57 Years On, Rómulo Gallegos' Legacy Shapes Venezuela's Identity

April 5 marked 57 years since the death of Rómulo Gallegos, one of Venezuela’s most pivotal figures and a cornerstone of Latin American literature. Though best known as the author of Doña Bárbara, a groundbreaking novel exploring the clash of civilization and barbarism on the Venezuelan plains, Gallegos was also the nation’s first democratically elected president, ousted by a military coup just nine months into his term in 1948. His life remains a symbol of the enduring fight for democracy and c