Mariano Federico Picón Salas was a Venezuelan diplomatic, cultural critic and writer of the 20th century,[1] born in Mérida (Mérida State) on January 26, 1901, and died in Caracas on January 1, 1965.

His work is also important because of his wide perspective, studying the culture of the entire continent.

He left Venezuela, under the political persecution of dictator Juan Vicente Gómez.

Living for a large period in Chile, he studied history, gaining the degree of “Profesor de Historia” and later a doctorate in philosophy and letters.

His studies on "Barroco de Indias" (the term that he coined to talk about the baroque from Hispanic America) are very influential among the general study of Baroque.