The making of a magician

Bill Clinton and Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Fidel Castro and Gabriel Garcia Marquez

His father was a philandering telegraphist, his mother bore 11 children, and he was left in the care of his eccentric grandparents. Though always prodigiously talented, he was so poor as a young man that he resorted to living in the attic of a whorehouse (apparently a purely economic decision).

And yet, by the age of 40, García Márquez had written a book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, that caught the imagination first of Latin America, and then the world. As Gerald Martin argues in this official biography, it became the "first truly global novel". Nor was it a one-off: a string of critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling books followed. García Márquez became the best-known practitioner of "magical realism", the style with which successive generations of authors have recalibrated the relationship between developing countries and their former colonisers. Martin argues, indeed, that he is the only indisputably great author of the late 20th century. He has won many accolades, including the Nobel Prize, and men of influence - Bill Clinton, Fidel Castro - have sought his friendship and confidence.

Colombian Rocker Juanes Sweeps Latin Grammys

Colombian rock star Juanes was crowned the new king of the Latin Grammys Thursday night, sweeping the five awards for which he was nominated and becoming the new record holder – with 17 to his name overall.

"It really has been an amazing night," Juanes said when his hit, "La Vida ... Es Un Ratico," was named Record of the Year.

Prior to Juanes's new benchmark, Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz had won the most Latin Grammys, 14.

Colombia paid money: So what?

During his current visit in Mexico, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe said that the government paid more than 3 million dollars for information about the Farc camp of guerrilla leader Raul Reyes in Ecuador that was bombed by Colombian military on the 1st of March of this year. He said this campaign was part of the rewards program created by the government and insisted on how important this measure has been for the military triumphs in Colombia.

The action in which Reyes was killed lead to a serious rupture in diplomatic relations between Ecuador and Colombia.

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Shakira doesn't lie

Pop superstar SHAKIRA will take her fight for funds to improve children's health and education in Latin America to the continent's leaders at a political summit in El Salvador this week.The Hips Don't Lie singer has her own successful charitable foundation in her native Colombia, Pies Descalzos, to help the nation's poorest children. She also recently launched the organisation Fundacion ALAS (Latin America in Solidarity Action).

But she wants South American heads of state to do more, and will lobby Ibero-American leaders to start a regional project to pump money into the two areas of greatest need.She says, "There are difficult times coming in Latin America. Thousands and thousands of children will die if governments do not organise ways to distribute food during this crisis."I grew up in the developing world and I have witnessed the lack of opportunities that children have to live with. In a country like mine, when a child is born poor, people die poor. But I'm fascinated by the fact that through education you can transform lives, you can end this cycle of poverty."

And Shakira has vowed to continue in her charity efforts for as long as possible.She adds, "My heart is committed to this cause and it has been there for a long time, since I was 18. I like to think that I can use my public profile to bring attention to more important issues than my own."