Sergio Ramírez

Sergio Ramírez

Sergio Ramírez at the Miami Book Fair International, 2011
Vice President of Nicaragua
In office
10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990
President José Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Preceded by Vacant
Succeeded by Virgilio Godoy
Personal details
Born (1942-08-05) 5 August 1942
Masatepe, Nicaragua
Political party FSLN, MRS
Spouse(s) Gertrudis Guerrero
Residence Managua
Website Official Website

Sergio Ramírez Mercado (born August 5, 1942 in Masatepe, Nicaragua) is a Nicaraguan writer and intellectual who served in the leftist Government Junta of National Reconstruction and as Vice President of the country 1985-1990 under the presidency of Daniel Ortega.[1]

Born in Masatepe in 1942, he published his first book, Cuentos, in 1963. He received his law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua of León in 1964, where he obtained the Gold Medal for being the best student.

In 1977 Ramírez became head of the "Group of Twelve", a group of prominent intellectuals, priests, businesspeople, and members of civil society who publicly stated their support for the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) in its struggle to topple the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza Debayle. With the triumph of the Revolution in 1979, he became part of the Junta of the Government of National Reconstruction, where he presided over the National Council of Education. He was elected vice-president of Nicaragua in 1984 and was sworn in 1985.

Though the FSLN lost power to the UNO coalition headed by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in 1990, Ramírez continued to serve as the leader of the Sandinista block in the National Assembly until 1995, when he founded the Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista (MRS) because of his differences with other leaders of the FSLN, such as former president Daniel Ortega, on issues of democratic reform. He has since become retrospectively critical of certain Sandinista policies that he views as having turned the country against the FSLN. He made an unsuccessful bid for president on the MRS ticket in 1996. Since then, Ramírez has retired definitively from politics and his literary work has gained international recognition and his novels have been translated into several languages. He recently won the "Carlos Fuentes" prize, awarded by Mexico, in recognition for his life long work. He currently lives in Managua but travels extensively because of his many commitments as a writer.

Sergio Ramirez at home in Managua. September 2001

He married his wife, Gertrudis "Tulita" Guerrero Mayorga, in 1964. He has three children: Sergio, María , and Dorel and 8 Grandchildren: Elianne, Carlos Fernando, Camila, Alejandro, Luciana, Marianna, Andrés and Carlos.

Even during his years in politics, Ramírez continued to publish his work, for which he has won numerous awards and distinctions.

Awards and honors

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

List of works

Ramírez participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions project in 2007.

References

  1. ↑ History of Vicepresidency
  2. ↑ "Sergio Ramirez wins Mexico's Carlos Fuentes Prize". Latino Fox News. November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.

External links

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