Not a laughing matter : cartoons, plebeian heroes, and Panama's military government (1968-1989)

Abstract

This work illustrates the popular 1986 graphic novel Pedro Prestan: Bajo el furor de las tormentas to understand the cultural and political context of Panama's military period (1968-1969). The narrative focuses on Pedro Prestan, whose contemporaries falsely condemned him for burning Colon, Panama, in 1885. A hundred years after Prestan's death, Panama's military regime, to redefine its image, devised an agenda to appropriate plebeian nationalism. In 1986, the comic's creators saw an opportunity to cast Prestan as a freedom fighter for the state in exchange for his vindication. The novel served as a space for Panama's military regime to refashion its pantheon of revolutionary leaders and for subalterns to absolve a plebeian hero in history. Since officials tacitly approved the comic's publication and recognized Prestan, the book helped the state maintain power. The study demonstrates the give-and-take nature of shaping national identity.