Andrés Caicedo

Who was Andrés Caicedo?

Luis Andrés Caicedo Estela was a Colombian writer born in Cali, the city where he would spend most of his life. Despite his premature death, his work is considered one of the most original in Colombian literature. Caicedo led different cultural movements in the city like the literary group "Los Dialogantes", the Cinema Club of Cali and the "Ojo con el Cine" Magazine. In 1970 he won the First Literary Contents of Caracas with his work "Los dientes de caperucita" that opened the doors of national recognition for him. Some sources say that he used to say that to live more than 25 years was a shame and it is seen as the main reason of his suicide on March 4, 1977 when he was that age.

Caicedo's work has as its context the urban world and its social conflicts, especially those of young people. Contrary to the school of magic realism, the work of Caicedo is grounded completely in social reality. Therefore, some scholars give importance to his work as an alternative in Latin America to prominent figures such as Gabriel García Márquez, especially through the research of the Chilean journalist, writer and movie critic Alberto Fuguet who called Caicedo "The first enemy of Macondo".