Pedro Berroeta Morales
Pedro Berroeta Morales (30 August 1914 – 8 March
1997) was a Venezuelan writer, journalist, and Pedro Berroeta Morales
diplomat. He authored novels, short stories, poetry, Born August 30, 1914
essays, and biographies, and also served in the Zaraza, Guárico, Venezuela
Venezuelan foreign service and as president of the state Died March 8, 1997 (aged 82)
television channel Venezolana de Televisión.[1][2] Caracas, Venezuela
Occupation Writer, journalist, diplomat
Nationality Venezuelan
Biography Notable La salamandra (1973)
works
Berroeta was born in Zaraza, Guárico, Venezuela, on Notable Premio Internacional de Novela
30 August 1914, the son of Miguel Berroeta Ron, an awards "Simón Bolívar" (1973);
immigrant from the Canary Islands, and Candelaria National and Municipal
Morales. [1][2] He studied in Caracas, where he Narrative Prizes (1993)
graduated from the Liceo Andrés Bello, and began law
studies at the Central University of Venezuela, which he abandoned in 1934 to study in Spain. After being
expelled from Spain for political reasons, he moved to Paris, where he studied journalism at the École des
hautes études internationales et politiques and worked in radio.[2] During the Second World War he
resided briefly in New York before returning to Venezuela, where he worked in advertising and began his
career as a newspaper columnist.[1][2]
He entered the Venezuelan diplomatic service in 1946, serving as cultural attaché in France and later
holding posts in Switzerland, the United States, Sweden, Norway, France, and Ecuador, where he
eventually acted as chargé d’affaires.[1][2] In 1957 he retired from diplomacy and dedicated himself to
writing and journalism. He later worked with ARS Publicidad and with CEDESA, producing scripts for
documentary television series.[1][2]
From 1976 to 1979 he was president of Venezolana de Televisión (Canal 8), where he hosted the
programs Análisis and La entrevista de hoy.[1] He was also a member of the board of Fundación Polar,
where he helped launch the Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela.[1]
Berroeta died in Caracas on 8 March 1997.[1]
Literary work
Berroeta wrote across multiple genres, including short stories, novels, poetry, essays, biography, and
drama. His early works included the short story collection Marianik (1945) and the poetry volumes
Mientras las brasas duermen (1946) and Sagrada blasfemia (1947).[2]
His novels include:
La leyenda del Conde Luna (1954)
La farsa del hombre que amó a dos mujeres (1961)
El espía que vino del cielo (1968)
La salamandra (1973)
Migaja (1974)
Natacha, te quiero tanto (1986)
La huella del pez en el agua (1994)
A causa de Melibea (unpublished, 1997)[2]
He also published the essay collection Cartas a José Rafael Pocaterra (1972), the biography Rómulo
Betancourt: los años de aprendizaje (1987), and La última victoria del gran Mariscal (1995).[1][2]
Style and themes
Critics have noted that Berroeta’s work often combined autobiographical elements with a wide range of
cultural references. His fiction and essays mixed subjects from science to esotericism, and even when
written in a seemingly simple style, his works contained layers of meaning accessible to more erudite
readers. He himself acknowledged that he did not write for a general audience, but for a smaller group of
“initiates.”[2]
Awards
Berroeta won numerous national literary prizes. Most notably, in 1973 he received the nternational Novel
Prize "Simón Bolívar" (Premio Internacional de Novela “Simón Bolívar”) for his fantastical novel La
salamandra.[1][2][3] He was also awarded the Venezuelan National and Municipal Narrative Prizes (los
premios Nacional y Municipal de narrativa) in 1993.[1]
Selected bibliography
Title Genre Publisher / Place Year
Short
Marianik Editorial Suma, Caracas 1945
stories
Mientras las brasas duermen Poetry Berne 1946
Sagrada blasfemia Poetry Berne 1947
Aguilar, Madrid–Mexico City–Buenos
La leyenda del Conde Luna Novel 1956
Aires
El espía que vino del cielo Novel Caracas 1968
Banco Industrial de Venezuela,
Cartas a José Rafael Pocaterra Essays 1972
Caracas
La salamandra Novel Monte Ávila, Caracas 1973
Migaja Novel Monte Ávila, Caracas 1974
Natacha, te quiero tanto Novel Monte Ávila, Caracas 1986
Short CVG / Publicaciones Seleven,
Pequeño relato nocturno 1986
stories Caracas
Rómulo Betancourt: los años de aprendizaje
Biography Ediciones Centauro, Caracas 1987
(1908–1948)
Short
Las mismas manos CVG / SIDOR, Caracas 1989
stories
Viajando por Venezuela Essays Empresas Polar, Caracas 1993
La huella del pez en el agua Novel Planeta, Caracas 1994
La última victoria del Gran Mariscal Essay SIDOR / Esfera Creativa, Caracas 1995
En el nombre de Elizabeth Biography Planeta, Caracas 1997
References
1. León R., Eccio (5 April 2023). "Recordando a don Pedro Berrueta Morales" (https://www.elu
niversal.com/el-universal/152593/recordando-a-don-pedro-berrueta-morales). El Universal.
Retrieved 13 September 2025.
2. García Castro, Álvaro A. (2002). Pedro Berroeta (https://www.academia.edu/4358540).
Caracas: Fundación Empresas Polar. Retrieved 13 September 2025. {{cite book}}:
|work= ignored (help)
3. Walasek, Dorota (1984). "Fantastyke nie spełnionych marzeń". Nowa Fantastyka (9): 55.
External links
Entry on Pedro Berroeta in the Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela (https://www.academia.
edu/4358540/Pedro_Berroeta)
Obituary in El Universal (https://www.eluniversal.com/el-universal/152593/recordando-a-don
-pedro-berrueta-morales)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pedro_Berroeta_Morales&oldid=1321867963"
