At age twenty-three, Granados visited South America, Europe and the cities of New York and Philadelphia in the US.[relevant?]

[citation needed] García Granados played a key part in the regime of Justo Rufino Barrios, the founder of "the army of 45 men".

Visoni later founded the Martial Symphony Band and the School of Substitutes (Escuela de Substitutos), the first formal music conservatory in Central America.

[citation needed] García Granados retired from public life to write articles for Guatemalan magazines and newspapers; accounts of the time when he was the leader of the liberal forces and as president; an essay about monetary policy and two volumes of memoirs.

In those days, the high schools' faculty included Spaniard politician Valero Pujol, German engineer Edwin Rockstroh and Cuban poet José Joaquín Palma, who used to gather for intellectual conversations.

Despite his engagement to a Cuban woman, Martí started visiting the Garcia Granados residency, where he frequently played chess with the general and paid his respects to María.

In 1891, Martí wrote a poem in her memory, named La Niña de Guatemala,[Nota 1] in which he implies that she died from love.