author
Santiago Pérez Triana
1858–1916
A Colombian man of letters with a restless, international life, he wrote as a poet, journalist, traveler, and diplomat. His work moved between literature and public debate, with a strong interest in Latin America’s place in the wider world.
1 Audiobook
Down the Orinoco in a Canoe
by Santiago Pérez Triana
About the author
Born in Bogotá in 1858, Santiago Pérez Triana was a Colombian writer, journalist, diplomat, and traveler. Sources describe him as the son of former Colombian president Santiago Pérez Manosalva, and as a figure who spent much of his life abroad while building a career in letters and public life.
He is remembered for writing across several forms, including poetry, stories, essays, and travel writing. One of his best-known books is Down the Orinoco in a Canoe, which reflects his taste for travel and observation, while other records also note works such as Cuentos a Sonny. His writing life seems to have gone hand in hand with journalism and political commentary.
Pérez Triana also played a diplomatic and public role, especially in London, where he lived during his later years. Modern scholarship highlights him as an advocate of Pan-American cooperation and a critic of European intervention in the hemisphere. He died in London in 1916, leaving behind the portrait of a cosmopolitan Colombian author whose life connected literature, politics, and international debate.