Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala — Central America
Coronel Don Antonio José Irisarri
Photographed by Ariel Batres, 2004
1. Coronel Antonio José Irisarri Marker
Coronel
Don Antonio Jose de Irisarri
Guatemala, 7 de febrero de 1781
New York Estados Unidos 10 de junio 1868
Repatriado en junio de 1968
Coban Alta Verapaz
Colonel Antonio José de Irisarri
Born in Guatemala City, February 7, 1781
Died in New York, United States, June 10, 1868
Repatriated in June 1968
Cobán, Alta Verapaz
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Patriots & Patriotism • Wars, Non-US. A significant historical date for this entry is February 7, 1781.
Location. 15° 28.785′ N, 90° 24.136′ W. Memorial is in Cobán, Alta Verapaz. It can be reached from Vía Sin Nombre, in the median. The marker and bust are located at the CREOMPAZ military base, the Comando Regional de Entrenamiento de Operaciones de Paz (Regional Command Center for Peace Operations Training). This is an active military base and access is controlled.
The base originally held the headquarters for artillery training and was named after Irisarri due to his reknown in the area of artillery. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Cobán, Alta Verapaz 16001, Guatemala. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in North America, specifically in Central America, in Mesoamerica, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, and in the Western Hemisphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also a Spanish colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 19 kilometers of this marker, measured as the
this page online
Regarding Coronel Don Antonio José Irisarri. Antonio José de Irisarri Alonso (Guatemala City, February 7, 1786 – New York City, June 10, 1868) was a Guatemalan statesman, journalist, and politician. His tumultuous life is a reflection of the independence movement in Central and South America.
Born in Guatemala City, he studied there and in Europe, from whence he was recalled back to Guatemala after the death of his father in 1805. In 1809 he visited Chile, and having married Mercedes Trucíos y Larraín, an heiress there, took up his residence in that country and joined with enthusiasm the movement for Chilean independence in 1810. He had important public offices during the struggle, including the command of the National Guard and the civil and military government of the province of Santiago. From March 7-14, 1814, he was temporarily the leader of the nation.
In 1818 he was appointed Minister of Government and Foreign Affairs by Bernardo O'Higgins, and in October of the same year he went to Buenos Aires as minister. At the end of 1819 he was sent to Europe to negotiate the recognition of Chilean Independence by England and France (which he was not able to obtain.) He returned to Guatemala in 1828 and was named Minister of War and was put in charge of troop training. While fighting against El Salvador and Honduras he was captured and escaped back to Guatemala. He continued to represent Chile, and in 1837 was named Ambassador to Peru and private
Photographed by Ariel Batres, 2004
2. Coronel Antonio José Irisarri bust and marker
The bust appears to be a copy of the bust of Irisarri by Rodolfo Galeotti located on Avenida Reforma of Guatemala City.
He was minister of Guatemala and El Salvador to Ecuador from 1839 until 1845, and in 1846-1848 to Colombia. In 1850 he was sent as Ambassador to the United States, where he resided until his death. Irisarri continued his literary work in the United States, and was generally esteemed for his knowledge, genial character, and polished manners. He died in Brooklyn, New York, on June 10, 1868. Adapted from Wikipedia
Interestingly, Irisarri was also a prolific writer in many forms, including news stories, letters, novels, short stories and others. His most famous novel is Cristiano Errante (The Errant Christian) from 1846, which is considered semi-autobiographical. He enjoyed playing with the Spanish language, even going as far as writing short stories with only one vowel, for example "Amar hasta fracasar" (Love until failure), using only the letter 'a'.
Additional commentary.
1. Amar Hasta Fracasar—Trazada para la A
por Antonio José de Irisarri
La Habana aclamaba a Ana, la dama más agarbada, más afamada. Amaba a Ana Blas, galán asaz cabal, tal amaba Chactas a Atala.
Ya pasaban largas albas para Ana, para Blas; mas nada alcanzaban. Casar trataban; mas hallaban avaras a las hadas, para dar grata andanza a tal plan.
La 
Photograph by Diaz y Spencer via Wikimedia Commons, 19th Cent. 3. Antonio José de Irisarri Alonsoplaza, llamada Armas, daba casa a la dama; Blas la hablaba cada mañana; mas la mamá, llamada Marta Albar, nada alcanzaba. La tal mamá trataba jamás casar a Ana hasta hallar gran galán, casa alta, ancha arca para apañar larga plata, para agarrar adahalas1. ¡Bravas agallas! ¿Mas bastaba tal cábala?. Nada ¡ca! ¡nada basta a tajar la llamada aflamada!
Ana alzaba la cama al aclarar; Blas la hallaba ya parada a la bajada. Las gradas callaban las alharacas adaptadas a almas tan abrasadas. Allá, halagadas faz a faz, pactaban hasta la parca amar Blas a Ana, Ana a Blas. ¡Ah ráfagas claras bajadas a las almas arrastradas a amar!. Gratas pasan para apalambrarlas más, para clavar la azagaya al alma. ¡Ya nada habrá capaz a arrancarla!.
Pasaban las añadas. Acabada la marcada para dar Blas a Ana las sagradas arras, trataban hablar a Marta para afrancar a Ana, hablar al abad, abastar saya, manta, sábanas, cama, alhajar casa ¡ca! ¡nada faltaba para andar al altar!
