Maya Language Advocate Martiniano Pérez Angulo Dies at 67 in Quintana Roo

José María Morelos, Quintana Roo — Martiniano Pérez Angulo, a poet, teacher, musician and researcher who spent decades preserving and teaching the Maya language, has died at 67, leaving behind a career tied to intercultural education, artistic creation and the defense of the historical memory of Quintana Roo’s Maya communities.

Born in José María Morelos, Pérez Angulo carried the teaching of Maya t’aan beyond the classroom through poems, songs and educational projects. He wrote and composed in both Maya and Spanish, using music and literature to bring younger generations closer to a language he regarded as a fundamental part of his identity and of community life.

A Life Devoted to Keeping Maya T’aan Alive

As a co-founder and member of the group Túmben K’aay — “New Song” — he took part in creating and spreading Maya-language music inspired by local communities, agricultural work and the culture of the Yucatan Peninsula. His artistic work also became a tool for preserving the words, stories and expressions passed down between generations.

He went on to work at the Maya Intercultural University of Quintana Roo (UIMQROO), where he taught and participated in projects related to bilingual and intercultural education. From that position he helped train young people interested in studying, using and valuing Maya language and culture. In April 2023, the city of José María Morelos honored him at its municipal theater for his life’s work.

News of his death drew expressions of grief from members of the cultural and university community linked to his work. Pérez Angulo, born in 1959, leaves behind poems, songs, research and generations of students formed around Maya t’aan — a language whose survival he made one of the main objectives of his life.