Beatriz Bragoni: After the May Revolution, there was a war to monopolize the narrative

Beatriz Bragoni, historian and researcher at CONICET, has published a new book titled Conspiraciones, which explores the hidden battles over narrative control following the May Revolution. The work reveals how political factions in early 19th-century Argentina engaged in a covert struggle to shape public perception, using misinformation and propaganda as tools to undermine their rivals. This historical conflict mirrors modern concerns around disinformation, with Bragoni describing it as a "war for monopolizing the narrative." The book traces the ideological clashes between the Directory of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón and its critics during the turbulent years after the May Revolution. These conflicts were not limited to political arenas but extended into the realm of communication, where competing groups sought to dominate public discourse through strategic dissemination of information. In this context, newspapers, once considered powerful instruments of influence, became battlegrounds for shaping narratives. Bragoni highlights how these publications, often filled with unverified claims, played a crucial role in influencing public sentiment and even altering political outcomes. In her analysis, Bragoni points to the organized efforts of opposition networks based in Montevideo, which circulated texts designed to discredit leaders such as Pueyrredón and Bernardo O'Higgins. These materials included attacks on figures like José de San Martín, whose legacy was frequently challenged by rival factions. The book includes detailed documentation and illustrations from the period, including a striking 1820 caricature mocking the figure of the "Father of the Fatherland." Such visual media served both to entertain and to manipulate public opinion, reinforcing the power of imagery in shaping historical memory. Conspiraciones builds upon Bragoni’s earlier works, which focused on the lives of two prominent historical figures: José Miguel Carrera, a Chilean revolutionary active in the Río de la Plata, and San Martín, the celebrated leader of the independence movement. Her latest publication offers a fresh perspective by examining the interplay between official and clandestine sources of information. Through an extensive study of periodicals such as El Censor, El Duende de Santiago, El Independiente del Sud, and others, Bragoni reconstructs the complex dynamics between pro-independence factions, who often turned against each other in bitter disputes. Her research underscores the role of misinformation in shaping political realities. She argues that the formation of public opinion was not confined to elite circles but occurred in everyday spaces such as markets and taverns, where stories were shared orally and transformed into collective memory. This process, she notes, parallels contemporary discussions about the spread of false information, emphasizing the enduring relevance of historical patterns in understanding modern media landscapes. Bragoni's work also sheds light on the broader implications of these early struggles for governance and national identity. By analyzing how different factions manipulated legal and institutional frameworks to suppress dissent, she illustrates the fragility of democratic processes in the face of internal divisions. The collapse of the United Provinces government between 1819 and 1820, she suggests, was not merely a result of external pressures but also of internal fractures exacerbated by ideological warfare. Through meticulous archival work and critical engagement with primary sources, Bragoni provides a nuanced account of how historical narratives are constructed and contested. Her findings challenge simplistic interpretations of the past, revealing instead a landscape shaped by competing visions of nationhood and legitimacy. As she notes, the mechanisms of influence remain remarkably similar today, underscoring the importance of understanding historical precedents in evaluating current challenges to truth and transparency.