Un nuevo frente de batalla: la prensa durante la guerra del Paraguay (1864-1870)

Abstract

El artículo aborda los vínculos existentes entre actividad periodística, propaganda política y conflicto bélico en Paraguay durante la Guerra de la Triple Alianza. Esta guerra está calificada como guerra total, porque movilizó recursos humanos y materiales en gran escala en las sociedades nacionales envueltas en el enfrentamiento. La actividad periodística en esta época se caracterizó por la aparición de periódicos ilustrados que tuvieron como objetivo central la “construcción de identidades”, mediante imágenes que denigraban a las tropas aliadas y que aludían a la valentía, honor e ingenio de las tropas paraguayas y de su conductor el Mariscal López. Esta actividad periodística respondía a las sátiras y descalificaciones del conductor López de parte de la prensa brasilera y argentina. El gobierno paraguayo puso en marcha una revolución periodística, constituida por la creación de cuatro periódicos de trinchera. La revolución periodística fue más allá de la modificación de las tecnologías y contenidos de los periódicos. Se aprecia el fenómeno de la prensa guaraní como elemento propio y estratégico durante la guerra; así nace la literatura en esta lengua y con los periódicos ilustrados se desarrolló una iconografía de rasgos novedosos que se divorció de los modelos importados de Europa.

The article discusses the links between journalistic, political propaganda and warfare in Paraguay during the war of the Triple Alliance. This war is qualified as a total war because it mobilized human and physical resources on a large scale in national societies involved in the confrontation. Journalistic activity during this period was characterized by the appearance of illustrated newspapers that had as main objective the “construction of identities”, through images that denigrate the Allied troops and which alluded to the courage, honor and ingenuity of the Paraguayan troops and its leader the Mariscal López. This journalistic activity answered satires and disqualifications of leader Lopez on the part of the Brazilian and Argentine media. The Paraguayan Government launched a journalistic revolution, consisting of the creation of four trench’s newspapers. The journalistic revolution went beyond the modification of technologies and content of newspapers. The phenomenon of the press can be seen in Guarani as own strategic wartime giving birth to literature in this language and with the newspapers illustrated developed an iconography of novel traits that divorced from models imported from Europe. Journalistic activity during this period was characterized by the appearance of illustrated newspapers that had as main objective the “construction of identities”, through images that denigrate the Allied troops and which alluded to the courage, honor and ingenuity of the Paraguayan troops and its leader the Mariscal López. This journalistic activity answered satires and disqualifications of leader Lopez on the part of the Brazilian and Argentine media. The Paraguayan Government launched a journalistic revolution, consisting of the creation of four trench’s newspapers. The journalistic revolution went beyond the modification of technologies and content of newspapers. The phenomenon of the press can be seen in Guarani as own strategic wartime giving birth to literature in this language and with the newspapers illustrated developed an iconography of novel traits that divorced from models imported from Europe.