Fernando Benitez (1912-2000) was a Mexican writer, historian, journalist, and editor. In addition, he held various positions as advisor and advisor from the journalistic and cultural point of view. He was also part of several print media, both as a writer, as a founder and director..
Benítez's literary work was closely related to the history, culture, and anthropology of Mexico. His writings were clear and precise, always aimed at exposing, as a result of research, topics of social interest that would awaken historical awareness.
Some of the most outstanding titles of Fernando Benítez were: The route of freedom, In the magical land of peyote, Poisoned water Y The old king. The Mexican writer was the recipient of several awards and recognitions. In addition to this, some of his works were translated into other languages.
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Fernando Benitez was born on January 16, 1912, in Mexico City, during Francisco Madero's political heyday. The writer came from a middle class family. About his family, very little is known; however, it is known that his relatives provided him with access to a good education.
Fernando Benítez studied his first years of study in educational institutions in his hometown. However, about his university studies, the data is also scarce. However, it is known that at first he was interested in law, but then decided to train as a journalist.
Fernando Benítez began his journalistic practice when he was very young, in 1934. When he was barely twenty-two years old, he began to work in the Magazine of Magazines. Two years later, in 1936 and for more than a decade, he served as a reporter, editor and director of the newspaper The National.
During the time the journalist was director of The National, In the mid-1940s, he had an argument with the then mayor of the city, Ernesto Uruchurtu, for which he resigned. Without money, he went to his friend Luís Manjarrez to give him financial help.
After that meeting, Manjarrez put him in contact with the head of the newspaper What's new?. From that moment, the doors were opened to Fernando Benítez to the creation and writing of additions or supplements on culture, one of his greatest passions..
Immersed in his journalistic work, in 1949, specifically on February 6, Benítez circulated the cultural supplement Mexico in Culture. It was one of the most relevant publications in its style in the Aztec land, and it also became a reference and a model to follow throughout Latin America..
Fernando Benítez was not only inspired by his passion and taste for culture for the development of work, but also approached the supplements made, for example, by José Ortega y Gasset in Spain. The writer Alfonso Reyes was one of his main collaborators.
Benítez always showed interest in the historical events of Mexico. Most of his works were oriented to expose the past events of his country. Such was the case of its first publication, in 1950, The path of Cortés, referring to the expeditions that the Spanish made to Mexican territory.
Fernando Benítez always acted attached to the truth and objectivity, which led him to some confrontations. In 1961 he resigned What's new?, due to disagreements with its director for the way in which he handled political and social events, both national and international.
In the journalist's opinion, the newspaper's board did not give the importance it deserved to several important events, such as the revolutionary events in Cuba. So, given his firm position in defense of good journalism, he withdrew. Many of his collaborators did the same, as an act of support for him..
In 1962 Benítez joined the work team of the magazine Always where then the board entrusted him with the creation of a cultural supplement. That was how he was born Culture in Mexico. In turn, he served as director. In its pages the letters of great intellectuals of the time were exposed.
He combined his profession as a journalist with that of a writer. In 1968 he wrote one of the most important works of his career: The Indians of Mexico, which was a mixture of literature with journalism and anthropology. In 1972 he handed over the management of the supplement to his colleague Carlos Monsiváis.
Fernando Benítez's extensive cultural, historical and anthropological background led him to become part of Mexican diplomacy. For twenty years, between 1947 and 1967, he served as a UNESCO consultant on journalistic matters. He was a cultural ambassador to the Dominican Republic and China.
Benítez's life revolved almost entirely around cultural supplements. So, in 1977, he returned to them with the creation of Saturday, in the form One plus one. Nine years later he retired, and in 1987 he published the first number of his personal project: The Weekly Conference.
Fernando Benítez, during the last twenty years of his life, remained dedicated to journalism and writing. Some of his most outstanding works of that time were: The book of disasters, History of Mexico City, The Indians of Mexico: anthology Y The city we lost.
Benítez's professional work made him worthy of several awards. In those years he received the National Prize for Anthropology and the National Prize for Journalism, among others. He died on February 21, 2000, in Mexico City, due to a respiratory deficiency.
- Mazatlán Prize for Literature in 1969, for his anthropological work The Indians of Mexico.
- National Prize for Linguistics and Literature in 1978.
- National Anthropology Award in 1980.
- National Journalism Award in 1986, for his work in the dissemination of Mexican culture.
- Aztlán Award in 1989.
- National University of Teaching in Letters Award in 1989.
- Medal of Citizen Merit in 1992.
- Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Guadalajara in 1992.
- Gold Medal in 1993, by the State of Mexico, for his outstanding cultural work.
- Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella in 1994.
- Gonzalo Aguirre Medal in 1997.
The literary style of Fernando Benítez was characterized by the use of a language with journalistic nuances, where clarity, precision and objectivity prevailed. In addition, the writer dedicated himself to doing documentary and field research, to strengthen and give greater credibility to his work.
The journalist focused his interest on topics related to the history, culture and anthropology of Mexico. Hence, he wrote about the customs and traditions of indigenous peoples, contemporary political events at his time, and about the process of conquering Mexico, among others..
- The old king (1959).
- The poisoned water (1961).
- The route of Hernán Cortés (1950).
- Creole life in the 16th century (1953).
- The last trench (1963).
- The freedom route (1976).
- Lázaro Cárdenas and the Mexican Revolution (1977).
- Demons in the convent: sex and religion in New Spain (1985).
- The Book of Disasters (1988).
- 1992 what do we celebrate, what do we regret (1992).
- The Weight of the Night: New Spain from the Silver Age to the Age of Fire (nineteen ninety six).
- The amazing mushrooms (1964).
- The Indians of Mexico (1968). Five-volume edition.
- In the magical land of peyote (1968).
- Unknown land (1972).
- Story of a Cora shaman (1973).
- Gods and demons (1982).
- China in sight (1953).
- Ki, the drama of a town and a plant (1956).
- Trip to the Tarahumara (1960).
- Trip to central Mexico (1975).
- Single Topic Interviews: Lázaro Cárdenas (1979).
- Juarez (1986).
- Morelos (1998).
- Christopher Columbus.
- Genius and figure (1982).
- History of Mexico City (1983).
- The Indians of Mexico, anthology (1989).
- The city we lost: writings of youth 1934-1938 (2000).
- Fernando Benítez yesterday and today, anthology of texts (2000).
This work was the second of the two novels written by Benítez. The plot that the writer developed was related to a historical fact, that of the authority exercised by the caciques in pre-Hispanic times in Mexico..
In the novel, the journalist narrated the events experienced by the population of Tajimaroa in defense of their rights, and how the violence led them to misery and destruction. Benítez's journalistic pen made this work one of the most interesting and testimonial of the sixties.
It was one of the main anthropological works of Fernando Benítez. It was based on the Huichol or Wixáricas indigenous people of Nayarit, Mexico, and their procession in ancient times through the desert, which had certain magical characteristics in relation to hunting..
The development of the book took place through different research works by the author, and his participation in the pilgrimage that the indigenous people made each year. The name of the work was related to the peyote plant, used by the Huichols to achieve spirituality.
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