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Antonio Macías del Real (1866–1939) was a Spanish writer and pharmacist who moved to
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
where he wrote for most prestigious cultural publications. Among his articles are those that we wrote for ''
La Ilustración Guatemalteca ''La Ilustración Guatemalteca'' (''Guatemalan Illustration'') was a biweekly cultural magazine that was published in Guatemala from 1 July 1896 to 15 June 1898. At a time when only 5% of the Guatemalan population could read, this magazine had ex ...
'' during the last year of general
José María Reina Barrios José María Reyna Barrios (December 24, 1854 – February 8, 1898) was President of Guatemala from March 15, 1892 until his assassination on February 8, 1898. He was a moderate of Guatemala's Liberal Party, who worked to solidify the less ...
presidency. When the president was assassinated on 8 February 1898, Macías del Real wrote ''Perfiles biográficos de don
Manuel Estrada Cabrera Manuel José Estrada Cabrera (21 November 1857 – 24 September 1924) was the President of Guatemala from 1898 to 1920. A lawyer with no military background, he modernised the country's industry and transportation infrastructure, via granting c ...
'' (''Biographical profiles of Mr. Manuel Estrada Cabrera'', who had been appointed as interim President; Macias del Real kept writing on behalf of the new president since then. In 1902 his adulation paid off, as Estrada Cabrera granted him the Pacific Railroad concession. According to Guatemalan historian
Rafael Arévalo Martínez Rafael Arévalo Martínez (25 July 1884, Guatemala City –12 June 1975, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan writer. He was a novelist, short-story writer, poet, diplomat, and director of Guatemala’s national library for more than 20 years. Thoug ...
in his book ''¡Ecce Pericles!'', Macías del Real -a pharmacist graduated from Universidad Central de Madrid and later incorporated in Guatemala- was the one that gave Estrada Cabrera a potent venom that the latter used to get rid of his opponents.


Biography

Macías del Real got his doctorate in Pharmacy in Universidad Central de Madrid in 1890, with a dissertation about the pharmaceutical studies of ''Eucaliptus globulus'' and he was incorporated into the College of Medicine and Pharmacy of Universidad Nacional in Guatemala on 3 July 1896. Between 1896 and 1897 he wrote regularly for the ''
La Ilustración Guatemalteca ''La Ilustración Guatemalteca'' (''Guatemalan Illustration'') was a biweekly cultural magazine that was published in Guatemala from 1 July 1896 to 15 June 1898. At a time when only 5% of the Guatemalan population could read, this magazine had ex ...
'' where he worked alongside writer and public speaker Rafael Spinola and with the Guatemalan photography pioneer Alberto G. Valdeavellano. His articles were mainly about political and cultural issues. On 18 April 1902, given his then excellent relationship with president
Manuel Estrada Cabrera Manuel José Estrada Cabrera (21 November 1857 – 24 September 1924) was the President of Guatemala from 1898 to 1920. A lawyer with no military background, he modernised the country's industry and transportation infrastructure, via granting c ...
, he was granted the concession to build and operate the Panamerican Railroad between Las Cruces and Vado-Ancho; however, he could not build the railway until Coatepeque and had to sell his rights to the Central Railroad Company. The original contract with Macías del Real had been extremely generous and had been signed by the lieutenant secretary of Economy, José Flamenco and approved by Estrada Cabrera; the contract authorized the exclusivity on the construction and usage of the railroad for twenty four years, counting from the moment the section was open to the public. Besides, Macías del Real and his descendants would have enjoyed the revenue from the railway for 99 years, after which the line was supposed to go back to the State of Guatemala.


See also

* * *
Manuel Estrada Cabrera Manuel José Estrada Cabrera (21 November 1857 – 24 September 1924) was the President of Guatemala from 1898 to 1920. A lawyer with no military background, he modernised the country's industry and transportation infrastructure, via granting c ...
*
La Ilustración Guatemalteca ''La Ilustración Guatemalteca'' (''Guatemalan Illustration'') was a biweekly cultural magazine that was published in Guatemala from 1 July 1896 to 15 June 1898. At a time when only 5% of the Guatemalan population could read, this magazine had ex ...
* Rafael Spinola


Notes and references


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macias del Real, Antonio Manuel Estrada Cabrera 1866 births 1939 deaths Date of birth missing Date of death missing Spanish male writers Spanish emigrants Immigrants to Guatemala Immigrants to Argentina