Mas la mañana marcada, trata Marta ¡mala andanza! pasar a Santa Clara al alba, para clamar a la santa adaptada al galán para Ana. Agarrada bajaba ya las gradas; mas ¡caramba! halla a Ana abrazada a Blas, cara a cara. ¡Ah! la a nada basta para trazar la zambra armada. Marta araña a Ana, tal arañan las gatas a las ratas; Blas la ampara; para parar las brazadas a Marta, agárrala la saya. Marta lanza las palabras más malas a más alta garganta. Al azar pasan atalayas, alarmadas a tal algazara, atalantadas a las palabras:
-¡Acá! ¡Acá! ¡Atrapad al canalla mata-damas! ¡Amarrad al rapaz!
Van a la casa: Blas arranca tablas a las gradas para lanzar a la armada; mas nada hará para tantas armas
blancas. Clama, apalabra, aclara ¡vanas palabras! Nada alcanza. Amarran a Blas. Marta manda a Ana para Santa Clara; Blas va a la cabaña. ¡Ah! ¡Mañana fatal!
¡Bárbara Marta! Avara bajasa al atrancar a Ana tras las barbacanas sagradas (algar fatal para damas blandas). ¿Trataba alcanzar paz a Ana? ¡Ca! ¡Asparla, alafagarla, matarla! Tal trataba la malvada Marta. Ana, cada alba, amaba más a Blas; cada alba más aflatada, aflacaba más. Blas, a la banda allá la mar, tras Casa Blanca, asayaba9 a la par gran mal; a la par balaba allanar las barras para atacar la alfana, sacar la amada, hablarla, abrazarla...
Ha ya largas mañanas trama Blas la alcaldada: para tal, habla. Al rayar la alba al atalaya, da plata, saltan las barras, avanza a la playa. La lancha, ya aparada pasa al galán a La Habana. ¡Ya la has amanada gran Blas; ya vas a agarrar la aldaba para llamar a
Ana! ¡Ah! ¡Avanza, galán, avanza! Clama alas al alcatraz, patas al alazán ¡avanza, galán, avanza!
Mas para nada alcanzará la llamada: atafagarán más la tapada, taparanla más. Aplaza la hazaña.
Blas la aplaza; para apartar malandanza, trata hablar a Ana para Ana nada más. Para tal alcanzar, canta a garganta baja: La barca lanzada
allá al ancha mar
arrastra a La Habana
canalla rapaz.
Al tal, mata-damas
llamaban asaz,
mas jamás las mata,
las ha para amar.
Fallas las amarras
hará tal galán,
ca, brava alabarda
llaman a la mar.
Las alas, la aljaba,
la azagaya...¡Bah!
nada, nada basta
a tal batallar.
Ah, marcha, alma Atala
a dar grata paz,
a dar grata andanza
a Chactas acá.
Acabada la cantata Blas anda para acá, para allá, para nada alarmar al adra. Ana agradada a las palabras cantadas salta la cama. La dama la da al galán. Afanada llama a ña Blas, aya parda. Ña Blasa, zampada a la larga, nada alcanza la tal llamada; para alzarla, Ana la jala las pasas. La aya habla, Ana la acalla; habla más; la da alhajas para ablandarla. Blasa las agarra. Blanda ya, para acabar, la parda da franca bajada a Ana para la sala magna. Ya allá, Ana zafa aldaba tras aldaba hasta dar a la plaza. Allá anda Blas. ¡Para, para, Blas!
Atrás va Ana. ¡Ya llama! ¡Avanza, galán avanza! Clama alas al alcatraz, patas al alazán. ¡Avanza, galán, avanza!
—¡Amada Ana!..
—¡Blas!...
—¡Ya jamás apartarán a Blas para Ana!
—¡Ah! ¡Jamás!
—¡Alma amada!
—¡Abraza a Ana hasta matarla!
—¡¡Abraza a Blas hasta lanzar la alma!!...
A la mañana tras la pasada, alzaba ancla para Málaga la fragata Atlas. La cámara daba lar para Blas, para Ana...
Faltaba ya nada para anclar; mas la mar brava, brava, lanza a la playa la fragata: la vara.
La mar trabaja las bandas: mas brava, arranca tablas al tajamar; nada basta a salvar la fragata. ¡Ah tantas almas lanzadas al mar, ya agarradas a tablas claman, ya nadan para ganar la playa! Blas nada para acá, para allá, para hallar a Ana, para salvarla. ¡Ah tantas brazadas, tan gran afán para nada, hállala, mas la halla ya matada! ¡¡¡Matada!!!... Al palpar tan gran mal nada bala ya, nada trata alcanzar. Abraza a la ama:
—¡Amar hasta fracasar! —clama...
Ambas almas abrazadas bajan a la nada. La mar traga a Ana, traga a Blas, traga más...¡Ca! ya Ana hablaba a Blas para pañal, para fajas, para zarandajas. ¡Mamá, ya, acababa Ana. Papá, ya, acababa Blas!...
Nada habla La Habana para sacar a la plaza a Marta, tras las pasadas; mas la palma canta hartas hazañas para cardarla la lana. — Submitted February 14, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2017, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 476 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 6, 2017, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on February 14, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
