Francisco Herrera Luque

Who is Francisco Herrera Luque?

Francisco José Herrera Luque was a Venezuelan writer, psychiatrist and diplomat. He is the author of several well-known historical novels, including: Boves, el Urogallo, Los Amos del Valle and La Luna de Fausto.

He was the son of Francisco Herrera Guerrero and María Luisa Luque Carvallo. In 1956, he married to Maria Margarita Terán Austria, with whom he had five children. Herrera Luque studied in the Central University of Venezuela and later at the University of Salamanca, where he obtained his title of physician. In Madrid he specialized in psychiatry, a field on which he wrote several scientific papers. His PhD thesis served as basis for his book: Los Viajeros de Indias, about the psychopathic loads left on the Venezuelan population by the Spanish conquistadors. His interest in understanding the origins of the personalities of Latin America people took him to the study of heritage and genetics.

Herrera Luque founded the department of psychiatry of the UCV, becoming full professor. He was appointed ambassador of Venezuela in Mexico in the mid-1970s. As writer and novelist, his historical work is based on accurate and documented research.