{"record":{"aliases":["Juan Valera y Alcalá Galiano"],"appointmentIds":["spain-151830086a4a3f"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":["valera-authority"],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/juan-valera-98ce1a9d02/","countrySlug":"spain","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/juan-valera-98ce1a9d02/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Juan Valera pursued literature throughout a diplomatic career that took him to several European and American capitals. Best known as the novelist who wrote Pepita Jiménez, he also worked as a critic and essayist. His Washington mission in 1884–1886 joined diplomatic negotiations to his efforts to circulate Spanish literature in the United States.","Writing to Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo on 4 March 1884, Valera complained about delayed editions of his books and about American politicians, whom he accused of exploiting claims against Spain. In the same letter he expressed hope for sales of Spanish books among American readers, particularly women, and said that he had encouraged a Washington bookseller to order titles from the Spanish bookseller Fe.","Valera’s Washington work included efforts to stop armed expeditions against Spanish rule in Cuba. On 17 March 1884 he sent Secretary of State Frederick Frelinghuysen two Key West newspapers and complained that Cuban exiles were openly promoting attacks with explosives. He accused them of publicizing plans to destroy Spanish barracks and ships and urged the administration to intervene through the attorney general.","The dispute also required practical cooperation. On 14 July, after receiving American reports that Key West was quiet, Valera accepted the proposed withdrawal of the naval steamer Galena. He thanked the United States for its efforts to prevent expeditions from departing for Cuba."],"id":"spain:juan-valera","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-98ce1a9d02e5d99cb837.html","name":"Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["valera-authority","valera-washington","repertory","great-valera-menendez-march1884"],["great-valera-menendez-march1884"],["great-valera-cuba-march1884"],["great-valera-galena-july1884"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-98ce1a9d02e5d99cb837.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"limited","reviewedOn":"2026-11-02","revision":"feff1aa1e3b5ab04","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"valera-authority","locator":"Authority 50312; literary and diplomatic career","publisher":"pares.cultura.gob.es","title":"Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano — PARES","type":"archive authority","url":"https://pares.cultura.gob.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/autoridad/50312"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"valera-washington","locator":"Scholarly study, catalogue entry","publisher":"www.cervantesvirtual.com","title":"Valera en Washington — Cyrus DeCoster","type":"scholarship","url":"https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/juan_valera/obra/valera-en-washington-1231594/"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"repertory","locator":"United States, printed pp. 179–180; other country entries where individually cited","publisher":"www.exteriores.gob.es","title":"Repertorio diplomático español","type":"official history","url":"https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/PublicacionesOficiales/Repertorio%20Diplom%C3%A1tico.pdf"},{"accessedOn":"2026-11-02","date":"1884-03-17","id":"great-valera-cuba-march1884","inspection":{"inspectedOn":"2026-11-02","language":"en","representation":"published_translation","scope":"The published English translation of Valera’s March 17, 1884, Spanish diplomatic note, explicitly headed Translation, was inspected in full. Allegations about Cuban exiles remain Valera’s claims; the Spanish original and enclosed newspapers were not inspected.","status":"document_inspected"},"locator":"FRUS 1884, document 364, pp. 502–503; published translation of the minister’s complaint","publisher":"Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State","title":"Valera to Frelinghuysen, 17 March 1884","translation":{"language":"en","originalLanguage":"es"},"type":"primary correspondence","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1884/d364"},{"accessedOn":"2026-11-02","date":"1884-07-14","id":"great-valera-galena-july1884","inspection":{"inspectedOn":"2026-11-02","language":"en","representation":"published_translation","scope":"The published English translation of Valera’s July 14, 1884, Spanish diplomatic note, explicitly headed Translation, was inspected in full. His acceptance of the proposed Galena withdrawal and thanks are used; the Spanish original was not inspected.","status":"document_inspected"},"locator":"FRUS 1884, document 397, pp. 518–519; reply concerning withdrawal of Galena","publisher":"Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State","title":"Valera to Frelinghuysen, 14 July 1884","translation":{"language":"en","originalLanguage":"es"},"type":"primary correspondence","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1884/d397"},{"accessedOn":"2026-11-02","date":"1884-03-04","id":"great-valera-menendez-march1884","inspection":{"inspectedOn":"2026-11-02","language":"es","representation":"published_transcription","scope":"The Spanish text of Valera’s March 4, 1884, letter to Menéndez Pelayo, Epistolario volume 6, letter 282, was inspected in the Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes edition. This is published Spanish correspondence, not an English translation or inspected manuscript.","status":"document_inspected"},"locator":"Epistolario, volume 6, letter 282; Valera–Menéndez Pelayo, pp. 200–201","publisher":"Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes","title":"Juan Valera to Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, Washington, 4 March 1884","type":"primary correspondence","url":"https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/carta-de-juan-valera-a-marcelino-menendez-pelayo-washington-4-marzo-1884-799461/html/"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-d17ca4bb21762c82aa2d","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Spain — U.S. Chief of Protocol incoming representatives","type":"Mission record","url":"https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/94445.htm"}],"topics":["Literature","Cultural diplomacy"]},"schemaVersion":1}