{"id":623,"date":"2012-10-18T14:39:04","date_gmt":"2012-10-18T19:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/library.brown.edu\/modernlatinamerica\/?page_id=623"},"modified":"2016-07-06T15:46:42","modified_gmt":"2016-07-06T15:46:42","slug":"disappeared-writers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/chapters\/chapter-9-argentina\/moments-in-argentine-history\/disappeared-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Disappeared Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dictatorship’s Effects on Literature
\n<\/strong>By Ivan Tomic<\/p>\n

Argentines have had many encounters with dictatorships, some short, others long. To an extent, Argentine society and culture were shaped by dictatorships, but Argentines were unprepared for the 1976 coup, which was the first time a junta sought to reshape culture and society through terror. This development was dubbed the Proceso de Reorganizaci\u00f3n Nacional\u00a0<\/em>and its goals were to reaffirm the \u201cthe validity of Christian moral values, national tradition and the honor of being an Argentinean\u201d (Torres 2). In the minds of the junta members, the cure-all for the nation’s problems was a national cleansing, which would return the nation to its true values and ideals. Anything that deviated from these values would be destroyed or disappeared. Literature has always been an important medium in Argentina due its highly literate and cosmopolitan population. The dictatorship thus took special care in identifying literature as a key subversive element that must be made subservient to the regime. Literature was a key front of the \u201ccultural war\u201d (Torres 3) in which, as the chief of the Army General Roberto Viola believed, \u201cthe final objective of the operations being carried out is the human mind, [and] the inner system of convictions of each human being\u201d (Torres 3). The dictatorship thus saw writers as potential adversaries and pursued them with all its barbarity.<\/p>\n

Argentine writer and critic No\u00eb Jitrik has argued, \u201cthere is something in literature that needs to be repressed and destroyed, subdued and calmed. [When] the forces in power understand and sense this secret [they] have two ways of dealing with it: by removing books and\/or by removing writers\u201d (Jitrik 1977). The junta did both. It developed a complex bureaucracy to govern cultural production, developing a \u201cstrategy for culture [that] was functional and necessary for full compliance [with] state terrorism as a strategy to control and discipline\u201d (Invernizzi, Gociol 3) society.\u201d As a consequence, writers such as Rodolfo Walsh gave their lives for their beliefs and became an inspiration for those in exile. The best way to understand the \u201cdialogue\u201d between the military regime and the writers is to examine their texts, which respond to the military’s brutal attempt at national reorganization.<\/p>\n

Rodolfo Walsh:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rodolfo Walsh was an accomplished journalist and outspoken critic of authoritarianism. Walsh emerged as a figure in Argentine society after \u201che exposed the secret massacres which followed an attempted uprising against the dictatorship of General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu\u201d (Walsh, Roper 3). He fought against martial law and even \u201cbrought a civil suit for murder against the then chief of police\u201d (Walsh, Roper 3). Operaci\u00f3n Massacre<\/em> was great testimony to this and Walsh\u2019s ability to challenge \u201cthe government at its most sensitive points\u201d (Walsh, Roper 3), which was brought to its final fruition with the Open Letter. Walsh\u2019s Open Letter was ground breaking, because it was the first direct response to the dictatorship. He deftly questions the military’s mandate knowing that he may be persecuted. It is the Open Letter’s \u201cpiling up of evidence to a devastating conclusion, minutely documented, detailed [and] so instantly recognizable” (Walsh, Roper 3) that inspired many Argentines, writers and alarmed the junta.<\/p>\n

Walsh is indeed \u201cfaithful to the commitment\u2026to bear witness in difficult times,\u201d (Walsh, Roper 7) and the day he published his letter he disappeared. His letter initiated the \u201cdialogue\u201d with the military. The questioning of its basic tenets such as the supposed \u201cvirtue\u201d of its goals and its legitimacy heralded the way for other Argentine writers to examine the material. They did this in exile, which allowed them to keep up with the regime’s activities and provide a rebuttal to its crimes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Juan Gelman (2007)<\/p><\/div>\n

