Book Fair: Writers raised the image of Osvaldo Bayer in protest against the national government.

The figure of the late writer Osvaldo Bayer has once again taken center stage in Argentina's cultural scene. One month after the national government destroyed the monument in his honor in Santa Cruz, a group of writers decided to raise his image at the opening of the Buenos Aires Book Fair , as an act of remembrance and condemnation.

The gesture occurred after a fiery speech by writer Juan Sasturain and while boos were still ringing out against the Secretary of Culture, Leonardo Cifelli , who gave a pamphleteering speech in support of Javier Milei and his sister. Bayer, author of La Patagonia rebelde , appeared high, supported by the hands of Claudia Piñeiro, Guillermo Martínez, Selva Almada, Liliana Heker and other writers who decided to intervene in the opening ceremony with a replica of the monument that was destroyed on March 25, after the march for the Day of Remembrance.

"Putting Bayer's face on display seemed like the most powerful political act we could undertake. It's not partisan: Bayer represents literature, human rights, and Argentine history. The government is dismantling it, and we're bringing back what they're trying to erase."

The destruction of the Bayer monument, installed on the campus of the National University of Southern Patagonia, was denounced as an act of censorship and ideological revenge by various sectors of the academic and cultural world. The author had been honored there for his commitment to memory and human rights, particularly for his research on labor strikes in early 20th-century Patagonia.

The rejection of Cifelli intensified when he enthusiastically mentioned Karina Milei's support for his administration and when he defended the cuts in cultural spending as a way to "protect Argentines' resources." Shouts of "Shameless!" and "Liar!" forced him to interrupt his speech, while some in the audience raised signs and expressed their rejection of libertarian policies.

In this tense climate, Sasturain's speech served as a bridge between denunciation and vindication. He quoted Discépolo, Oesterheld, and Fontanarrosa, and closed with a phrase that fired up the audience: "As long as we feel shame, there will be hope for everyone." It was the perfect cue for the writers to decide to raise Bayer's profile among the officials.

The opening ceremony made it clear that literature is not resigned to silence. Amidst the adjustments, the closure of cultural programs, and the dismantling of symbols uncomfortable for the ruling party, Bayer's symbolic return at the Fair was a reminder: memory is not so easily destroyed.

"We must clarify our past so that it never happens again." Writers demonstrated at the opening of the Book Fair, displaying posters featuring Osvaldo Bayer.

The Secretary of Culture of the Nation, Leonardo Cifelli, was booed. pic.twitter.com/MgxX4h97fp