Showing posts with label Manuel Ayau Freedom Fighter Guatemala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manuel Ayau Freedom Fighter Guatemala. Show all posts

2010-08-05

Manuel Ayau, the freedom fighter, the hero, the grandfather

I am deeply saddened to learn about Muso's passing away on August 3.  I met Muso, a friend of my father, some 19 years ago in 1991. I had heard some interesting stories about him from my parents when they visited Guatemala in 1985. Over the years my dad kept in
touch with him through meetings and while I was too young to understand why he was so important I started to read a lot more about free market ideas, and to learn about the freedom movement through stories that were written for young kids. I especially remember reading as a preteen Muso's cartoon book " Cómo mejorar el nivel de vida"  (How to improve your living standard).  The book may be long forgotten but it had a deep impact on me because it lead me to start reading more and more why people are poor and how economics and free markets play a role into an individual’s welfare.  He was one of the first to plant the seeds in my head for a career of promoting liberty.
As I grew up I learned more about the Francisco Marroquin University (UFM) which Muso founded, and that inspired me to want to go there to study under the author of that little cartoon book that had made me forget my dreams of studying engineering, which came natural to me.  What I wanted was to learn about economics from Muso on that beautiful campus that I read about through publications and brochures
that my father received from one of his earlier ventures the think tank Center for Economic and Social Studies (CEES).