It has long been known that journalism is considered a dangerous profession. Eduardo Galeano also knew about it. For his views, he had to spend many years in exile. The writer and journalist was able to return to his homeland only at the end of his life.
Starting conditions
Real life requires from poets not only love lyrics, but also harsh criticism of the rules existing in society. To understand this simple truth, some cultural figures lack a lifetime. But there are those who, from a young age, cannot come to terms with injustice. To the surprise of family and friends, Eduardo Galeano began to get involved in politics early. He closely followed the situation in the country, and wrote his comments on the events. These materials were eagerly published on the pages of local newspapers.
The future journalist and politician was born on September 3, 1940 in a family of Uruguayan aristocrats. Parents lived in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. The child was brought up in a strict Catholic canon. Eduardo has a mixture of British, Spanish, Italian and German blood in his veins. Despite his bourgeois origin, the boy felt sympathy for people living in poverty and oppression. At school, Galeano studied well. His favorite subjects were history and literature. As a teenager, he strove for financial independence from the family budget. From the age of 13, he worked part-time as an auxiliary worker, messenger, graphic designer.
Fight for justice
After completing his high school education, Eduardo was determined to focus on practical activities. He wrote materials on various topics and drew not very friendly cartoons of famous politicians. Galeano sold his first political cartoon to a weekly, which was published under the auspices of the Socialist Party. However, he lacked theoretical training and Eduardo took a course at the Faculty of Journalism at the University of Montevideo. Within the walls of the university, he worked for several years as editor-in-chief of the Vremya newspaper.
In 1971, Galeano's first book, Opened Veins of Latin America, was published. In his research, the author showed the reader the reasons for poverty and social insecurity of people living on the continent. For this book, Eduardo spent two years in a Uruguay prison. After his release, he was forced to move to Argentina. But in this country, the authorities were hostile to the writer's work. Three years later, after another military coup, Galeano left for Spain. In this country, he wrote his famous trilogy "Memory of Fire". It contains the most powerful literary accusation of colonialism in South America.
Recognition and privacy
For his books, the writer received the prestigious House of the Americas award three times. Galeano was elected Honorary Doctor of Science at the National University of Argentina.
You can talk about the personal life of the writer for a long time. He was married three times. And every time for love. He has two daughters and a son. The writer spent the last years of his life with his third wife. Eduardo Galeano died of lung cancer in April 2015 in Montevideo.
