In Buenos Aires still claims the Avenida de Mayo is the Spanish City. What’s more, many associate it with the Gran Via in Madrid. And they put reference to its bars and restaurants with typical food, especially in the stretch spanning from the street Lima to Luis Sáenz Peña. But that Hispanic fervor retains a stain. It was what turned a corner of that avenue in Buenos Aires reference of a tragic event for Spain: the Civil War for three years bloodied the peninsula. Today marks exactly 80 years since the beginning of this confrontation that also had here instead of confrontation.
On July 17, 1936, in Melilla (Spanish protectorate in Morocco), he started the “National Uprising” against the democratic government of the Second Republic. But only the next day he gained nationwide. Therefore, on July 18, it was always regarded as the founding date of the regime of Francisco Franco dictatorship after the war that lasted almost four decades. The story says that just ten days after the armed uprising, Franco’s forces received twenty German aircraft. It was the first support of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler to Franco. The people of Guernica was going to meet those hells in April 1937.
It was in those years that Teruel, Jarama, Ebro, Madrid, Guadalajara, Brunete, Belchite and Catalonia stopped being geographical references to become names of battles in the vast Spanish community of Buenos Aires reverberated with anguish or celebrations, according to which sector is adhered. Then that began to be reflected in the City. While Argentina was declared “dispensable” in the conflict (it was during the end of Agustín P. Justo presidency and the beginning of Roberto M. Ortiz) here there was also a battlefront between Republicans and Franco. The place:. The corner of Avenida de Mayo and Salta
In the South ochavas that crossing there were two traditional bars: Iberia and the Spanish. The first was shelter from Republicans; the other, of the adherents of this movement, as published here Monsignor Gustavo Franceschi, in the magazine Criterion, defined Franco as “the champion of a new state, a Christian for his spirit, Spanish for its tradition and modern for its adaptation to the needs of the times. ” In the years of war clashes between one and others were common. Then, from sidewalk to sidewalk, flying cups, siphons, glasses, chairs and even fisticuffs when the proximity of rivals permitted. Have a memorable confrontation occurred in 1938 when a truck with loudspeakers were crossed in the corner and spread “the Himno de Riego” (alluding to Lieutenant Colonel Rafael del Riego), an anti-fascist march with slogans of historical origin. This time the battle was the worst and ended when the police intervened.
In Buenos Aires “support committees” were created and there were festivals at Luna Park to support the Republicans (which they acted was Libertad Lamarque) and also, for Franco, was supported by the Jockey Club and the Legion Civic Argentina (founded by Uriburu). In addition, from Argentina they traveled about 600 brigades (with milicianas included) to fight in Spain for the Republic. Also the country came about 700 “war children” of the 70,000 who were evacuated to Europe and America. They were children of Republicans between 3 and 14 who could elude death.
Officially, the war ended on April 1, 1939 a part from Burgos, signed by Franco. Republicans left the Iberia (which still exists) and moved to a nearby bar Saenz Peña. The consequences of this confrontation felt for years both in Spain and here. And even they generated in Buenos Aires creation publishers such as Losada and Emecé. The Spanish bar is no longer. Part of the building was destroyed when, in 1979, it affected a large fire that also damaged much at Avenida Theatre, another symbol of the local Hispanic community. The Avenue was abandoned many years until rescued a consortium of Argentine and Spanish. They reinauguraron in 1994 with a presentation by tenor Placido Domingo. But that’s another story.
No comments:
Post a Comment