The case 'La Plutónica'
Despite the fact that two centuries have passed, the problem of La Plutónica cannot be allowed to fade in the well of oblivion. In addition to 200 years ago to learn about the history of La Plutónica, we must go back to the other side of the ocean, Montevideo.
The brothers José Rosendo and Valentín Ayllón were printers, arrived in Montevideo from the other side of the La Plata River in 1821. Not long ago, the Spaniards had left Uruguay, but the Brazilians occupied it and joined the empire with the name of Uruguay “Cisplatina Province”, despite the resistance of the Uruguayans. In this complicated political era, the Ayllón brothers did a great job, as a number of newspapers came out of their printing house in Montevideo, including La Aurora, El Pampero, the Citizen, which were published in the printing press of the brothers.
Two hundred years ago, in July, the Ayllón brothers published an ode, a long rimed political poem, of an unknown author, or of several: The Plutonic, Oda directed to Pluto, bears a footnote indicating that the poem is 1816, when the Spaniards still dominated Uruguay. Surely it was only a trick to avoid problems with the Brazilian leaders. If the author or authors knew that many years had elapsed by then, our colleague Gabriel Aresti said: “Poetry is a hammer” and was kept with the prudence of the one who held his hand to the hammer’s companion. In any case, this eight-page and cult language poem is an ironic poem against every monarchy, but as necessary, it does not avoid the red words, a sample in this part of the stanza 18:
“Until the crown assumes,
seventh Fernando
today's absolute girdle
but being the son of P...”
To see examples of monarchies' abuse and censorship, you don't have to go back 200 years or travel beyond the oceans.
The critical ode about the Fernando VII.aren of Spain was, in short, a criticism against all monarchies, and this was understood by the Brazilian authorities. The conversion of the newspaper into a politically critical speaker by the newspapers of the time was not to the liking of the powerful monarchists. The Argentine Febo was closed on August 2 by the governor, and even on August 26 he ordered to search and require all copies of La Plutónica, although the soldiers had to move home for violation of the Printing Act. The repression of the brothers against La Plutica caused the printing press to be closed for several days and suffered serious economic damage.
The Ayllón brothers, involuntary victims and, at the same time, freedom of expression fighters, suddenly disappeared as a motu of their own. Where? By then, was it independent back to Argentina, across the La Plata River? By the ocean on this side? Who knows? Later, the liberator himself, Simon Bolivar, gave the order to seek his brothers to help him, but he did not.
Issues such as the revolutionary power of discourse and the repressive behaviour of the powerful come together around La Plutónica; the savage force of censorship and the great suffering and firmness of its victims. Despite the hardships of censorship and the violence of the imperialists, the Uruguayans managed, not without problems, to become a nation after a year, as stated in the Constitution of 18 July 1825.
Why bring a cause from 200 years ago, and also from the other side of the ocean? The answer was given by a Portuguese communist, José Saramago: “There is a saying that is false and common: past, past, past, past. But the past never goes, if something doesn't happen. The past is always present. We are the memory of ourselves and others. We are the memory we have.”
25 years ago the armed forces of the Crown of Spain closed the Egin newspaper and the Euskaldunonon twenty years ago – and there has been no metaphor, if not, the crown of the Civil Guard logo – they have arrested 11 people, tortured and passed the hell that the Ayllon brothers did not suffer. To see examples of monarchies being abused and censored, you don't have to go back 200 years or go back beyond the oceans.
Josu Jimenez Maia, poet
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