FERNANDO BENÍTEZ: BIOGRAPHY, STYLE, WORKS - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

Fernando Benítez (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 various 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 oriented to expose, as a result of research, topics of social interest that would awaken historical awareness.

Bust of Fernando Benítez. Source: Sculptor: Sergio Peraza Avila Photography by: Coordination of Digital Education of El Colegio de México, via Wikimedia Commons

Some of the most prominent titles by Fernando Benítez were: The Freedom Route, In the Magic Land of Peyote, Poisoned Water and 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.

Biography

Birth and family

Fernando Benitez was born on January 16, 1912, in Mexico City, during the political heyday of Francisco Madero. The writer came from a middle class family. About his family, very little is known; however, it is known that his relatives provided him access to a good education.

Benítez's 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 later decided to train as a journalist.

Beginnings in journalism

Fernando Benítez began his journalistic practice at a very young age, in 1934. When he was barely twenty-two years old, he began working at the Revista de Magazines. Two years later, in 1936 and for more than a decade, he served as a reporter, editor and director of the newspaper El Nacional.

New opportunity

During the time that the journalist was director of El Nacional, in the mid-1940s, he had a discussion with the then mayor of the city, Ernesto Uruchurtu, for which he resigned. Without money, he went to his friend Luís Manjarrez for financial help.

After that meeting, Manjarrez put him in contact with the head of the newspaper Novedades. From that moment, Fernando Benítez was opened the doors to the creation and writing of additions or supplements on culture, one of his greatest passions.

A model to follow

Immersed in his journalistic work, in 1949, specifically on February 6, Benítez circulated the cultural supplement México en la Cultura. 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.

First post

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 his first publication, in 1950, La ruta de Cortés, referring to the expeditions that the Spanish made to Mexican territory.

Defender of the truth

Fernando Benítez always acted attached to the truth and objectivity, which led him to some confrontations. In 1961 he resigned from Novedades, due to disagreements with its director over 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 her firm position in defense of good journalism, she withdrew. Many of her collaborators did the same, as an act of support for her.

New project

In 1962 Benítez joined the team of Siempre magazine, where later the board entrusted him with the creation of a cultural supplement. This is how La Cultura in Mexico was born. In turn, he served as director. In its pages the letters of great intellectuals of the time were exposed.

Mexico City, Benítez's birthplace. Source: Microstar, via Wikimedia Commons

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: Los indios de México, which was a mixture of literature with journalism and anthropology. In 1972 he gave the direction of the supplement to his colleague Carlos Monsiváis.

Benítez as a diplomat

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.

Back to supplements

Benítez's life revolved almost entirely around cultural supplements. So, in 1977, he returned to them with the creation of Sábado, in the Uno Más Uno printout. Nine years later he retired, and in 1987 he published the first number of his personal project: La Jornada Semanal.

Last years and death

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 and The city that 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.

Awards and honours

- Mazatlán Prize for Literature in 1969, for his anthropological work Los indios de México.

- 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.

Style

Fernando Benítez's literary style was characterized by the use of 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.

Plays

-Novels

-Selections, compilations, anthologies and others

- Genius and figure (1982).

- History of Mexico City (1983).

- The Indians of Mexico, anthology (1989).

- The city we lost: youth writings 1934-1938 (2000).

- Fernando Benítez yesterday and today, anthology of texts (2000).

Brief description of some of his works

The poisoned water

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 chiefs 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 violence led them to misery and destruction. Benítez's journalistic pen made this work one of the most interesting and testimonial of the sixties.

In the magical land of peyote

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.

Flowering peyote plant, center of the book In the magical land of peyote. Source: Renegatus at en.wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

References

1. Fernando Benitez. (2018). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. Fernando Benitez. (2018). Mexico: Encyclopedia of Literature in Mexico. Recovered from: elem.mx.
3. Fernando Benitez. (S. f.). Cuba: Ecu Red. Recovered from: ecured.cu.
4. Moreno, V., De la Oliva, C. and others. (2019). Fernando Benitez. (N / a): Search Biographies. Recovered from: Buscabiografias.com.
5. Murillo, A. (2018). Fernando Benítez: "The only democratic government that exists in Mexico is that of the Indians and it does not appear in the Constitution." (N / a): Ruíz Healy Times. Recovered from: ruizhealytimes.com.