Juan Chapín is a character created by Guatemalan writer José Milla y Vidaurre in his novel Un viaje al otro mundo pasando por otras partes -A trip to the other world, going through other parts-, which he wrote while in exile in Europe after the Liberal revolution of 1871. Milla y Vidaurre had been a close friend of general Rafael Carrera, who had ruled Guatemala until his death in 1865. Milla also worked in the Foreign Minister during Carrera's regime. From 1871 to 1874, Milla visited several countries in North America and Europe and used his character Juan Chapín -to whom he explains everything they come across in Europe- to represent the average Guatemalan of his day.