▁so , ▁as ▁Gregory ▁Rab assa ' s ▁bi ographical ▁sketch ▁points ▁out , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁base ▁his ▁own ▁fict ional ▁leader — the ▁President — on ▁his ▁observations ▁of ▁the ▁dis g rac ed ▁Gu atem al an ▁dict ator . ▁ ▁As ▁Ast ur ias ▁himself ▁put ▁it : ▁▁▁▁ ▁was ▁not ▁published ▁until ▁years ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁written . ▁Ast ur ias ▁claims ▁that ▁Jorge ▁U b ico ▁y ▁Cast añ eda , ▁the ▁dict ator ▁of ▁Gu atem ala ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁" pro hib ited ▁its ▁publication ▁because ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera , ▁was ▁my ▁ ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁pos ed ▁a ▁danger ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁well ". ▁Additionally , ▁because ▁U b ico ▁was ▁Gu atem ala ' s ▁dict ator ▁while ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁being ▁finished , ▁critics ▁have ▁linked ▁him ▁with ▁the ▁character ization ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁in ▁. ▁ ▁As ▁Him el bla u ▁notes , ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁" could ▁easily ▁have ▁been ▁interpreted ▁as ▁reflect ing ▁[...] ▁General ▁U b ico ' s ▁dict ator ship ". ▁The ▁novel ▁eventually ▁first ▁saw ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁day ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁Juan ▁José ▁Ar é val o ▁was ▁serving ▁as ▁Gu atem ala ' s ▁first ▁dem ocrat ically ▁elected ▁president . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁manifest ▁influence ▁of ▁Ast ur ias