On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (3 May) the IISH highlights one of its collections in relation to press freedom.
‘Una formidable arma de contrainformación….’ Publisher Ruedo Ibérico’s role in the struggle against Franco’s censorship
In the night of 13 to 14 October 1975 a firebomb exploded on the rue de Latran in Paris. The target of the bombing was the bookshop and Spanish exile publisher Ruedo Ibérico. Although the bomb did not cause any casualties, it damaged the building, as well as thirty cars parked along the street. While back in Madrid Franco prolonged his fight against death, obscure right-wing factions with ties to the Spanish police and intelligence services demonstrated that freedom of expression remained a target of assaults.
The publishing company Ruedo Ibérico was largely created by one individual: José Martínez Guerricabeitia. José Martínez, called ‘Pepe’ by his friends, was an exceptional man who had a major role in Spanish anti-Francoist cultural and political circles.