Juan Gelman:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Juan Gelman was an \u201coutlaw poet\u201d (Gelman xi), and once the dictatorship \u201ccaught up\u201d (Gelman xiii) with him he was expelled from Argentina. Though exiled, the \u201cnotion of patria, or homeland, denotes so much more than geographical parameters\u201d (Gelman 3) in Gelman’s poetry, as it responds to the crimes of the regime. In the poet\u2019s own words, his writing contains such \u201creality…which is none other than the exact and literal reality of the horror and death, but also the hope that defines the Argentina of our times\u201d (Gelman 4). His poetry is a chilling and startling representation of the human toil of the Proceso de Reorganizaci\u00f3n Nacional <\/em>that often focuses on the disappearances of writers such as Rodolfo Walsh. Gelman writes \u201cRodolfo is silent for the first time\/ in his death before the assembly of compa\u00f1eros<\/em> exiled\/ desolate (Gelman 40). He pays homage to Walsh as he continues to \u201cask questions\u201d (5) that Walsh could not, continues to question, and defy \u00a0the regime. Gelman too saw himself as a victim for \u201cmilitary dictatorships came\u2026 took my books from me, my bread, my son\u2026threw me out of the country\u201d(Gelman 60). \u00a0Yet, Gelman retained his words. He made it his cause to \u201cfight the language that fights exile\u201d (Gelman 62) and to respond to the dictatorship. His writing preserves the memory of his compa\u00f1eros<\/em> and contributed to the struggle against the regime<\/p>\n

Conclusion:\u00a0<\/strong>Lasting Consequences and the Wider Implications of Repression<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today Argentina is slowly recovering its disappeared culture through exhibitions and projects such as Golpe a los Libros<\/em> that demonstrate the lingering consequences of the Proceso de Reorganizaci\u00f3n Nacional<\/em>. Literature was and remains a subversive force\u2014a tool for questioning the status quo. \u00a0Not only are these writers and their works important in trying to understand the past, but they are also a source of hope for the future, because they show the strength of the human spirit. Argentine literature resisted the national reorganization, and today as the nation comes to grips with its past it will be a source of reinvention, healing and explanation. There are still many stories to be written in Argentina.<\/p>\n

****************<\/p>\n

Bibliography:<\/span><\/p>\n

Foster, David. Violence in Argentina Literature: Cultural Responses to Tyranny<\/i>. University of Missouri Press, 1995. Print.<\/p>\n

Gelman, Juan. Unthinkable Tenderness<\/i>. University of California Press, 1997. Print.<\/p>\n

Invernizzi, Hern\u00e1n and Gociol, Judith. ‘Un Golpe a Los Libros’<\/p>\n

Jitrik, No\u00e9. Las Armas y las Razones<\/i>. Editorial Sudamericana, 1984. Print.<\/p>\n

Jitrik, No\u00e9. The No\u00e9 Jitrik Reader<\/i>. Duke University Press, 2005. Print.<\/p>\n

Torres, Ernesto. ‘Under the Shadow of the Dictatorship: Comics and Culture During the Process of National Reorganization’.<\/p>\n

Walsh, Rodolfo and Roper, Christopher. ‘Witness in Difficult Times’, Index on Censorship, 6: 5, 3-7 (1977)<\/p>\n

