Elmer Obdulio Arana Quiñónez, also known as Elmer Obdulio Oliva Quiñónez, was born on May 6, 1971, in the small village of Valle Nuevo, Jalpatagua, Jutiapa, Guatemala. His early years were marked by hardship and loss but also by resilience and a sense of responsibility that shaped the course of his life. He spent much of his childhood in El Barranquillo, Sanarate, El Progreso, and although he was awarded a government scholarship to study at the Regional Normal School of the East, he was unable to take up the opportunity due to financial difficulties. When he was just ten years old, his father, a security guard at a bank, was killed during a failed robbery on September 18, 1981. That loss was only the beginning of a series of tragedies that would later define much of his writing and his personal testimony.
From a very young age, Arana worked the land to support himself and his family, planting corn, beans, and cassava while also selling firewood. As a teenager he labored on banana plantations in Izabal with Chiquita Banana before moving to Guatemala City where he sold hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and the popular Guatemalan street food known as “chucos.” At the age of 20 he left Guatemala for Belmopan, Belize, where he found work as a mason’s assistant for a government construction company, before eventually returning to his homeland. These early experiences of physical labor, survival, and migration informed his understanding of struggle and perseverance, themes that would later appear in his writings.
Over the years Arana built a diverse professional career in Guatemala. He worked with the national airline AVIATECA, starting out as a baggage handler, and later with Hoechst Química de Guatemala, a subsidiary of a German pharmaceutical company. He also served as a bank teller and receiver at Banco Empresarial and worked at a real estate bank. His career path brought him into public service when he joined the National Civil Service Office of the Presidency of the Republic as a Professional Assistant III, where he played an important role in assisting widows and orphans to obtain state pensions. He also became a sales advisor for Telefónica in Guatemala, where he was among the first to bring digital mobile phone technology to rural towns such as Jalpatagua and many other areas of the country. His voice was also heard on the radio through collaborations with journalist Marco Antonio Figueroa Valiente on the program El Independiente, broadcast on Radio Nuevo Mundo.
After moving to the United States, Arana worked in restaurants as a dishwasher, waiter, and bartender before rising to become a manager at several McDonald’s locations. He now works as a truck driver while continuing his writing, community work, and faith commitments.
Arana is recognized for his contributions to Catholic apologetics. He manages and participates in more than 50 forums on social media, including Facebook and TikTok, and runs a YouTube channel titled Catholic Apologist Elmer Arana. His most important written contribution is the book La Iglesia Católica, la Única Fundada por Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, published between 2024 and 2025. In this work he defends Catholic doctrine through a biblical and historical approach, citing early Church Fathers such as Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome, Polycarp of Smyrna, Saint Barnabas, and Papias. The book reflects both his scholarly interest in history and scripture and his passion for defending the Catholic faith against opposing interpretations.
His earlier book Historias de mi Vida, published in 2020, is a deeply personal testimony recounting his difficult experiences with violence and grief. It details the murder of his father and later of his three brothers, all of whom were killed under different circumstances. The book captures his sense of perseverance in the face of tragedy and his determination to turn suffering into a message of strength and resilience. These works, available worldwide on platforms such as Amazon, Google Play, Casa del Libro, Barnes and Noble, Apple, and in thousands of bookstores, have positioned him as a significant voice in Spanish-language Catholic writing.
Beyond his literary and apologetics work, Arana has been deeply involved in social activism. In the 1990s he was active in student movements that demanded educational reform, and as a leader in his community of El Barranquillo he helped to manage infrastructure projects that continue to benefit residents. While studying at the University of San Carlos he took part in the Huelga de Dolores, the traditional student protest that denounces corruption and social injustice in Guatemala. Decades later, in 2015, he was among those who took part in the Renuncia Ya demonstrations, calling for the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina and Vice President Roxana Baldetti after the La Línea corruption scandal.
His activism extended to the United States, where he became involved in immigrant rights following the 2018 zero tolerance immigration policy. That year, his own family was directly affected by the policy, which strengthened his resolve to organize community workshops in Massachusetts to inform and support immigrant families. During this period he was photographed with Maura Healey, who was then Attorney General of Massachusetts and is now the Governor, and also appeared alongside Congressman Jim McGovern, who has represented Massachusetts since 1997. His ongoing conversations with McGovern reflect his interest in raising the concerns of immigrant communities at the federal level.
Arana’s personal life has been marked by both faith and loss. The violent deaths of his father and brothers left lasting wounds, as did the tragic kidnapping and murder of his five year old cousin Rosa Elena Ordóñez Juárez, remembered by her family as Toty. Despite these painful experiences, Arana has dedicated himself to family, faith, and service. He is currently studying theology through extension programs at the Boston Theological Institute while serving as a catechist, counselor, instructor, and lector at San Lucas Evangelista Parish in Westborough, Massachusetts. There he also leads a Spanish-language Bible study group, continuing the mission of teaching and guiding others in the Catholic faith.
The legacy of Elmer Obdulio Arana Quiñónez rests not only in his books but also in his voice as a defender of Catholicism, his advocacy for immigrant rights, and his example of endurance. His story moves from rural villages in Guatemala to the immigrant communities of the United States, carrying with it a consistent message of resilience, conviction, and devotion. His writings, his activism, and his personal witness together stand as a testament to a life lived with faith and purpose.
