▁the ▁Manuel ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁era ▁in ▁Gu atem ala . ▁For ▁example , ▁as ▁critic ▁Jack ▁Him el bla u ▁explains , ▁" A st ur ias ▁[...] ▁wrote ▁his ▁novel ▁primarily ▁with ▁his ▁compat ri ots ▁in ▁mind , ▁who , ▁und ou bt edly , ▁had ▁lived ▁through ▁the ▁ty ran ny ▁of ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁from ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 0 ." ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁was ▁not orious ▁for ▁his ▁brut al ▁repr ession ▁of ▁diss ent ▁in ▁Gu atem ala , ▁and ▁Ast ur ias ▁had ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁protest s ▁against ▁his ▁rule ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁ ▁Ast ur ias ▁integrated ▁and ▁re work ed ▁inc idents ▁from ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ' s ▁dict ator ship ▁into ▁the ▁novel , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁tort ure ▁of ▁a ▁political ▁advers ary , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁trick ed ▁" into ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁his ▁innoc ent ▁wife ▁had ▁been ▁un fa ith ful ▁to ▁him ". ▁ ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁was ▁eventually ▁forced ▁out ▁of ▁office ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁popular ▁dist urban ces ▁and ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁U . S . ▁and ▁other ▁foreign ▁diplom ats . ▁R ather ▁than ▁go ▁into ▁ex ile , ▁however , ▁the ▁ex - pres ident ▁opt ed ▁to ▁defend ▁himself ▁against ▁criminal ▁charges . ▁In ▁the ▁en su ing ▁trial , ▁Ast ur ias ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁legal ▁secretary ▁and