Franz Tamayo facts for kids
Franz Tamayo Solares (born February 28, 1879, in La Paz – died July 29, 1956) was a very important Bolivian thinker, writer, and politician. He was so famous that a whole province in Bolivia is named after him! Tamayo was known for his powerful speeches. He was a leading Bolivian poet and philosopher. He also wrote many books about education and worked as a lawyer, journalist, and diplomat. Franz Tamayo had a mixed background, with both Aymara (an Indigenous group) and Spanish ancestors.
Franz Tamayo's Life and Ideas
Tamayo's ideas about different groups of people were very important in Bolivian culture. He believed that Indigenous people were skilled in physical work, like farming or military service. He thought people of European descent were better at mental tasks.
He saw Mestizos (people of mixed ancestry) as good at both physical and mental work. He believed they could be good citizens of Bolivia if they learned European culture. These ideas about different groups greatly shaped Bolivia's politics and national identity after the 1952 revolution.
His Political Journey
In politics, Tamayo first supported the Liberal Party. Around 1920, he switched to the Republican Party. In 1931, President Daniel Salamanca made him the Minister of Foreign Relations. Tamayo actually won the presidential elections in 1934. However, military leaders took over the government and cancelled his victory.
Stories About Franz Tamayo
Here are a couple of old stories that show what kind of person Franz Tamayo was:
Tamayo lived in La Paz. Every morning, he would wake up early. He spent about 15 minutes looking at the huge Illimani mountain from his balcony. Illimani is the highest mountain around the city.
One day, a new person moved into the same building. He saw Tamayo doing his morning "ritual." "Franz!" he called out, because Tamayo was well-known. "Franz!" After shouting for a few minutes with no answer, the neighbor got upset. He yelled, "For goodness sake, Franz, what's wrong? I'm trying to say 'good morning'!" Tamayo turned around, his eyes shining. He shouted, "¡Silencio! Dos cumbres se contemplan!" This means, "Silence! Two giants gaze upon each other."
Here is another story:
Tamayo was speaking in the Bolivian House of Representatives. He was giving one of his famous, passionate speeches. Someone in the audience disagreed with him. To show their displeasure, they booed him and threw a horseshoe! Tamayo calmly picked up the horseshoe. He then said loudly, "By the way, would the gentleman who has lost his shoe please come up front to claim it?"
See also
In Spanish: Franz Tamayo para niños
