Francisco Javier Balmaseda

He was born in San Juan de los Remedios, today in the province of Villa Clara, on March 31, 1823. At that time, renowned writers were not abundant on the Island nor was culture the patrimony of many. Hence, a writer of verses and comedies was always a notable figure and, all things considered, someone of whom his compatriots were proud.

He received a careful education and from childhood showed interest in literature and the arts.

At the age of 12 years he wrote his first versified work.

It is known that his first work in verse was performed in the theater of his native Remedios around 1835 and that by that time he began to present his collaborations in the Faro Industrial de la Habana.

Mayor of Remedios, he worked in favor of the agricultural and livestock development of the town, and promoted the studies of young people from Remedios in these fields. In 1857 he moved to the capital and worked in the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País. He was also an active figure in the Liceo de La Habana and his texts appeared in publications such as La Idea, Cuba Literaria, and El Liceo de La Habana.

Since he never forgot his homeland, he returned to San Juan de los Remedios to found a public library there in 1863, to direct some of the magazines of the small city and serve as its mayor, while at the same time dedicating himself to promoting the business of building docks and warehouses. In the sixties he promoted the idea of creating port conditions at Cayo Francés, and building a railroad to the coast, a precursor to the current causeways.

Up to this point his life showed no great milestones. But his sympathy for independence and the very fact of becoming involved in that purpose led to his confinement in the fortress of La Cabaña and his subsequent deportation to Fernando Poo, from where he escaped to reach New York. He then headed toward Colombia, adopting that country's citizenship and representing it diplomatically before Madrid. Between that nation and Cuba he moved back and forth: he returned to the Island after the peace of 1878, went back to Colombia in 1894 and in 1898 returned to his homeland for good.

Meanwhile, Francisco Javier Balmaseda wrote, and wrote quite a lot. One can cite volumes of poems (Rimas cubanas, 1846, and Poesías, 1887); novels (Clementina, 1897, and Los ebrios o La familia de Juan Candaya, 1903); theater (Eduardo el jugador, 1835); and historical accounts, such as his experiences in prison, collected in Los confinados de Fernando Poo (Nueva York, 1869). For his work Higiene pública en la isla de Cuba he was named Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit of France. He also wrote the comedies La noche buena, Los celos con desdén se curan, Ya no me caso, El enamorado sin dinero… His curriculum also included texts on agronomy and political economy. So he was a true publicist widely known among his contemporaries within and outside of Cuba. One of his books, El misceláneo, gathers a comprehensive sample of his work as an article writer, poet, comedian, and dramatic writer.

In the opinion of critic and scholar Max Henríquez Ureña, his Fábulas morales, from 1860, "of his own creation," reveal Balmaseda's best moment as an author. José Antonio Ramos dedicated a critical biographical essay to him titled with his name.

The people of Remedios, toward the center of the Island, frequently remember him as one of their celebrities.

Most Representative Works
He wrote several works of different genres. One can cite volumes of poems, novels, theater, and historical accounts such as those of his experiences in prison, collected in Los confinados de Fernando Poo (Nueva York), 1869. His principal works include:
Rimas cubanas 1846
Poesías 1887
Clementina 1897
Los ebrios o La familia de Juan Candaya 1903
Eduardo el jugador 1835
Los confinados de Fernando Poo 1869
His work also included texts on agronomy and political economy. Thus he was a true publicist widely known among his contemporaries within and outside of Cuba. One of his books, El misceláneo, gathers a comprehensive sample of his work as an article writer, poet, comedian, and dramatic writer.