Jaime Marchán Romero (Quito, March 15, 1947) is an Ecuadorian writer, diplomat, and academic. He holds degrees in Political and Social Sciences and in Jurisprudence from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE). As a member of the post-boom generation of Latin American writers, his literary works are known for their stylistic purity and complex character psychology. Marchán has published several notable works, including La otra vestidura (1991) and Volcán de niebla (2012), which won the Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize in 2013. In addition to his literary career, he has held significant diplomatic roles, representing Ecuador in multiple countries and serving as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and ambassador. He is also a full member of the Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua, occupying seat “Ñ” since 2013.
Early Life and Education
Jaime Marchán Romero was born in Quito, Ecuador, on March 15, 1947. He completed his primary education at Colegio Pedro Pablo Borja No. 2 and his secondary education at the Academia Militar Ecuador. He pursued higher education at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), where he earned degrees in Political and Social Sciences as well as in Jurisprudence. His academic background laid the foundation for both his literary and diplomatic careers, blending a strong legal understanding with a deep interest in culture and politics.
Literary Career
Jaime Marchán belongs to the group of new Latin American narrators known as the post-boom generation. His literary work is distinguished by its stylistic purity, well-structured narratives, and a keen focus on character psychology, with a blend of both local and cosmopolitan settings.
His debut novel, La otra vestidura, was published in Madrid in 1991 and received the Special Mention at the Pegaso Prize for Latin American Literature in 1994. Other notable works include Destino Estambul (1997), translated into Turkish in 2002, Itinerario de trenes (2000), Dacáveres: relatos perversos (2004), and Volcán de niebla (2012), which earned him the Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize in 2013, one of Ecuador’s most prestigious literary honors. His latest novel, Anaconda Park (2017), is a dystopian narrative that explores the dangers of authoritarianism and the distortion of societal values under oppressive regimes. Marchán also authored Derecho Internacional del Espacio: Teoría y Política (1990), showcasing his expertise in international law.
Contributions to Academia
On October 10, 2013, Marchán was inducted as a full member (Académico de número) of the Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua, taking seat “Ñ,” previously held by Renán Flores Jaramillo. His induction speech, titled El derecho humano a la cultura y a la lengua, was well received, with fellow academic Francisco Proaño Arandi responding on behalf of the institution. Previously, on October 19, 2011, Marchán had been accepted as a corresponding member, delivering a discourse titled Herman Melville y el Ecuador: travesía y ficción.
Diplomatic Career
In addition to his literary and academic achievements, Jaime Marchán has had an extensive and influential diplomatic career. He has served in numerous high-ranking roles, including:
- Subsecretary of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1988–1989)
- Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (1992–1995, 2001–2003)
- Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Director General of the Diplomatic Academy (2008–2009)
- President of the Council of Career Ambassadors (2008–2009)
Throughout his career, he has represented Ecuador as an ambassador to several countries, including Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Albania, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria, Chile, and Switzerland. Marchán is also a member of various international legal and cultural organizations, including the Instituto Hispano-Luso-Americano de Derecho Internacional in Madrid and the Ateneo Ecuatoriano de Letras in Quito.
Recognitions and Accolades
Jaime Marchán has been honored with numerous prestigious awards throughout his diplomatic and literary career. Some of the most notable recognitions include:
Diplomatic Awards
- Encomienda de Número of the Order of Civil Merit by King Juan Carlos I of Spain (1980)
- Grand Cross of the Order Antonio José Frisarri of Guatemala (1993)
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit of Paraguay (1993)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil (1994)
- Grand Cross of the Order of San Carlos of Colombia (2001)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2002)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Christopher Columbus of the Dominican Republic (2002)
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit of Ecuador (2002)
Literary Awards
- 1994: Honorable mention at The Pegasus Prize for Literature (Latin America).
- 2013: Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize.
- Member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language (corresponding member in 2011, full member 2013)
Interview with Jaime Marchán for the occasion of the publication of his novel Volcán de Niebla (2013)
Selected works
- Derecho Internacional del Espacio: Teoría y Política (1990)
- La otra vestidura (1991)
- Destino Estambul (1997) – Translated into Turkish in 2002 as Yuzgim Istambul
- Itinerario de trenes: Novela (2000)
- Dacáveres: relatos perversos (2004)
- Volcán de niebla (2012)
- Anaconda Park, la más larga noche: Novela (2017)
References
- Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua, Sr. D. Jaime Marchán Romero, Retrieval Date: October 3, 2024, View here: click here
- Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (ASALE), Jaime Marchán Romero, Retrieval Date: October 3, 2024, View here: click here
- Juan Valdano, Revista Mundo Diners, La novela ‘Anaconda Park’, de Jaime Marchán, Retrieval Date: October 3, 2024, View here: click here
This article was updated on October 3, 2024.