Bearing Witness in the Face of ‘Overwhelming Evil’: The Role of the Buenos Aires Herald During the Argentinean Dictatorship Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Lisa Dieckman, B.A. Graduate Program in Latin American Studies The Ohio State University 2019 Thesis Committee: Ana Del Sarto, Adviser Abril Trigo Terrell Morgan Copyright by Lisa Dieckman 2019 Abstract The Buenos Aires Herald has a rich history in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a long- standing English-language newspaper that actively bore witness to the repression of the 1976 to 1983 military dictatorship. In production since the 1800s and the sole English- language newspaper from 1959 until its closure in 2017, the Herald provided news, community updates, and credible journalism to the English-speaking community in Argentina and the world. The Herald is survived by its human rights legacy during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1976 until 1983, Argentina was under the control of a military dictatorship, characteriZed by state-sponsored terrorism and the severe repression of human rights. For the eight long years of the dictatorship, the majority of the Argentinean press failed to report on the human rights abuses taking place, instead reporting the official position presented by the military or not reporting on the events at all. However, one newspaper in particular consistently reported the truth of the events taking place throughout the entirety of the dictatorship. The Buenos Aires Herald was able to document the repression and state-sponsored terrorism taking place during the dictatorship while most other papers were censored and forced into silence. As an English-language newspaper, the Herald occupied a unique space. Managed by mostly British expats in Argentina and owned by a company in the United States, the Herald had the support of the British government and certain protections and freedom that Argentinean papers lacked. Under the guidance of editor Robert Cox, this freedom was employed to cover the disappearances and killings taking place at great length, saving many lives along the way and making the repression known throughout the world. This i thesis creates a space for understanding the capacity of the press to serve as a witness to repressive historical events. It introduces new primary source materials on the Argentinean dictatorship in the form of archives from the Herald and interviews conducted with individuals who wrote for and read the paper. Using these primary sources and theories on witnessing through traumatic events from authors including Dori Laub, Shoshana Felman, and Diana Taylor, I argue that the Buenos Aires Herald played a key role in bearing witness to the atrocities taking place during the dictatorship. By listening to the stories of those who disappeared and recording their names and tales in the paper, the Herald’s staff actively documented the state-sponsored terrorism taking place under the military government. ii Dedication Dedicated to the hard-working staff of the Buenos Aires Herald who diligently put their lives on the line to bear witness to those suffering violence and repression at the hands of the military government. iii Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without the encouragement, support, and guidance of many important individuals. First, to the members of my thesis committee, Abril Trigo and Terrell Morgan. Thank you for your diligence in recommending background readings, reviewing drafts of my thesis, and initiating thought-provoking discussions about this work. To my adviser, Ana Del Sarto. You were the first professor I met during my visit to Ohio State and I have enjoyed working with you ever since. Thank you for sharing my passion for this research and advising me every step of the way. To Megan Hasting, for your encouragement, support, and guidance throughout the Master’s program. It has been a joy to both work alongside you and learn from you. To the Tinker Foundation, for generously providing the financial support necessary to spend two weeks researching in Buenos Aires. With my flight, housing, and food budget secured, I was able to throw all my energy into the research process. To my fiancé, Brad. You have been there since day one of this research, and well before that. Thank you for always providing a listening ear, supporting me during my research in Argentina, and being the best partner I could ask for. To my parents, Craig and Lindy. Thank you for always being there for a chat on the phone or a visit home when I needed to unwind and for always having my back, especially during my solo travels for this research. To my interviewees for opening up your homes to me and speaking about incredibly personal and difficult topics. Thank you for your honesty, openness, and hospitality. To the staff at the Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno in Buenos Aires. Thank you for granting me access to the archives and locating volume after volume of iv old Herald issues. Finally, to Robert Cox. Your leadership of the Herald through some of the darkest days has constantly inspired me. I cannot fully express my admiration and respect for you and I hope that this work does your story justice. Thank you, for everything. v Vita 2013 ……………………………………….... Rolling Meadows High School 2017 ………………………………..………... B.A. Global Studies and Spanish, North Central College 2017 to 2019 ………………………………… Graduate Assistant, Center for Latin American Studies, The Ohio State University 2017 to 2018 ………………………………… University Fellow, The Ohio State University 2018 to 2019 …………………...……………. Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow, The Ohio State University 2017 to present ……………………………….. M.A. Latin American Studies, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Latin American Studies vi Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................. i Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... ix Epigraph .............................................................................................................................. x Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Argentinean History .......................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Background on the Buenos Aires Herald ........................................................ 13 2.1: Basic Background ............................................................................................................... 13 2.2: Legacy During Military Years ............................................................................................ 14 2.3: Avoidance of Censorship .................................................................................................... 17 2.4: Profile on Robert Cox ......................................................................................................... 20 2.5: Closure of the Buenos Aires Herald ................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 26 3.1: The Buenos Aires Herald .................................................................................................... 26 3.1.1: Nos/Otros y la Violencia Política ............................................................................................... 26 3.2: Argentinean Press & Censorship ........................................................................................ 28 3.2.1: Nos/Otros y la Violencia Política: Buenos Aires Herald/El Día/La Prensa (1974-1982) .......... 28 3.2.2: The Sound of One Hand Clapping: A Preliminary Study of the Argentine Press in a Time of Terror .................................................................................................................................................... 29 3.3: Witness and Testimony ....................................................................................................... 31 3.3.1: Testimony: Crises of Witnessing in Literature, Psychoanalysis, and History ........................... 31 3.3.2: Disappearing Acts: Spectacles of Gender and Nationalism in Argentina’s “Dirty War” .......... 33 Chapter 4: Methodology .................................................................................................... 37 4.1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 37 4.2: Review of the Buenos Aires Herald .................................................................................... 37 4.3: Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 38 4.3.1: Contacting Interviewees