By Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
-Chronicler, photographer, and teacher, José Buenrostro preserved the history and culture of Apaseo el Grande.
-He founded newspapers, magazines, and the Casa de la Cultura, leaving a mark on the intellectual life of El Bajío.
-His photographic archive is the largest in Apaseo, an essential source for researchers and chroniclers.
-He promoted the name “Apaseo el Grande” and coordinated cultural projects of state and national scope.
-Co-author of monographs and studies, his editorial and academic legacy transcends generations.
In the history of Apaseo el Grande, few names resonate with such strength and respect as that of Don José Buenrostro López. Born in El Pueblito, Querétaro, in 1932—now 93 years old—and a resident of Apaseo since 1940, his life has been a testimony of dedication to culture, education, and collective memory. Chronicler, photographer, teacher, journalist, and community organizer, Buenrostro became the guardian of Apaseo’s identity.
His career began with studies in Humanities at the Conciliar Seminary of Querétaro. From a young age, he dedicated himself to commerce and photography, but soon his vocation led him to writing and cultural organization. In the 1950s he founded and directed newspapers such as Apatzeo, La Opinión, La Gaceta de Apaseo, El Duende, and El Heraldo, the latter published for thirteen uninterrupted years. These media outlets were spaces of reflection and critique, where the community found voice and presence.
Buenrostro did not limit himself to the press. He organized the Fiestas de San Juan in 1951, together with José Estrella Vázquez and Father Efrén Flores Rico, and received recognition for his teaching work at the Colegio “Don Vasco de Quiroga.” In 1956 he participated in the founding of Apaseo’s first secondary school and led the campaign for the State Congress to add the adjective “el Grande” to the town’s name, thus consolidating its historical identity.
His cultural commitment was reflected in the direction of Apaseo’s first preparatory school, the Instituto Educativo Apatzeo, and in his appointment as president of the boards of trustees of the Casa de la Cultura and the Casa de los Perros in 1977.
He was coordinator of the Pontifical Coronation of the Immaculate Conception in 1979 and founding director of the Casa de la Cultura “Poeta Antonio Plaza” between 1992 and 1995. Each project he led aimed to strengthen the memory and identity of the community.
In 1988 he was named Municipal Chronicler of Apaseo el Grande, a position from which he consolidated his role as guardian of local history. He participated in the elaboration of the book Apaseo el Grande, pasado y presente de un pueblo del Bajío and coordinated the Local Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, under CONACULTA. His photographic archive, the largest in Apaseo, became an indispensable source for researchers, chroniclers, and students.
Buenrostro also collaborated with institutions such as INEA and the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, and was a founding member of the Association of Chroniclers of Guanajuato in 2007. His participation in research gave rise to works such as La Progenie de Morelos (2000), La magia del Barroco en Apaseo (1999), Apaseo el Grande, un estudio de microhistoria regional (1988), Las Leyendas de mi Apaseo (2013), Judas y Calacas (2009), and Apaseo el Alto, el municipio joven de Guanajuato (2009).
His editorial legacy includes articles in the magazine Puente and the co-authorship of the Monografía de Apaseo el Grande (2002) and Apaseo el Grande, la primera frontera (2010). These publications consolidate his role as chronicler and scholar, providing data, photographs, and analysis that enrich regional historiography.
Recognition of José Buenrostro is not limited to his works. His life is an example of community commitment, love for the land, and respect for memory. His photographic archive, his books, his newspapers, and his cultural projects are testimony to a vocation that transcended the personal to become collective heritage.
Today, to speak of Apaseo el Grande is to speak of José Buenrostro López. His name is tied to the defense of identity, the preservation of memory, and the promotion of culture. His figure is a beacon that illuminates the path of those who seek to understand history and project the future of the community. #MetroNewsMx #GuanajuatoDesconocido
