In contemporary literary circles Darío Herrera is practically an unknown writer. In the introduction to Herrera's book Lejanías (Distances, 1971), Rodrigo Miró considers the writer "the most conspicuous figure in Panamanian literature." Yet, as a pioneer of nineteenth-century Modernismo, his name has been overshadowed by better-known writers such as José Martí, Julián del Casal, Rubén Darío, and José Asunción Silva, all precursors of Modernista trends in Latin America.

Darío Herrera was born on 18 July 1870 in Panama, which was then a part of Colombia; it did not gain independence until 1903. His mother, Juana de la Rosa, was Panamanian, while his father, Lino Clemente Herrera, was a Colombian citizen residing in Panama. Some scholars believe that Lino's nationality was a crucial influence on his son's decision to become a diplomat in Latin America...