*****************<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Partial List of Books Banned in 1976:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00b7 Dependencias e industrias multinacionales, de Salvador Mar\u00eda Lozada.<\/i>Dependence and Global Industries<\/i>, by Salvador Mar\u00eda Lozada.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Argentina 1875-1975<\/em>, de Segio Bag\u00fa. Argentina 1875-1975, Sergio Bag\u00fa.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Cuba, nuestra Am\u00e9rica y los Estados Unidos<\/em>, de Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed. Our America<\/em>, by Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 De Sarmiento a Cort\u00e1zar<\/em>, de David Vi\u00f1as. Of Sarmiento a Cort\u00e1zar<\/em>, David Vi\u00f1as.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Dios y el Estado y la Libertad<\/em>, de Bakunin. God and the State<\/em>, Mikhail Bakunin.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La madre<\/em>, de M\u00e1ximo Gorki. The Mother<\/em>, Maxim Gorky.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La sagrada familia<\/em>, de Karl Marx. The Holy Family<\/em>, Karl Marx.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 De la econom\u00eda social justicialista al r\u00e9gimen liberal<\/em>, de Antonio Cafiero. In the social economy Justicialist the liberal regime<\/em>, by Antonio Cafiero.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Obras completas<\/em>, Ernesto Guevara. Complete Works<\/em>, Ernesto Guevara.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Obras completas<\/em>, Vladimir Lenin. Complete Works<\/em>, Vladimir Lenin.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Obras completas<\/em>, Jos\u00e9 Stalin. Complete Works<\/em>, Joseph Stalin.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Obras completas<\/em>, Le\u00f3n Trotsky. Complete Works<\/em>, Leon Trotsky.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Neocapitalismo y comunicaci\u00f3n de masas<\/em>, de Heriberto Muraro. Neo-capitalism and Mass Communication<\/em>, Heriberto Muraro.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Del socialismo ut\u00f3pico al socialismo cient\u00edfico<\/em>, de Frederich Engels. Socialism: Utopian and Scientific<\/em>, by Frederich Engels.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La dominaci\u00f3n imperialista en la historia Argentina<\/em>, de Carlos M. Vilas.\u00a0The Imperialist Domination in the History of Argentina<\/em>, Carlos M. Vilas.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Montoneros y caudillos<\/em>, de Garc\u00eda Mellid. Montoneros and Warlords<\/em>, Garcia de Mello.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Bases hist\u00f3ricas de la Doctrina Nacional<\/em>, de Eduardo Artesano. Bases of Historical National Doctrine,<\/em>\u00a0by Eduardo Artesano.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Los derechos constitucionales del trabajador<\/em>, de Daniel Rudi. The Constitutional Rights of the Worker<\/em>, Daniel Rudi.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Los peores enemigos de nuestro pueblo<\/em>, de Juan Beyer.\u00a0The Worst Enemies of Our People<\/em>, John Beyer.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Reflexiones sobre el terrorismo,<\/em> de Fernando Nadra. Reflections on Terrorism<\/em>, Fernando Nadra.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La Patagonia tr\u00e1gica<\/em>, de Osvaldo Bayer. The Patagonia Tragic<\/em>, Osvaldo Bayer.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Espa\u00f1a, el destape<\/em>, de Ted C. Claure.\u00a0Spain, the Unveiling<\/em>, Ted C. Claure.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Introducci\u00f3n a la sociolog\u00eda<\/em>, de Duilio Biancucci. Introduction to Sociology<\/em>, Duilio Biancuccio<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Las edades Media y Contempor\u00e1nea<\/em>, de Juan Bustinza-Gabriel Rivas. The Middle Ages and Modern<\/em>, John Bustinza-Gabriel Rivas.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Humanismo socialista<\/em>, de Erich Fromm. Socialist Humanism<\/em>, by Erich Fromm.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Tradici\u00f3n, revuelta y conciencia de clase<\/em>, de E. Thompson. Tradition, Revolt and Class Consciousness,<\/em> by E. Thompson.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Sexualidad y autoritarismo<\/em>, de Frank Hinkelammert. Sexuality and Authoritarianism<\/em>, Franz Hinkelammert.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El marxismo y la historia<\/em>, de Pierre P. Reymar. Marxism and History<\/em>, Pierre P. Reymar<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Am\u00e9rica Latina: democracia y revoluci\u00f3n<\/em>, de V. Chertjin. Latin America: Democracy and Revolution<\/em>, V. Chertjin.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Dossier Wallon Piaget<\/em>, de Claude Gianet. Dossier Wallon Piaget<\/em>, Claude Gianet.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El fracaso y el desinter\u00e9s escolar en la escuela primaria, de Liliana Lurcat.\u00b7 La revoluci\u00f3n en la vida cotidiana, de Agnes Heller.The Revolution in Everyday Life, Agnes Heller.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Revoluci\u00f3n y contrarevoluci\u00f3n en Espa\u00f1a<\/em>, de Joaquin Maurin. Revolution and counterrevolution in Spain<\/em>, Joaquin Maurin.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Escritos sobre la guerra civil en Espa\u00f1a<\/em>, de Manuel Aza\u00f1a. Writings on Civil War in Spain<\/em>, Manuel Ana.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La ideolog\u00eda alemana<\/em>, de Marx-Engels. The German Ideology<\/em>, Marx-Engels.