Alfonso Barrera Valverde (Ambato, 1929 – September 6, 2013) was an Ecuadorian diplomat, poet, novelist, and non-fiction writer. Some of his notable works include his account of the Paquisha conflict, “Hombres de paz en lucha” (1982), the novel “Sancho Panza en América” (2005), and the children’s novel “El país de Manuelito” (1984). He served as ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Spain, Canada, Germany, and Argentina, and he also served as Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Career
He began his career in the foreign ministry and rose to become the Dominican Republic’s ambassador during the dictatorship of Leonidas Trujillo. He was also the Ecuadorian ambassador to Spain, Canada, Germany, and Argentina. President Jaime Roldós Aguilera appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1980. He was minister during the 1981 Paquisha incident on the Peruvian border. He declined an offer to run for president, instead focusing on the ministry, where he served for 49 years.
Education
- Central University of Ecuador – law degree
- Harvard University – postgraduate degree
Selected works
Poetry
- Floración del silencio (1951)
- Latitud unánime – co-written with Eduardo Villacís Meythaler (Quito, 1953)
- Testimonio (Quito, 1956)
- Del solar y del tránsito (Quito, 1958)
- Poesía (Quito, 1969)
- Tiempo secreto (Buenos Aires, 1977)
Novels
- Dos muertes en una vida (1971)
- Heredarás un mar que no conoces y lenguas que no sabes (Madrid, 1978)
- Sancho Panza en América o la eternidad despedazada (2005)
- Galápagos: Fábulas y Personajes (2002)
Children’s novel
- El país de Manuelito (Quito, 1984)
Non-fiction
- El derecho internacional público en América (1962)
- Manual de extranjería (1966)
- La occidentalización de la poesía japonesa contemporánea (Quito, 1968)
- Hombres de paz en lucha (Quito, 1982)
His work has been included in the following anthologies
- Índice de la poesía tungurahuense (Ambato, 1963)
- Antología poética de Quito (Quito, 1977)
- Lírica ecuatoriana contemporánea (Bogotá, 1979)
- Poesía viva del Ecuador (Quito, 1990)