A gripe Hespanhola em Santa Maria (1918): um estudo do flagelo na imprensa local

Abstract

This study investigates the Spanish flu pandemic (1918) in the city of Santa Maria, located in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, based on local press coverage. In this context, the pandemic is analyzed as amplifying the urban precariousness faced by the poor population. This was mainly due to the urbanization process that took place at the beginning of the 20th century and was characterized by a growing population, precarious sanitation conditions and profound social inequalities. In this context, the installation of the railroad played a central role in intensifying the movement of people and goods, facilitating the entry of diseases into the city. The challenges of urban growth and the spread of disease were discussed by the local press, through the newspapers Correio da Serra, Gaspar Martins and Diário do Interior, each from a different perspective. These periodicals not only reported, but also reverberated their political opinions and, during the flu, acted as mediators between social demands and the authorities, exposing popular demands and encouraging charity. The Spanish flu is also analyzed in the light of a troubled political context, marked by the recent resignation of the Municipal Intendant Astrogildo de Azevedo. The political controversies continued through discussions in the press, including during the peak months of the pandemic. Both newspapers mobilized the figure of Astrogildo de Azevedo, according to their political positioning. Although he was a former Mayor, he continued to be attacked through his position as director of the Hospital de Caridade. Considering this scenario, this paper seeks to analyze how different elements were mobilized and portrayed by the press, with an emphasis on the social, political and health dynamics of Santa Maria during the Spanish flu pandemic, considering it a disorganizing event that highlighted the city's vulnerabilities.