“The act was an exorcism of relief for Florentino Ariza, for when he put the violin back into its case and walked down the dead streets without looking back, he no longer felt that he was leaving the next morning but that he had gone away many years before with the irrevocable determination never to return.”

Colombian writer and journalist

Gabriel García Márquez was a Colombian writer and journalist, active in the 20th century. Known across Latin America as Gabo or Gabito, he became a major figure in Spanish-language literature. He left law school for journalism after educating himself on his own, and his work and public voice made him widely known. He was also outspoken in his criticism of Colombian and foreign politics. In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha Pardo, and they had two sons, Rodrigo and Gonzalo.