A Bookstore’s Resistance: Hernández Bookstore and Argentina’s Literary Fight Against Repression
In the heart of Buenos Aires, the Hernández Bookstore stands as a testament to Argentina’s enduring struggle for freedom of expression. Founded in 1956 by Damian Carlos Hernández and Emilce Garcia, the bookstore became a focal point of resistance during the military dictatorship that gripped the country from 1976 to 1983. Today, under the stewardship of Marisú Hernández, the bookstore continues to champion literature and ideas that were once deemed subversive.
A History of Defiance
The Hernández Bookstore originally opened at Corrientes 1580 before relocating to its current location on Corrientes 1436 in 1973. In January 1977, the bookstore was raided by military forces who confiscated 7,800 books deemed “subversive.” A subsequent search two months later uncovered an additional cache of literature in the bookstore’s warehouse. The raid was prompted by an anonymous complaint.
The banned books represented a wide spectrum of political and philosophical thought, including the works of Karl Marx, Lenin, Mao Zedong, Leon Trotsky, Juan Perón, Evita Perón, Ho Chi Minh, Herbert Marcuse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Fidel Castro, and prominent Argentine writers like David Viñas and Gregorio Selser.
A Family’s Resilience
The raid had a profound impact on the Hernández family. Marisú Hernández, who was 21 years old at the time, witnessed the events firsthand. Her brother-in-law, Eduardo Mora, was arrested during the raid and detained for six months. Hernández’s parents, the founders of the bookstore, were forced into exile in Uruguay.
Despite the repression, the Hernández family remained committed to their principles. “Even though we have plural material, we always focus on topics such as history, politics, sociology, psychology, education,” says Marisú Hernández. “The people who come to this bookstore partly know what they are coming for, what they want, what they are looking for.”
Echoes of the Past, Concerns for the Present
Today, the Hernández Bookstore displays the previously banned books in a prominent section, alongside a collection of materials documenting human rights abuses, disappearances, and the ongoing search for justice. Marisú Hernández, now a clinical doctor who balances her medical practice with her function at the bookstore, sees parallels between the past and the present.
She expresses concern over recent policies enacted by the current Argentine government under Javier Milei, which she believes are curtailing cultural funding and freedom of expression. “What this government is doing since it took power is trying to remove everything related to culture. It is well known everything it has done with singers, with films, with defunding cinema,” Hernández stated. “This government has a remarkably similar attitude to what happened before. We know which government we are currently under.”
The Enduring Power of the Book
Despite the rise of digital media, Marisú Hernández remains a staunch advocate for the printed book. “The greatest power of the book was in the seventies when young and not so young people knew that the only way to understand a lot of things was by reading,” she says. “For me the book has a predominant place now, which is for training, and it will always have it. One can obtain out of trouble with an e-book, but they are not going to replace the book… The book is irreplaceable.”
The Hernández Bookstore, a national heritage site, continues to serve as a vital space for intellectual exchange and a powerful symbol of resistance in Argentina. It stands as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression and preserving the written word.