BOGOTA -- (EFE) -- Writer, historian, journalist and diplomat German Arciniegas
 Angueyra, hailed as one of the greatest Colombian thinkers of this century, died
 from old age Tuesday just days before his 99th birthday.

 Arciniegas, author of Biografia del Caribe (Biography of the Caribbean) and
 America, Tierra Firme, was called ``Colombia's man and intellectual of the
 century.'' He left a vast body of work in literature, history and journalism.
 Arciniegas also received a law degree from the National University of Bogota and
 served as education minister on two occasions, as well as holding tenure as a
 university professor and founding several literary magazines, including Correo de
 Los Andes (Andean Newsletter) and Revista de las Indias (Indies Review).

 Journalist and writer German Santamaria, who recently wrote an article on
 Arciniegas, called him ``the youngest old man in the country'' and the ``living
 history of our nation.''

 Arciniegas' legacy includes more than 60 books and 15,000 articles, published by
 different newspapers in the Americas and Europe.