re-editing it until the final version came out in 1945. The story in Raza de bronce grew from his earlier novel, Wata-Wara. Even with criticism, Raza de bronce is considered a key work in Bolivian literature.

Focus on History

Over time, Arguedas found that writing history was a better way to understand Bolivia's society. His first history book, La fundación de la República (The Founding of the Republic), came out in 1920. This marked a shift in his career. From then on, history and politics became his main focus, and his fiction writing became less important.

In 1922, the first part of his Historia general de Bolivia (General History of Bolivia) was published. He planned to write eight volumes but completed only five. These books covered Bolivia's history from the colonial period to the violent 19th century.

In 1935, Arguedas received the Rome Prize in France for his autobiography, La danza de las sombras (The Dance of Shadows).

Personal Life

Alcides Arguedas married Laura Tapia Carro in 1910. They had three daughters. Laura passed away in 1935.

In 1945, after living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for some time, Arguedas returned to Bolivia. He died from leukemia in Chulumani, a district of La Paz, on May 6, 1946. He was 66 years old.

Important works

• Pueblo enfermo (1909) (social commentary)
• Raza de bronce (1919) (novel)
• La fundación de la República (1920) (history)
• Historia general de Bolivia (1922) (history)
• Política y la Guerra del Chaco (1926) (history)
• La dictadura y la anarquía (1926) (history)
• Los caudillos bárbaros (1929) (history)
• La danza de las sombras (1934) (memoirs)

See also

In Spanish: Alcides Arguedas para niños