Javier Mariátegui

First years

In 1947 he entered the University of San Marcos, studying in parallel pre-medicine and humanities, in 1949 he decided to follow studies in the Medicine Faculty of San Fernando. It was exactly with his companion of bench at the School San Luis, the Father Gustavo Gutiérrez, that took in parallel sciences and humanities, enjoying philosophy classes, as those of Mariano Iberico and also they studied the first year of medicine; both being also college students representatives. In 1956 he was received as M.D. with the thesis "Psychopathology of the experimental poisoning with dietilamida of acid d-lisérgico (LSD)" and he distinguished with the contenta for having obtained the highest grade during his studies, nevertheless he decided to stay in Peru.

Academic and professional life

In 1957 it was gotten up to teaching and she was head of clinic in the chair of Psychiatry that directed Honorio Delgado and like delegate of the professors of that category, integrated in 1960 the faculty board. In 1961 he participated in the movement of professors that determined the foundation of Cayetano Heredia University. Starting as TA, he was then incorporated to the department of Psychiatry as reader, in 1971 was promoted to the category of university professor. In 1972 he obtained the Degree of Medicine Doctor in the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia, with the thesis: "Socio-psiquiatría en el Perú. Algunos aspectos de investigación". His hospital work began in 1957 in the Víctor Larco Herrera Hospital and since 1962 directed the Service of Mental Health "Honorio Delgado" of the Ministry of Public Health. He was Founder and Director of the National Institute of Mental Health “Honorio Delgado - Hideyo Noguchi” (1980 - 1987). In 1963 he published his first book "Studies of Social Psychiatry in Peru" with Baltazar Caravedo, Humberto Rotondo and in 1969 "Psychiatric Epidemiology of an Urban District of Lima" with Berna Alva and Ovidio de Leon.

His intellectual work in the field of psychiatry and humanities made him a Member of the National Medicine Academy (1987) and of Peruvian Academy of the Language (1993). In 1994 he became Professor Emeritus of the Medicine Faculty of the University of San Marcos and in 1999 of the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia.

Disciple of Honorio Delgado

Javier Mariátegui always emphasized by his intellectual loyalty and great admiration by people who marked their academic formation, much of the representative figures of Peruvian medicine as well as by some of his university teachers. He wrote periodically and published books in tribute of illustrious intellectuals and Peruvian physicians, some that considered important to rescue as well as others with which it maintained a personal communication. Such as the book Hermilio Valdizán. The project of a Peruvian psychiatry (Lima, 1981) and recently Juan Francisco Valega and Lima of His Time (Lima, 2001). From 1969 he was Director-Publisher of the Journal of Neuropsychiatry, founded by Honorio Delgado and Julio Oscar Trelles in 1938 which is published regularly to date. In 1989 he directed the edition of Psychiatry in Latin America (published by Losada, Buenos Aires), one of the first compilations on the psychiatric reality of Latin America. Also he was member of the Publishing Board of Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica and Editor of Acta Herediana, publication of the UPCH, among many others. In the professional field he was member of numerous organizations and committees between which honored the Committee of Experts in Mental Health of World Health Organization. He was author of several books and more than one hundred scientific works and a similar number of tests and journalistic articles. His professional interests were focused on clinical psychiatry, clinical psychopathology, psychopharmacology, social psychiatry, history of psychiatry and mental health policy.

Son of José Carlos Mariátegui

The admiration towards his father, José Carlos Mariátegui, encouraged him to dedicate his life –since very young– to the publication of Mariátegui's complete works and the spreading of his ideas. Since 1988 he began systematically to produce essays about his father. In 1989 he participated as co-editor –with his brother José Carlos–, of the Anuario Mariáteguiano, a periodic publication dedicated to the works of José Carlos Mariátegui. In 1994 he participated in the organization of the activities of the centenary of Mariategui. In 2005 he became Honorary Director of the Memorial Museum José Carlos Mariátegui of the National Institute of Culture. He has published more than 30 articles in relation to Mariátegui, most of them compiled in a book.