Aquiles Nazoa

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Aquiles Nazoa (May 17, 1920 – April 26, 1976) was a Venezuelan writer, journalist, poet and humorist. His work celebrated the values of everyday Venezuelan culture.

He began at the newspaper El Universal as a packer, then became a proof-reader. He learned English and French, which helped him work as a tourist guide at the Museo de Bellas Artes. Nazoa later became El Universal’s correspondent in Puerto Cabello and, in 1940, was arrested for defamation after criticizing local authorities. He also worked in radio, had a column called Punta de lanza in El Universal, and reported for Últimas Noticias. He contributed to the magazines El Morrocoy Azul and El Nacional, wrote for the Colombian magazine Sábado, and lived in Cuba for a year. In 1945 he became editor of the magazine Fantoches.

In 1956 Nazoa was expelled from Venezuela by the Marcos Pérez Jiménez regime, but he returned in 1958. He won the National Journalism Prize in 1948 for humor and customs, and the Municipal Prize for Literature of the Federal District in 1967. He died in a car accident on the way between Caracas and Valencia.