There are few people who combine so many qualities in the same person; we are talking about Alfredo Mires Ortiz, one of the most emblematic librarians of the Network of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca. Although we know him as the Executive Advisor of the Network, we all know that he is not only advisor-consultant, he is also creator and soul, connoisseur and teacher, guide and companion. He is also an expert and experienced reader, writer, storyteller and "tamer" of tales and stories; he is a listener, voice and singer; he is a couplet and joke, drawing and theatre; letters and sounds, oral tradition, musical instrument, natural and cultural heritage; he is heart and earth: hill, plant, hummingbird and water. Alfredo embodies all the beings of the Pacha.
Perhaps many do not know the quantity, diversity, quality and depth of the lyrics Alfredo writes. From notes on little pieces of paper full of phrases, diagrams or words; field and travel notes, notebooks full of drawings and brilliant ideas, through magazine articles, inaugural lectures, papers and speeches; workshops and educational and cultural proposals; essays, poems, poetry, aphorisms, correspondence..
On each page, in each book, in each medium, Alfredo shapes a world to imagine and dream, a commitment to the dignity and tenacity of the peasant populations, of the marginalised and excluded. He always offers a renewed and revolutionary way of looking at reading and books, libraries and the knowledge of the world. He sows light and reasons to rebel against the oppression of colonialism; to know who we are and where we want to go.
For this reason, we cannot fail to celebrate the distinctions, recognition and prizes that Alfredo has been awarded throughout these 50 years in which he has stood shoulder to shoulder with the peasant families of Cajamarca under the motto "With books on the ground".
For him all the affection and admiration, all the embrace and the beating heart of his family, which is all of us.
Nathalia Quintero
Medellín, Colombia
