| My thesis consists of writing a literary biography of the President of Costa Rica (1986–1990) and Nobel Peace Prize of 1987, Dr. Oscar Arias Sánchez. This liberal democrat dedicated to antimilitarism and to enlightened nationalism fascinates me and inspires me to learn from him. In a region torn by guerrilla wars and military dictatorships, where hundreds of thousands died as casualties of war and where the US continued aid to the “Contras” in Nicaragua to combat Daniel Ortega's communist regime made it even more difficult to reach a peaceful accord. Anyone might have guessed that Central America had no hopes for a peaceful cease-fire. But Arias's determination that Costa Rica's democratic, demilitarized system serve as a model for its neighbors, together with his mastery of political detail and timing, did change the course of events of Central America's troubled history in the 1980's.; Arias's life and work are not only rich material for narrative; they are also nourished by the narratives he read, as part of the life's experience to be told. Arias does not exclude from his writings the valuable lessons learned from the past. Not only is he an avid reader of biographies, but also an astute writer. He interweaves with his ideas the voices of memorable fighters like Simón Bolivar and José Martí and also of poets like Ruben Darío and Miguel Hernández. Where model ends and variation begins will be difficult, but interesting to determine. Where literature is inspiration and where it is a way of framing a life that has other determinants will be an equally important question. This literary biography focuses, primarily, on the formative role of literature in the life of this political leader. |
