Relato de un náufrago

Originally published as a series of newspaper installments in 1955, 'Relato de un náufrago' tells the true story of Luis Alejandro Velasco, a sailor who endured a harrowing ordeal after his ship, overloaded with contraband, sank in the Caribbean.

Velasco's survival and subsequent treatment by the public and government are central themes of the book.

García Márquez's work challenges the official account of the events and highlights the moral and social implications of the sailor's experience.