Mercedes Rockel Barcha Pardo was born on November 6, 1932, in Magange, northern Colombia. His father was a pharmacist, and in that decade, Marquez's father traveled to the area around the Magdalena River to sell his medicines to local pharmacists.
Mercedes with prominent cheeks, black almond eyes, long neck and good stature, was both beautiful and restrained and therefore attracted the attention of many.
Although Mercedes was born in Colombia, his ancestry goes back to the Coptic Egyptians who immigrated to Latin America via Lebanon: "My grandfather put me on his knees and sang songs in Arabic."
Mercedes, named after her grandmother, had special qualities as the eldest child in the family; Just like Marquez, he's the first child