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La misi\u00f3n Ponsomby<\/em>, de Luis A. Herrera. The\u00a0Ponsomby Mission,<\/em>\u00a0Luis A. Herrera.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Sobre la teor\u00eda de la planificaci\u00f3n socialista<\/em>, de G.\u00a0Zielinsky.\u00a0About the Theory of Socialist Planning<\/em>, in G. Zielinsky.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Diagn\u00f3stico de nuestro tiempo<\/em>, de Karl Mannheim. Diagnosis of Our Time<\/em>, Karl Mannheim.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La historia me absolver\u00e1<\/em>, de Fidel Castro. History Will Absolve Me<\/em>, Fidel Castro.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 L\u00f3gica formal y l\u00f3gica dial\u00e9ctica<\/em>, de Henri Lefevbre. Logic and Dialectical logic,<\/em> Henri Lefebvre.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Las venas abiertas de Am\u00e9rica Latina<\/em>, de Eduardo Galeano. The Open Veins of Latin America<\/em>, Eduardo Galeano.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Gramsci y la revoluci\u00f3n de Occidente<\/em>, de Mar\u00eda A. Macchiochi.\u00a0Gramsci and the Revolution in the West<\/em>, Mary A. Macchiochi.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Sociolog\u00eda de la explotaci\u00f3n<\/em>, de Pablo Gonz\u00e1lez Casanova. Sociology of Exploitation<\/em>, Pablo Gonzalez Casanova.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Estudios sobre los or\u00edgenes del peronismo<\/em>, de Juan C. Portantiero.\u00a0Studies on the Origins of Peronism<\/em>, Juan C. Portantiero.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El poder negro<\/em>, de S. Carmichael.\u00a0The Black Power<\/em>, S. Carmichael.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 China, antecedentes de la revoluci\u00f3n cultural.<\/em> Comit\u00e9 Central del Partido Comunista de China Popular.\u00a0China, history of the Cultural Revolution,<\/em>\u00a0Communist Party Central Committee of the PRC.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El libro verde<\/em>, de M. Gadhafi.\u00a0The Green Book<\/em>, M. Gadhafi.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La educaci\u00f3n como pr\u00e1ctica de la libertad<\/em>, de Paulo Freire. The Education as the Practice of Freedom<\/em>, Paulo Freire.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Pedagog\u00eda del oprimido<\/em>, de Paulo Freire. Pedagogy of the Oppressed<\/em>, by Paulo Freire.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Acci\u00f3n cultural para la libertad; Concientizaci\u00f3n, teor\u00eda y pr\u00e1ctica de la liberaci\u00f3n; Las iglesias, la educaci\u00f3n y el proceso de liberaci\u00f3n humana<\/em>, de Paulo Freire. Cultural Action for Freedom, Awareness, Theory and Practice of Liberation Churches, Education and the Process of Human Liberation<\/em>, Paulo Freire.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 De los montoneros a los anarquistas<\/em>, de David Vi\u00f1as. From Montoeros to Anarchists<\/em>, David Vi\u00f1as.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Antolog\u00eda po\u00e9tica<\/em>, de Ernesto Cardenal. Anthology of Poetry<\/em>, Ernesto Cardenal.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El mayo franc\u00e9s o el comunismo ut\u00f3pico<\/em>, de Alain Touraine. The French Utopian Communism<\/em>, Alain Touraine.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Poes\u00eda pol\u00edtica y combativa de Argentina<\/em>, de Andr\u00e9s Sorel. Poetry and Combative Politics of Argentina<\/em>, Andr\u00e9s Sorel.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Almanaque Mundial<\/em> – 1979. World Almanac<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Universitas-gran enciclopedia del saber (tomos dos y nueve). Universitas Encyclopedia<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La t\u00eda Julia y el escribidor<\/em>, de Mar\u00edo Vargas Llosa. The Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter<\/em>, Mario Vargas Llosa.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Pantale\u00f3n y las visitadoras<\/em>, de Mario Vargas Llosa. Pantale\u00f3n and the Visitors<\/em>, Mario Vargas Llosa.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Nuestro muchachos<\/em>, de Alvaro Yunque. Our Boys<\/em>, Alvaro Yunque.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Ni\u00f1os de hoy,<\/em> de Alvaro Yunque. Children of Today<\/em>, Alvaro Yunque.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 La muerte de la familia<\/em>, de David Cooper. The Death of the Family<\/em>, David Cooper.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Desde el jard\u00edn<\/em>, de Jerzy Kosinsky. From the Garden<\/em>, Jerzy Kosinski.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Gracias por el fuego y El cumplea\u00f1os de Juan Angel<\/em>, de Mario Benedetti. Thanks for the Fire and The Birthday of Juan Angel<\/em>, Mario Benedetti.<\/p>\n

\u00b7 El Principito<\/em>, de Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry.\u00a0The Little Prince, by\u00a0Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dictatorship’s Effects on Literature By Ivan Tomic Argentines have had many encounters with dictatorships, some short, others long. To an extent, Argentine society and culture were shaped by dictatorships, but Argentines were unprepared for the 1976 coup, which was … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"parent":621,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sidebar-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-623","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5105,"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/623\/revisions\/5105"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.brown.edu\/create\/modernlatinamerica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}