"Cultural Initiation Manuals", Ecuadorian Intellectuals, and the Spanish Civil War

Abstract

This article analyzes the journal entitled Manuales de iniciación cultural, published in Ecuador in 1938 against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. This study underscores the magazine’s significance as an ideological platform for Ecuadorian leftist intellectuals who sought to contribute to the Spanish conflict. The primary objective is to examine how the magazine employed literary, typographical, and design elements to construct a pre-Republican discourse. Additionally, it addresses the lack of scholarly attention to Manuales de iniciación cultural within the fields of literary criticism and history. Methodologically, this research project conducts a detailed analysis of the journal’s three issues, exploring variations in form and content, as well as the editorial and propagandistic strategies implemented by its director, Eduardo Viteri. The findings reveal that, despite stylistic differences across issues, the magazine consistently supported the Republican cause and criticized fascism through a blend of ideological and graphic texts. Furthermore, it highlighted the role of the intellectual women in the Spanish Civil War, demonstrating a nuanced engagement with the intersection of politics and gender.