Clementina Suárez (12 May 1902 – 1991) was an early Honduran writer, who broke social norms. She was the first woman to publish a book of poetry in

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

and is now recognized as the 'Honduran matriarch poet'. Clementina was an influential person of art and culture of Honduras and Central America.

Life

Suárez was a Bohemian who loved to frequent cafes. Since she was little she got used to getting whatever she wanted and doing whatever she felt like. It didn't bother her that she was the only woman who frequented the tobacco shop "Mamá llaca" in the neighborhood La Ronda de

Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa ( )—formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz''—is the capital and largest city of Honduras along with its sister city, Comaya ...

. Truthfully Clementina's education was that of the people. Clementina was called the "New Woman" in Honduras. Suárez was born in

Juticalpa Juticalpa () is the capital of Olancho Department in Honduras, with a population of 75,790 (2023 calculation), and the municipal seat of Juticalpa Municipality. Situated in a broad river valley alongside the Rio Juticalpa, the town is a commer ...

in 1902 to Amelia Zelaya Bustillo and Luis Suarez. She attended public school until fifth grade. In 1923 her father died, and Suárez left her rural family home without financial support or the support of her mother. She had frequent troubles such as lack of food and water, and other things such as strangers and a huge fear of kidnappers as she traveled, hence she was so young. Eventually, she made her first destinations were town where she had relatives who provided a place for her to stay. She lived and worked various jobs in Trujillo, La Ceiba, San Pedro, Tela, and finally Tegucigalpa, all while writing. She eventually moved in with Marco Antonio Rosa, also a writer. They had two daughters together, however, never married. Shortly after the birth of her second daughter, the poet, now 27, left Rosa and married Guillermo Bustillo Reina, but the marriage ended after less than a year. Then, in 1948, she married the prominent visual artist, Jose Mejia Vides. She worked as a waitress to feed herself and her two children, but she still wrote. She wore shorts and a bikini, celebrating her body not only in life but also in her poetry. She was seen as a free woman, independent and outspoken. Tegucigalpa was shocked because of her modern way of behaving and breaking established rules traditionally attached to "feminine" behaviour. She was also the first woman to publish a book in Honduras. In December 1991 delinquents were merciless to her. The poet Roberto Sosa did her final interview. Her first two published poems reflected her independent character. She walked the streets of the capital dressed as a bellboy to sell her work when she published six issues of a journal named ''Mujer'' (woman). In 1936–7 she was in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

seeing its resistance against fascism. This observation and the news of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

is thought to have expanded Suárez's horizons. She founded the ''Gallery of Central American Art'' while in political exile in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

in the 1940s. In the 1950s she created an artist's gallery ''El Rancho del Artista'' in

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

which was open to the public as well as serving as a community.Introduction: Why Are There So Many Women Writers?
bookmaniac.org, Retrieved 26 October 2015 She returned to her home country in 1958. The National Honduras University published an anthology of her poetry and the following year, 1970, she was given a national award for her work in literature. Suárez mixed with the literati and she knew the Nobel Prize winners

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

and Miguel Angel Asturias.Clementina Suárez: Her Life and Poetry – Book review
University Press of Florida, retrieved 26 October 2015 She died in

in 1991.

Work

Legacy

Suárez was honoured with a Honduran stamp in 1999.Honduras stamp in 1999
StampWorld.com, Retrieved 26 October 2015 She has been said to be her country's premier woman poet.Honduran poetry
Vianegative.us, Retrieved 26 October 2015 She was also said to be the first woman in Honduras to wear shorts and lipstick; which together with appearing naked reading communist revolutionary poetry, added to her infamous reputation. There is a book and a film about her life and there are said to be portraits of her by the Mexican painter

Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...

, the Costa Rican painter Francisco Amighetti and Camilo Minero from El Salvador.Portraits of Clementina
, casaclementina.com, Retrieved 26 October 2015

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez, Clementina Honduran people of Spanish descent 1902 births 1991 deaths People from Olancho Department 20th-century Honduran poets Honduran women poets 20th-century Honduran women writers