▁dict ator ▁on ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁real - life ▁fasc ists , ▁including ▁Gustav o ▁Ro jas ▁Pin illa ▁of ▁his ▁Colomb ian ▁hom eland , ▁General iss imo ▁Francisco ▁Franco ▁of ▁Spain ▁( the ▁novel ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁Barcelona ), ▁and ▁Venezuela ' s ▁Juan ▁Vic ente ▁Gó mez . ▁The ▁product ▁is ▁a ▁universal ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁dis astr ous ▁effects ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁concentration ▁of ▁power ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁man . ▁ ▁Plot ▁introduction ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁written ▁in ▁long ▁paragraph s ▁with ▁extended ▁sentences . ▁The ▁general ' s ▁thoughts ▁are ▁relay ed ▁to ▁the ▁reader ▁through ▁w inding ▁sentences ▁which ▁convey ▁his ▁des per ation ▁and ▁l onel iness ▁alongside ▁the ▁at roc ities ▁and ▁r uth less ▁behavior ▁that ▁keep ▁him ▁in ▁power . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁book ' s ▁most ▁striking ▁aspects ▁is ▁its ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁God - like ▁status ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁and ▁the ▁unf ath om able ▁a we ▁and ▁respect ▁with ▁which ▁his ▁people ▁regard ▁him . ▁D ict ators ▁and ▁strong men ▁such ▁as ▁Franco , ▁Som o za , ▁and ▁Tru j illo ▁managed ▁to ▁hold ▁s way ▁over ▁the ▁populations ▁of ▁their ▁nations ▁despite ▁internal ▁political ▁division . ▁García ▁M ár quez ▁symbol izes ▁this ▁with ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁dict ator ' s ▁cor pse ▁in ▁the ▁president ial ▁palace . ▁ ▁All us ions / re ferences ▁to ▁actual ▁history , ▁ge ography ▁and ▁current ▁science ▁García ▁M ár quez ▁mock s ▁the ▁practice